bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The medical licensing assessment will fall short of determining whether a UK medical graduate behaves ethically
Authors: Deans Zuzana , Moorlock Greg , Trimble Michael
Published: January 2024

UK medical graduates will soon need to pass the medical licensing assessment, which assesses skills and knowledge in ethics using multiple choice questions (eg single best answer questions) and objective structured clinical examination. However, educational leaders have recognised that these methods lack the sophistication needed to accurately assess medical ethics.

The reasons are two-fold. First, there may be a knowledge and practice gap in medical schools when it comes to preparing students for the assessment. To this end, this article shares peer advice about how best to use objective structured clinical examinations and single best answer questions for assessing medical ethics to help prepare students for the medical licensing assessment.

Second, the design of the assessment is unlikely to adequately measure graduates' ethical values and behaviour in real world scenarios. Further work is needed to design assessments that are sophisticated enough to examine candidates' ethical reasoning and their actual behaviour.
Developing an Augmented Reality-Assisted Worksheet to Support the Digital Science Practicum
Authors: Muttaqiin Arief , Oktavia Rani , Luthfi Zaky Farid , Yulkifli Yulkifli
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this research is to develop a worksheet that can support a digital science practicum. Conducting a needs analysis comes first in the development of worksheets, then comes product creation. The product produced based on the needs test analysis is a worksheet with the help of science worksheet-augmented reality (SWAR). Two knowledgeable education professionals then evaluate the finished product and test it out on participants or students. The results of the study show that worksheets equipped with augmented reality media are necessary. Meanwhile, the resulting product is valid in an almost perfect category (Pe = 0.7219; Po = 0.9744; K = 0.9078). Student perceptions of the products produced are at an "excellent" level in each category (ME-Av, mean = 3.466; CO-Av, mean = 3.472; CT-Av, mean = 3.503; ST-Av, mean = 3,507; TA-Av, mean = 3.440; IN-Av, mean = 3.640; MO-Av, mean = 3.640). There is a significant inverse relationship between media features (ME-Av) and student interest (IN-Av) based on Pearson's correlation test with r = -.50 (p < .50). Further explanation is presented based on the data that has been collected.
Automatic montaging of adaptive optics SLO retinal images based on graph theory
Authors: Luo Ting , Gilbert Robert N. , Sapoznik Kaitlyn A. , Walker Brittany R. , Burns Stephen A.
Published: January 2024

We present a fully automatic montage pipeline for adaptive optics SLO retinal images. It contains a flexible module to estimate the translation between pairwise images. The user can change modules to accommodate the alignment of the dataset using the most appropriate alignment technique, provided that it estimates the translation between image pairs and provides a quantitative confidence metric for the match between 0 and 1. We use these pairwise comparisons and associated metrics to construct a graph where nodes represent frames and edges represent the overlap relations. We use a small diameter spanning tree to determine the best pairwise alignment for each image based on the entire set of image relations. The final stage of the pipeline is a blending module that uses dynamic programming to improve the smoothness of the transition between frames. Data sets ranging from 26 to 119 images were obtained from individuals aged 24 to 81 years with a mix of visually normal control eyes and eyes with glaucoma or diabetes. The resulting automatically generated montages were qualitatively and quantitatively compared to results from semi-automated alignment. Data sets were specifically chosen to include both high quality and medium quality data. The results obtained from the automatic method are comparable or better than results obtained by an experienced operator performing semi-automated montaging. For the plug-in pairwise alignment module, we tested a technique that utilizes SIFT + RANSAC, Normalized cross-correlation (NCC) and a combination of the two. This pipeline produces consistent results not only on outer retinal layers, but also on inner retinal layers such as a nerve fiber layer or images of the vascular complexes, even when images are not of excellent quality.
Self-supervised Self2Self denoising strategy for OCT speckle reduction with a single noisy image
Authors: Ge Chenkun , Yu Xiaojun , Yuan Miao , Fan Zeming , Chen Jinna , Shum Perry Ping , Liu Linbo
Published: January 2024

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) inevitably suffers from the influence of speckles originating from multiple scattered photons owing to its low-coherence interferometry property. Although various deep learning schemes have been proposed for OCT despeckling, they typically suffer from the requirement for ground-truth images, which are difficult to collect in clinical practice. To alleviate the influences of speckles without requiring ground-truth images, this paper presents a self-supervised deep learning scheme, namely, Self2Self strategy (S2Snet), for OCT despeckling using a single noisy image. Specifically, in this study, the main deep learning architecture is the Self2Self network, with its partial convolution being updated with a gated convolution layer. Specifically, both the input images and their Bernoulli sampling instances are adopted as network input first, and then, a devised loss function is integrated into the network to remove the background noise. Finally, the denoised output is estimated using the average of multiple predicted outputs. Experiments with various OCT datasets are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed S2Snet scheme. Results compared with those of the existing methods demonstrate that S2Snet not only outperforms those existing self-supervised deep learning methods but also achieves better performances than those non-deep learning ones in different cases. Specifically, S2Snet achieves an improvement of 3.41% and 2.37% for PSNR and SSIM, respectively, as compared to the original Self2Self network, while such improvements become 19.9% and 22.7% as compared with the well-known non-deep learning NWSR method.
Dominance of plasma-induced modulation in terahertz generation from gas filament
Authors: Guo Huicheng , Du Henglei , Zhan Qiang , Zhang Xiaoxue , Wang Wenkang , Liu Chengpu
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we revisit the fundamental mechanism responsible for terahertz generation from laser-induced plasma filament based on the photocurrent model by employing a blend of analytical calculation and numerical simulation. By using the frequency-decomposed finite-difference time-domain (FD-FDTD) method, the role of two-color field and photocurrent radiation in terahertz generation from plasma filament is visually separated, and the driving effect of photocurrent radiation is confirmed pretty significant within the process. Then, a pair of numerical experiments are taken to further analyze the driving effect of photocurrent radiation, and it is revealed that plasma-induced modulation to photocurrent radiation is actually the underlying physical mechanism of terahertz generation from plasma filament. Furthermore, a three-step diagram is introduced to reillustrate the overall physical process and provides a more comprehensive explanation. In addition, the mechanism of plasma-induced modulation to photocurrent radiation in terahertz generation is substantiated by taking theoretical prediction and numerical simulation of minimal filament length required for achieving stable backward terahertz emission, which directly confirms the validity and significance of plasma-induced modulation to photocurrent radiation in terahertz generation from laser-induced plasma filament.
All-fiber hectowatt radially polarized laser system
Authors: Liu Shixin , Shi Xinlei , Liu Hang , Peng Wanjing , Feng Yujun , Sun Yinhong , Ma Yi , Zhao Zhigang , Gao Qingsong , Liu Zhaojun , Tang Chun
Published: January 2024

A high-power all-fiber radially polarized laser system is demonstrated, in which an integrated nanograting mode convertor (S-wave plate) is used for the generation of radially polarized beam. Experimentally, a 1-W radially polarized beam was used as the seed laser, whose mode purity and mode extinction ratio (MER) were 96.5% and 98.3%, respectively. A single-stage few-mode fiber amplifier was employed to boost the 1-W seed laser to an average power of 113.2 W, when the pump power was 160 W. The corresponding slope efficiency and beam quality factor (M2) were approximately 72% and 2.3%, respectively. Moreover, the mode purity and MER of the amplified radially polarized laser were measured to be 95.7% and 97%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power from an all-fiber radially polarized laser system without obvious degradations of the mode purity and MER.
Air conditioning for photons [Invited]
Authors: Pendry J. B.
Published: January 2024

A simple time dependent system is solved analytically taking the form of a moving step-up or step-down in refractive index. We demonstrate that step motion, by a process of compression or expansion, adds or subtracts energy from radiation passing through, so heating or cooling the photons.
Feasibility Analysis of Localized SOI Platform Detection Method Based on Carrier Grating
Authors: Liu Xiaoping , Shi Jinze , Li Changying , Wang Qing , Wan Jiajun
Published: January 2024

As the quantity and variety of devices integrated into Silicon-on-Insulator(SOI) platform continue to escalate, it becomes increasingly challenging to determine the modes' behavior on the positions of concern relying solely on pre-processed couplers. Interference of two coherent pump beams has the capability to induce a periodic carrier distribution in the material, thus modulating the refractive index, effectively creating a temporary and erasable diffraction grating. In this study, an off-chip, non-destructive and localized detection method based on carrier grating is proposed.
A theoretical model is developed to calculate carrier dynamics under various pump configurations.
Leveraging the Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method and accounting for Free Carrier Index (FCI) and Free Carrier Absorption (FCA) effects, analysis of the quantitative impact of pump intensity and radius on the diffraction efficiency of the carrier grating in Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Platform and its far-field divergence characteristics are provided.
Ultimately, this research contributes to a discussion on the feasibility of experimental approaches with a spatial resolution of less than 10 μm, -15 dB diffraction efficiency, simultaneously maintaining a far-field divergence of 7.8° for SOI platform.
Miura origami based reconfigurable polarization converter for multifunctional control of electromagnetic waves
Authors: Zhu Zhibiao , Li Yongfeng , Qin Zhe , Jiang Lixin , Wang Wenjie , Chen Hongya , Wang Jiafu , Pang Yongqiang , Qu Shaobo
Published: January 2024

Polarization is one of the basic characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) waves, and its flexible control is very important in many practical applications. At present, most of the multifunction polarization metasurfaces are electrically tunable based on PIN and varactor diodes, which are easy to operate and have strong real-time performance. However, there are still some problems in them, such as few degrees of freedom of planar structure control, complex circuit, bulky sample, and high cost. In view of these shortcomings, this paper proposes a Miura origami based reconfigurable polarization conversion metasurface for multifunctional control of EM waves. The interaction between the electric dipoles is changed by adjusting the folding angle θ, thereby tuning the operating frequency of the polarization conversion and the polarization state of the reflected wave. This mechanical control method brings more degrees of freedom to manipulate EM waves. And the processed sample is with lightweight and low cost. To verify the performance of the proposed origami polarization converter, a Miura origami structure loaded with metal split rings is designed and fabricated. The operating frequency of the structure can be tuned in different folding states. In addition, by controlling the folding angle θ, linear-to-linear and linear-to-circular polarization converters can be realized at different folding states. The proposed Miura origami polarization conversion metasurface provides a new idea for reconfigurable linear polarization conversion and multifunctional devices.
Indefinite metacavities coupled to a mirror: bound states in the continuum with anomalous resonance scaling
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Li Peixiang , Gu Zhiyuan , Liu Shaoding , Duan Zejun
Published: January 2024

Indefinite metacavities (IMCs) made of hyperbolic metamaterials show great advantages in terms of extremely small mode volume due to large wave vectors endowed by the unique hyperbolic dispersion. However, quality (Q) factors of IMCs are limited by Ohmic loss of metals and radiative loss of leaked waves. Despite the fact that Ohmic loss of metals is inevitable in IMCs, the radiative loss can be further suppressed by leakage engineering. Here we propose a mirror coupled IMC structure which is able to operate at Fabry–Pérot bound states in the continuum (BICs) while the hyperbolic nature of IMCs is retained. At the BIC point, the radiative loss of magnetic dipolar cavity modes in IMCs is completely absent, resulting in a considerably increased Q factor (>90). Deviating from the BIC point, perfect absorption bands (>0.99) along with a strong near-field intensity enhancement (>1.8×104) appear when the condition of critical coupling is almost fulfilled. The proposed BICs are robust to the geometry and material composition of IMCs and anomalous scaling law of resonance is verified during the tuning of optical responses. We also demonstrate that the Purcell effect of the structure can be significantly improved under BIC and quasi-BIC regimes due to the further enhanced Q factor to mode volume ratio. Our results provide a new train of thought to design ultra-small optical nanocavities that may find many applications benefitting from strong light–matter interactions.
The diabetes care continuum in Venezuela: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses to evaluate engagement and retention in care
Authors: Goodman-Palmer Dina , González-Rivas Juan P. , Jaacks Lindsay M. , Duran Maritza , Marulanda María Inés , Ugel Eunice , Chavarro Jorge E. , Danaei Goodarz , Nieto-Martinez Ramfis
Published: January 2024

The impact of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela on care for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes is unknown. This study aims to document health system performance for diabetes management in Venezuela during the humanitarian crisis. This longitudinal study on NCDs is nationally representative at baseline (2014–2017) and has follow-up (2018–2020) data on 35% of participants. Separate analyses of the baseline population with diabetes (n = 585) and the longitudinal population with diabetes (n = 210) were conducted. Baseline analyses constructed a weighted care continuum: all diabetes; diagnosed; treated; achieved glycaemic control; achieved blood pressure, cholesterol, and glycaemic control; and achieved aforementioned control plus non-smoking. Weighted multinomial regression models controlling for region were used to estimate the association between socio-demographic characteristics and care continuum stage. Longitudinal analyses constructed an unweighted care continuum: all diabetes; diagnosed; treated; and achieved glycaemic control. Unweighted multinomial regression models controlling for region were used to estimate the association between socio-demographic characteristics and changes in care continuum stage. Among 585 participants with diabetes at baseline, 71% were diagnosed, 51% were on treatment, and 32% had achieved glycaemic control. Among 210 participants with diabetes in the longitudinal population, 50 (24%) participants’ diabetes management worsened, while 40 (19%) participants improved. Specifically, the proportion of those treated decreased (60% in 2014–2017 to 51% in 2018–2020), while the proportion of participants achieving glycaemic control did not change. Although treatment rates have declined substantially among people with diabetes in Venezuela, management changed less than expected during the crisis.
Rhesus monkeys learn to control a directional-key inspired brain machine interface via bio-feedback
Authors: Zhang Chenguang , Wang Hao , Tang Shaohua , Li Zheng
Published: January 2024

Brain machine interfaces (BMI) connect brains directly to the outside world, bypassing natural neural systems and actuators. Neuronal-activity-to-motion transformation algorithms allow applications such as control of prosthetics or computer cursors. These algorithms lie within a spectrum between bio-mimetic control and bio-feedback control. The bio-mimetic approach relies on increasingly complex algorithms to decode neural activity by mimicking the natural neural system and actuator relationship while focusing on machine learning: the supervised fitting of decoder parameters. On the other hand, the bio-feedback approach uses simple algorithms and relies primarily on user learning, which may take some time, but can facilitate control of novel, non-biological appendages. An increasing amount of work has focused on the arguably more successful bio-mimetic approach. However, as chronic recordings have become more accessible and utilization of novel appendages such as computer cursors have become more universal, users can more easily spend time learning in a bio-feedback control paradigm. We believe a simple approach which leverages user learning and few assumptions will provide users with good control ability. To test the feasibility of this idea, we implemented a simple firing-rate-to-motion correspondence rule, assigned groups of neurons to virtual “directional keys” for control of a 2D cursor. Though not strictly required, to facilitate initial control, we selected neurons with similar preferred directions for each group. The groups of neurons were kept the same across multiple recording sessions to allow learning. Two Rhesus monkeys used this BMI to perform a center-out cursor movement task. After about a week of training, monkeys performed the task better and neuronal signal patterns changed on a group basis, indicating learning. While our experiments did not compare this bio-feedback BMI to bio-mimetic BMIs, the results demonstrate the feasibility of our control paradigm and paves the way for further research in multi-dimensional bio-feedback BMIs.
An in silico procedure for generating protein-mediated chromatin interaction data and comparison of significant interaction calling methods
Authors: Lou Shuyuan , Lin Shili
Published: January 2024

The ability to simulate high-throughput data with high fidelity to real experimental data is fundamental for benchmarking methods used to detect true long-range chromatin interactions mediated by a specific protein. Yet, such tools are not currently available. To fill this gap, we develop an in silico experimental procedure, ChIA-Sim, which imitates the experimental procedures that produce real ChIA-PET, Hi-ChIP, or PLAC-seq data. We show the fidelity of ChIA-Sim to real data by using guiding characteristics of several real datasets to generate data using the simulation procedure. We also used ChIA-Sim data to demonstrate the use of our in silico procedure in benchmarking methods for significant interactions analysis by evaluating four methods for significant interaction calling (SIC). In particular, we assessed each method’s performance in terms of correct identification of long-range interactions. We further analyzed four experimental datasets from publicly available databases and shew that the trend of the results are consistent with those seen in data generated from ChIA-Sim. This serves as additional evidence that ChIA-Sim closely resembles data produced from the experimental protocols it models after.
Student intentions to continue with distance learning post-COVID: An empirical analysis
Authors: Steyn Adriana Aletta , van Slyke Craig , Dick Geoffrey , Twinomurinzi Hossana , Amusa Lateef Babatunde
Published: January 2024

The aftermath of COVID changed how students learn, mainly moving to a distance learning model. The research reported in this paper investigated the organizational and individual factors that influence the preference for continuing with distance / online learning post-COVID. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to a model developed for this research, based on data from 452 students from residential universities in South Africa. The key results reveal an overall reluctance to continue with distance learning. This is despite the technological and faculty support offered to university students and how distance learning fits their learning styles. This is likely due to student living conditions and their perception of low institutional concern. On the other hand, faculty support has a more substantial impact on continuance, compared with a generally negative perception of support from the universities. The research underscores the importance of addressing student reluctance to continue with distance learning by improving institutional support and tailoring learning styles. The research enhances our understanding of crucial factors influencing students’ preference for distance/online learning post-COVID. It also underscores the pedagogical shifts brought about by the pandemic, particularly highlighting the changing roles of faculty support and the impact on students’ living conditions.
Improving structure-based protein-ligand affinity prediction by graph representation learning and ensemble learning
Authors: Guo Jia
Published: January 2024

Predicting protein-ligand binding affinity presents a viable solution for accelerating the discovery of new lead compounds. The recent widespread application of machine learning approaches, especially graph neural networks, has brought new advancements in this field. However, some existing structure-based methods treat protein macromolecules and ligand small molecules in the same way and ignore the data heterogeneity, potentially leading to incomplete exploration of the biochemical information of ligands. In this work, we propose LGN, a graph neural network-based fusion model with extra ligand feature extraction to effectively capture local features and global features within the protein-ligand complex, and make use of interaction fingerprints. By combining the ligand-based features and interaction fingerprints, LGN achieves Pearson correlation coefficients of up to 0.842 on the PDBbind 2016 core set, compared to 0.807 when using the features of complex graphs alone. Finally, we verify the rationalization and generalization of our model through comprehensive experiments. We also compare our model with state-of-the-art baseline methods, which validates the superiority of our model. To reduce the impact of data similarity, we increase the robustness of the model by incorporating ensemble learning.
Genetic profiling of rat gliomas and cardiac schwannomas from life-time radiofrequency radiation exposure study using a targeted next-generation sequencing gene panel
Authors: Brooks Ashley M. , Vornoli Andrea , Kovi Ramesh C. , Ton Thai Vu T. , Xu Miaofei , Mashal Ahmed , Tibaldi Eva , Gnudi Federica , Li Jian-Liang , Sills Robert C. , Bucher John R. , Mandrioli Daniele , Belpoggi Fiorella , Pandiri Arun R.
Published: January 2024

The cancer hazard associated with lifetime exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) was examined in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats at the Ramazzini Institute (RI), Italy. There were increased incidences of gliomas and cardiac schwannomas. The translational relevance of these rare rat tumors for human disease is poorly understood. We examined the genetic alterations in RFR-derived rat tumors through molecular characterization of important cancer genes relevant for human gliomagenesis. A targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel was designed for rats based on the top 23 orthologous human glioma-related genes. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and small insertion and deletions (indels) were characterized in the rat gliomas and cardiac schwannomas. Translational relevance of these genetic alterations in rat tumors to human disease was determined through comparison with the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database. These data suggest that rat gliomas resulting from life-time exposure to RFR histologically resemble low grade human gliomas but surprisingly no mutations were detected in rat gliomas that had homology to the human IDH1 p.R132 or IDH2 p.R172 suggesting that rat gliomas are primarily wild-type for IDH hotspot mutations implicated in human gliomas. The rat gliomas appear to share some genetic alterations with IDH1 wildtype human gliomas and rat cardiac schwannomas also harbor mutations in some of the queried cancer genes. These data demonstrate that targeted NGS panels based on tumor specific orthologous human cancer driver genes are an important tool to examine the translational relevance of rodent tumors resulting from chronic/life-time rodent bioassays.
Relationship between vitreous interleukin-6 levels and vitreous particles findings on widefield optical coherence tomography in posterior uveitis
Authors: Tomita Mami , Tagami Mizuki , Misawa Norihiko , Sakai Atsushi , Haruna Yusuke , Honda Shigeru
Published: January 2024

Purpose

To investigate relationship between vitreous interleukin-6 levels and vitreous particles findings on widefield optical coherence tomography in posterior uveitis.

Methods

This retrospective study examined vitreous inflammatory cells (hyperreflective particles) of posterior uveitis on widefield optical coherence tomography (WOCT). We examined the number of hyperreflective particles (possibility of vitreous inflammatory cells) observed on WOCT and the correlations with interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. The relationship between vitreous IL-6 levels and image findings from WOCT from 37 eyes (34 patients) with posterior uveitis were analyzed. Mean patient age was 63.4±15.7 years. (Mean± standard deviation) IL-6 concentration in vitreous humor was 79.9±7380.9 pg/mL Uveitis was infectious in 9 cases and non-infectious in 28 cases with multiplex polymerase chain reaction system. We measured the number and size of vitreous cells in the posterior vitreous, defined as the space between the upper vitreous and the internal limiting membrane on WOCT at the macular, upper, and lower regions. Image analysis software was also used for cell counting.

Results

A strong correlation was seen between human and software counts. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC) was performed to compare categorial variables (on macular +0.866; upper cavity +0.713; lower cavity +0.568; total vitreous cavity +0.834; P<0.001 each). IL-6 levels correlated with both vitreous cell counts and cell counts observed on macular WOCT (human-counted group +0.339, P = 0.04; software-counted group +0.349, P = 0.03). Infectious uveitis showed higher IL-6 levels (P = 0.016) and high cell counts compared with non-infectious uveitis (P = 0.04).

Conclusions

Vitreous number of hyperreflective particles (cells) findings on WOCTcorrelated well with human and software cell counts. Vitreous cells findings on WOCT also correlated with IL-6 concentrations on macular.
Naturally-associated bacteria modulate Orsay virus infection of Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: González Rubén , Félix Marie-Anne
Published: January 2024

Microbes associated with an organism can significantly modulate its susceptibility to viral infections, but our understanding of the influence of individual microbes remains limited. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a model organism that in nature inhabits environments rich in bacteria. Here, we examine the impact of 71 naturally associated bacteria on C. elegans susceptibility to its only known natural virus, the Orsay virus. Our findings reveal that viral infection of C. elegans is significantly influenced by monobacterial environments. Compared to an Escherichia coli environmental reference, the majority of tested bacteria reduced C. elegans susceptibility to viral infection. This reduction is not caused by virion degradation or poor animal nutrition by the bacteria. The repression of viral infection by the bacterial strains Chryseobacterium JUb44 and Sphingobacterium BIGb0172 does not require the RIG-I homolog DRH-1, which is known to activate antiviral responses such as RNA interference and transcriptional regulation. Our research highlights the necessity of considering natural biotic environments in viral infection studies and opens the way future research on host-microbe-virus interactions.
Nitrate in drinking water and pregnancy outcomes: A narrative review of epidemiological evidence and proposed biological mechanisms
Authors: Royal Hana , ‘t Mannetje Andrea , Hales Simon , Douwes Jeroen , Berry Max , Chambers Tim
Published: January 2024

There is emerging evidence of an association between nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Few studies have discussed the evidence in the context of plausible biological mechanisms. We performed a narrative review of the current evidence investigating associations between nitrate in drinking water and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with a focus on congenital anomalies (CA) and preterm birth (PTB). We also reviewed evidence and discuss several biological mechanisms that may explain the observed associations. We reviewed cohort and case-control epidemiological studies assessing associations between maternal nitrate exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes published until January 2023. Three plausible mechanisms may explain how maternal exposure to nitrate may impact pregnancy outcomes, which include the formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC), thyroid dysfunction and oxidative stress. For CA, seven studies were included (two cohort and five case-control studies). The strongest associations observed in epidemiological studies were for neural tube defects. Inconsistent positive and negative associations were observed for anomalies of the limb, eye, ear, face and neck. Of the four PTB studies (all cohort studies), three of the largest cohort studies observed associations between PTB with nitrate levels >5 mg/L while one small cohort study did not. Emerging epidemiological evidence has observed a potential increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with elevated maternal nitrate exposure in drinking water. There are also plausible biological mechanisms to support this association. However, the current evidence lacks homogeneity and additional longitudinal evidence with robust exposure asssessments is required. Given the increasing concentrations of nitrate contamination in drinking water in many countries, and the adverse effects observed at concentrations below the current regulatory standard, a further precautionary approach should be adopted until futher evidence emerges.
Ricœuriana 4: La generosidad del cogito encarnado: una fenomenología de la atención a partir de Paul Ricœur
Authors: Jaramillo Ana Lucía Montoya
Published: January 2024

Participación y distancia, receptividad y actividad, afecto y deseo de verdad, estos son los dúos conceptuales que recorren y dan eje a este libro, que se articula en torno a una pregunta y a una intuición central. La pregunta gira en torno a la mejor disposición del yo para relacionarse con toda alteridad de modo que esta sea recibida de un modo cualitativamente más rico y acorde con su índice de verdad. La intuición es que la atención, entendida como una estructura de receptividad activa que encuentra su idea-límite en el descentramiento generoso, es dicha disposición. Basándose en las primeras elaboraciones antropológicas de Paul Ricœur, en particular en su conferencia “LAttention” (1940), el libro describe a la atención como la forma relacional de ese cogito encarnado que somos, además, propone una relación estrecha entre atención, estima de sí y generosidad cartesiana. Explora cómo esta estructura fundamental de la subjetividad humana ilumina la articulación de lo ético con lo cognitivo y concluye sugiriendo que existe una vía de unificación que nos cualifica en nuestra humanidad a partir de un determinado ejercicio atencional.
La obesidad en los ciberdiarios españoles: de la estigmatización (del obeso) a la responsabilidad social y a las soluciones estructurales
Authors: Argiñano Jose-Luis , Gurrutxaga-Rekondo Guillermo
Published: January 2024

La obesidad se ha convertido en la pandemia de los países desarrollados. En España, hay más de 23 millones de personas con sobrepeso y la previsión apunta a 3,1 millones de casos nuevos hasta 2030. El objetivo de esta investigación es conocer cómo los medios tratan este tema. Para ello, se han recogido las noticias de seis ciberdiarios españoles publicadas en 2020 y 2021 a partir de tres palabras clave: obesidad, obesidad infantil y sobrepeso (n=2.760). Para un posterior análisis más exhaustivo, se han seleccionado las noticias de 2021 en las que la obesidad es el tema principal (n= 385) y se ha recurrido al análisis de contenido para analizar la temática y al framing para estudiar el enfoque. Los resultados muestran que se ha producido un cambio de estrategia: la obesidad se enfoca más con una perspectiva social que individual, se ha dejado de estigmatizar a los obesos y, en su lugar, se hace responsable del clima obesogénico a los gobiernos, al sistema educativo y la industria alimentaria. La coincidencia de este estudio con la pandemia y el año posterior han permitido obtener unos resultados genuinos. De hecho, se pude sostener que el confinamiento ha contribuido a generar en los medios esa perspectiva social de la obesidad. A pesar de que las referencias a las mujeres son escasas y, de que cuando se producen se relacionan con una visión estética, se puede concluir que los ciberdiarios están empezando a asumir su rol para proponer soluciones que afronten de raíz la problemática de la obesidad.
Más allá del recinto: el rol del audiovisual digital en el mantenimiento y la reconstrucción de la experiencia del festival de música
Authors: Pérez-Ordóñez Cristina , Castro-Martínez Andrea , Torres-Martín José-Luis , De-Aguilera-Moyano Miguel
Published: January 2024

La proliferación actual de festivales en el territorio español —agentes destacados dentro de la industria musical— ha traído consigo un aumento de la competitividad en este sector. Con la intencionalidad de diferenciarse dentro de la amplia oferta de eventos musicales, los organizadores diseñan sus acontecimientos en forma de experiencia que cada año se renueva, pero que a la vez perdura como cultura de festival, la cual es difundida a través del audiovisual digital. El presente trabajo, de carácter exploratorio, parte de estudios previos que definen a los festivales como espacios cíclicos y experienciales, de naturaleza multidimensional y comunicacional. Pretende determinar el rol del vídeo y la imagen digital para construir, mantener y redefinir dicha experiencia. Se emplea una metodología mixta mediante una revisión documental, un análisis de caso múltiple de tres de los festivales más importantes de España y entrevistas a expertos y expertas. Los resultados demuestran la relevante función de las narrativas audiovisuales en la definición y fijación de dichas experiencias, así como en su memorabilidad y creación de expectación para la siguiente edición. Se  describen igualmente las principales características y elementos que la componen. Por último, destaca el papel de los aftermovies como marcadores de la pauta expresiva y narrativa de la comunicación digital de estos eventos.
Mapeo de las modalidades de comunicación científica en TikTok: un análisis descriptivo del hashtag #CienciaNoTikTok
Authors: Lopez Debora-Cristina , Freire Marcelo , Barros Kelen
Published: January 2024

Este artículo explora las complejidades de la sociabilidad digital y la manifestación de la ciencia en las redes sociales, enfocándose particularmente en TikTok en Brasil. Los autores realizan una revisión bibliográfica por escopo sobre el tema de las redes sociales digitales, TikTok y la comunicación de la ciencia. El estudio propone un mapeo de las estrategias comunicativas para este propósito en TikTok, utilizando datos de 250 vídeos destacados en #ciêncianotiktok para entender las tácticas de compromiso y circulación adoptadas por los comunicadores de ciencia. El objetivo es entender quiénes son los hablantes, cuáles son sus modalidades comunicativas, cómo se adaptan a las gramáticas de la plataforma y cuáles son sus principales estrategias de circulación e interacción con el público.
Linearized instability for differential equations with dependence on
the past derivative
Authors: Lani-Wayda Bernhard , Godoy Mesquita Jaqueline
Published: January 2024

We provide a criterion for instability of equilibria of equations in the form

x
˙

(
t
)
=
g
(

x
t
′

,

x
t

)
, which includes neutral delay equations with state-dependent delay. The criterion is based on a lower bound
Δ

>
0

for the delay in the neutral terms, on regularity assumptions of the functions in the equation, and on spectral assumptions on a semigroup used for approximation. The spectral conditions can be verified studying the associated characteristic equation. Estimates in the

C
1

-norm, a manifold containing the state space

X
2

of the equation and another manifold contained in

X
2

, and an invariant cone method are used for the proof. We also give mostly self-contained proofs for the necessary prerequisites from the constant delay case, and conclude with an application to a mechanical example.
Effect of indented growth rings on spruce wood mechanical properties and subsequent violin dynamics
Authors: Viala Romain , Cabaret Jérémy , Sedighi-Gilani Marjan , Placet Vincent , Cogan Scott
Published: January 2024

In this study, the influence of “bear claw” or indented growth ring anatomical patterns on the vibro-mechanical behavior of spruce wood have been investigated, particularly in the context of utilizing these singularities/specific features for the construction of violins. By employing vibrometry and modal analysis followed by finite element model updating, the vibro-mechanical properties (specific stiffness in longitudinal (L) and radial (R) directions and shear LR plane, and associated damping) of the indented growth rings spruce were identified and implemented in a numerical model of a violin. Results have revealed a significant increase in specific moduli in R direction and LR plane and decrease in L direction of spruce wood in the presence of indented growth rings, therefore accompanied by a reduction in anisotropic elastic properties, in comparison to spruce without these patterns. These properties led to changes in violin dynamics, globally increasing resonance frequencies and changing the shape of the vibration modes. The simulated frequency response function of the violin at the bridge suggested a global shift of the admittance of the bridge toward higher frequencies. These results suggest a potential impact of indented growth rings of spruce on the acoustic properties of instruments.
Unraveling the differential effects of task rehearsal and task repetition on L2 task performance: the mediating role of task modality
Authors: Mostafaei Alaei Mahnaz , Mansouri Abbas
Published: January 2024

The study reported in this paper examined the differentiating effects of rehearsal and repetition, as two distinct task-readiness conditions, on L2 performance, and examined how such effects interact with modality (i.e., oral and written). To do so, 104 EFL learners were randomly divided into four groups, each with a unique readiness condition (rehearsal versus repetition) and a different performance mode (oral versus written). All groups performed orally or in writing a task twice either with awareness of the second performance (rehearsal) or without such anticipation (repetition). The task performances were assessed in terms of complexity, accuracy, lexis, and fluency (CALF). Findings indicated that while both readiness conditions showed beneficial effects, only rehearsal led to statistically significant enhancements in all CALF dimensions over time. Results also revealed that rehearsal yielded significant improvements across both modalities; however, the benefits were more evident in the writing mode. The study provides teachers with more insights into task implementation.
Validation of metacognitive knowledge in vocabulary learning and its predictive effects on incidental vocabulary learning from reading
Authors: Teng Mark Feng , Mizumoto Atsushi
Published: January 2024

This study investigates the impact of metacognitive knowledge on vocabulary learning among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learner, involving 776 university students in China. Its primary goal is to develop and validate a scale for assessing metacognitive knowledge in vocabulary learning. The scale is structured around three sub-dimensions: person, task, and strategies, identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. These sub-dimensions serve as independent variables in analyzing their influence on incidental vocabulary learning outcomes from reading, which includes knowledge of word form, meaning, and use. The study’s results validate the scale and reveal that the three factors – person, task, and strategies – have varying impacts on learners’ incidental vocabulary learning performance. The findings emphasize the crucial role of metacognitive knowledge in EFL vocabulary acquisition, offering insights for enhancing learning strategies. Additionally, the study provides important implications for educational practices in vocabulary teaching and learning.
Estimation of Causal Effects with a Binary Treatment Variable: A Unified M-Estimation Framework
Authors: Uysal Derya
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we review several estimators of the average treatment effect (ATE) that belong to three main groups: regression, weighting and doubly robust methods. We unify the exposition of these estimators within an M-estimation framework and we derive their variance estimators from the sandwich form variance-covariance matrix of the M-Estimator. Additionally, we re-estimate the causal return to higher education on earnings by the reviewed methods using the rich dataset provided by the British National Child Development Study (NCDS) as an empirical illustration.
The Constitutional Relevance of the ECHR in Domestic Law: The Kosovo Perspective
Authors: Gruda Përparim , Borovci Mentor
Published: January 2024

This article examines the status and importance of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) Jurisprudence in the national legal system of the Republic of Kosovo. This will be accomplished by pursuing two main paths: first, by a doctrinal analysis of the constitutional status of the ECHR and the Jurisprudence of the ECtHR in Kosovo and, second, through a closer examination and analysis of specific cases as to the level of their (non) implementation by the Constitutional Court and regular courts of Kosovo. Even though Kosovo is not a member of the Council of Europe and has not ratified the ECHR, the ECHR has a specific and privileged place in the legal system of Kosovo and is part of its constitution. This makes Kosovo a very special case regarding the technique chosen for the incorporation of international instruments for human rights in its internal legal order. Public authorities in Kosovo agree to the obligation that the scope and meaning of fundamental rights should always be determined based on the standards established in Strasbourg. However, implementing these Strasbourg-derived standards is not simple or easy. Some of the elements identified for the application of these standards in internal judicial practice include the degree and measure of implementation, the methodology of choosing cases, the methods of interpretation, and local legal culture. This article, explains these elements by analyzing statistical data and specific court cases.
Bear in a Window: collecting Australian children’s stories of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Diskin-Holdaway Chloé , Kelly Barbara F. , Arciuli Joanne , Ahmed Beena
Published: January 2024

The Bear in a Window project captures Australian children’s experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focused on children’s experiences of lockdown, or extended periods of home confinement, ranging from one to 100 days at a time between 2020 and 2021. Using the online experimental platform, Gorilla, we invited children aged 3–12 to record themselves telling stories about the positives and negatives of life in lockdown to our mascot, Covey Bear. Recordings were saved on the Gorilla server and orthographically and automatically transcribed using Sonix, with manual correction. Preliminary analyses of 18 children’s recordings illustrate several emergent topics, reflecting children’s experiences of the pandemic in the areas of health and wellbeing; education and online learning; digital engagement; family and friends; relationships; and mealtimes and food. We found that in their storytelling, children engaged in a wide variety of discourse strategies to hold the floor, indicate focus, and transition to different topics. The project will contribute to a national public collection of Australian children’s COVID-19 stories and create a digital repository of Australian children’s talk that will be available to researchers across different disciplines.
Ultrafast optical properties and applications of anisotropic 2D materials
Authors: Suk Sang Ho , Seo Sung Bok , Cho Yeon Sik , Wang Jun , Sim Sangwan
Published: January 2024

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials exhibit strong light-matter interactions, remarkable excitonic effects, and ultrafast optical response, making them promising for high-speed on-chip nanophotonics. Recently, significant attention has been directed towards anisotropic 2D materials (A2DMs) with low in-plane crystal symmetry. These materials present unique optical properties dependent on polarization and direction, offering additional degrees of freedom absent in conventional isotropic 2D materials. In this review, we discuss recent progress in understanding the fundamental aspects and ultrafast nanophotonic applications of A2DMs. We cover structural characteristics and anisotropic linear/nonlinear optical properties of A2DMs, including well-studied black phosphorus and rhenium dichalcogenides, as well as emerging quasi-one-dimensional materials. Then, we discuss fundamental ultrafast anisotropic phenomena occurring in A2DMs, such as polarization-dependent ultrafast dynamics of charge carriers and excitons, their direction-dependent spatiotemporal diffusion, photo-induced symmetry switching, and anisotropic coherent acoustic phonons. Furthermore, we review state-of-the-art ultrafast nanophotonic applications based on A2DMs, including polarization-driven active all-optical modulations and ultrafast pulse generations. This review concludes by offering perspectives on the challenges and future prospects of A2DMs in ultrafast nanophotonics.
Optical filters made from random metasurfaces using Bayesian optimization
Authors: Wray Parker R. , Paul Elijah G. , Atwater Harry A.
Published: January 2024

We theoretically investigate the ability to design optical filters from a single material and a single layer of randomly dispersed resonant dielectric particles, defining a random metasurface. Using a Bayesian and generalized Mie inverse-design approach, we design particle radii distributions that give rise to longpass, shortpass, bandpass, and bandstop spectral bands in the infrared. The optical response is shown to be directly related to electric and magnetic multipole scattering of the constituent particles and their near field coupling. We discuss the effect of the particle size distribution and particle–particle coupling interactions on filter design in random systems lacking long-range order.