bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surrealism, Counter-Mapping and COVID: Confluences in Contemporary Asian Australian Art
Authors: Carruthers Victoria , Tsai Jaime
Published: March 2024

Abstract: COVID-19 originating in China was all it took to destabilize Australia's claim to a proud, multicultural society, and with it, the sense of place and belonging felt by much of the Asian Australian community. Living and working in Melbourne, the most locked-down city in the world during the COVID period, the Asian Australian multimedia and performance artists Eugenia Lim and James Nguyen witnessed firsthand the resurgence of sinophobia, which exposed the ongoing resilience of the government's former White Australia Policy in the national imagination. Working approximately one hundred years after André Breton's Dada excursion (1921), and the surrealist survey on "Irrational Embellishments" of Parisian monuments (1933), Lim and Nguyen's counter-mapping practices echo these reorientations of site that seek to dismantle ideological codifications of space and reestablish them as imaginative and inclusive. As a strategy of spatial contestation and world building, Lim and Nguyen counter-map several historical and culturally significant sites across Australia, offering a decolonial inflexion of the more iconoclastic gestures of their European progenitors. Refracted through the lens of COVID, these Asian-Australian interventions bring the underlying cultural and racial tensions in Australian society into sharp relief. Their work resists reductive narratives of nationhood and renders the Australian landscape permeable to an interplay of hybrid stories and identities.
Everything Can Also Be Different: From Clinical Observation to Lifelong Motif
Authors: Newbauer John F.
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT: Adler frequently said, “Everything can also be different,” and it seems to have been a theme that permeated his life and is also relevant to anyone who follows his theory today. Adler saw movement from a “felt minus” to a “perceived plus” as an inherent part of his life view as well as his theory. He emphasized the importance of the individual’s creative response to life’s challenges rather than the influence of any type of determinism. Following his service as a physician in the trenches of World War I, he developed the concept of Gemeinschaftsgefühl , or social interest or community feeling, as a mark of mental health and a fictional goal toward which all can strive.
Nickel composite film for terahertz wave broadband absorption
Authors: Liu Quanjun , Hu Fangrong , Su An , Jiang Mingzhu , Zhang Longhui , Song Zihang
Published: March 2024

Due to the poor response of natural materials in the terahertz (THz)
frequency band, ultra-broadband absorption of THz waves is a
challenge. In this work, a nickel-composite film (NCF) is
experimentally demonstrated for the ultra-broadband absorption of THz
waves. The NCF consists of nickel foam, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS),
and few-layer graphene. The nickel foam has a three-dimensional
structure that can be filled by the PDMS and few-layer graphene. By
controlling the mass fraction of few-layer graphene in the PDMS, we
can reduce the surface reflection of THz waves and achieve broadband
absorption. For a 0.5-mm-thick NCF, when the mass fraction of doped
few-layer graphene is 2%, the qualified bandwidth (with an absorption
rate more than 90%) reaches 3.2 THz. More importantly, for
different thicknesses of nickel foams, the absorption bandwidth can be
enhanced by changing the mass fraction of few-layer graphene.
Enhancing light extraction efficiency of the inclined-sidewall-shaped DUV micro-LED array by hybridizing a nanopatterned sapphire substrate and an air-cavity reflector
Authors: Liu Zhaoqiang , Jia Tong , Chu Chunshuang , Tian Kangkai , Fan Chao , Zhang Yonghui , Zhang Zi-Hui
Published: March 2024

In this work, we hybridize an air cavity reflector and a nanopatterned sapphire substrate (NPSS) for making an inclined-sidewall-shaped deep ultraviolet micro light-emitting diode (DUV micro-LED) array to enhance the light extraction efficiency (LEE). A cost-effective hybrid photolithography process involving positive and negative photoresist (PR) is explored to fabricate air-cavity reflectors. The experimental results demonstrate a 9.88% increase in the optical power for the DUV micro-LED array with a bottom air-cavity reflector when compared with the conventional DUV micro-LED array with only a sidewall metal reflector. The bottom air-cavity reflector significantly contributes to the reduction of the light absorption and provides more escape paths for light, which in turn increases the LEE. Our investigations also report that such a designed air-cavity reflector exhibits a more pronounced impact on small-size micro-LED arrays, because more photons can propagate into escape cones by experiencing fewer scattering events from the air-cavity structure. Furthermore, the NPSS can enlarge the escape cone and serve as scattering centers to eliminate the waveguiding effect, which further enables the improved LEE for the DUV micro-LED array with an air-cavity reflector.
Transient cavity-cavity strong coupling at terahertz frequency on LiNbO3 chips
Authors: Ma Ruobin , Lu Yao , Qi Jiwei , Xiong Hao , Xu Xitan , Huang Yibo , Wu Qiang , Xu Jingjun
Published: March 2024

Terahertz (THz) microcavities have garnered considerable attention for their ability to localize and confine THz waves, allowing for strong coupling to remarkably enhance the light-matter interaction. These properties hold great promise for advancing THz science and technology, particularly for high-speed integrated THz chips where transient interaction between THz waves and matter is critical. However, experimental study of these transient time-domain processes requires high temporal and spatial resolution since these processes, such as THz strong coupling, occur in several picoseconds and microns. Thus, most literature studies rarely cover temporal and spatial processes at the same time. In this work, we thoroughly investigate the transient cavity-cavity strong-coupling phenomena at THz frequency and find a Rabi-like oscillation in the microcavities, manifested by direct observation of a periodic energy exchange process via a phase-contrast time-resolved imaging system. Our explanation, based on the Jaynes-Cummings model, provides theoretical insight into this transient strong-coupling process. This work provides an opportunity to deeply understand the transient strong-coupling process between THz microcavities, which sheds light on the potential of THz microcavities for high-speed THz sensor and THz chip design.
Nonlinear generation of vector beams by using a compact nonlinear fork grating
Authors: Yang Qian , Yang Yangfeifei , Li Hao , Liu Haigang , Chen Xianfeng
Published: March 2024

Vectorial beams have attracted great interest due to their broad applications in optical micromanipulation, optical imaging, optical micromachining, and optical communication. Nonlinear frequency conversion is an effective technique to expand the frequency range of the vectorial beams. However, the scheme of existing methods to generate vector beams of the second harmonic (SH) lacks compactness in the experiment. Here, we introduce a new way to realize the generation of vector beams of SH by using a nonlinear fork grating to solve such a problem. We examine the properties of generated SH vector beams by using Stokes parameters, which agree well with theoretical predictions. Then we demonstrate that linearly polarized vector beams with arbitrary topological charge can be achieved by adjusting the optical axis direction of the half-wave plate (HWP). Finally, we measure the nonlinear conversion efficiency of such a method. The proposed method provides a new way to generate vector beams of SH by using a microstructure of nonlinear crystal, which may also be applied in other nonlinear processes and promote all-optical waveband applications of such vector beams.
Impact on backpropagation of the spatial heterogeneity of sodium channel kinetics in the axon initial segment
Authors: Barlow Benjamin S. M. , Longtin André , Joós Béla
Published: March 2024

In a variety of neurons, action potentials (APs) initiate at the proximal axon, within a region called the axon initial segment (AIS), which has a high density of voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) on its membrane. In pyramidal neurons, the proximal AIS has been reported to exhibit a higher proportion of NaVs with gating properties that are “right-shifted” to more depolarized voltages, compared to the distal AIS. Further, recent experiments have revealed that as neurons develop, the spatial distribution of NaV subtypes along the AIS can change substantially, suggesting that neurons tune their excitability by modifying said distribution. When neurons are stimulated axonally, computational modelling has shown that this spatial separation of gating properties in the AIS enhances the backpropagation of APs into the dendrites. In contrast, in the more natural scenario of somatic stimulation, our simulations show that the same distribution can impede backpropagation, suggesting that the choice of orthodromic versus antidromic stimulation can bias or even invert experimental findings regarding the role of NaV subtypes in the AIS. We implemented a range of hypothetical NaV distributions in the AIS of three multicompartmental pyramidal cell models and investigated the precise kinetic mechanisms underlying such effects, as the spatial distribution of NaV subtypes is varied. With axonal stimulation, proximal NaV availability dominates, such that concentrating right-shifted NaVs in the proximal AIS promotes backpropagation. However, with somatic stimulation, the models are insensitive to availability kinetics. Instead, the higher activation threshold of right-shifted NaVs in the AIS impedes backpropagation. Therefore, recently observed developmental changes to the spatial separation and relative proportions of NaV1.2 and NaV1.6 in the AIS differentially impact activation and availability. The observed effects on backpropagation, and potentially learning via its putative role in synaptic plasticity (e.g. through spike-timing-dependent plasticity), are opposite for orthodromic versus antidromic stimulation, which should inform hypotheses about the impact of the developmentally regulated subcellular localization of these NaV subtypes.
Comparative evaluation of four rapid diagnostic tests that detect human Trypanosoma cruzi-specific antibodies to support diagnosis of Chagas Disease in urban population of Argentina
Authors: Rivero Rocío , Santini M. Soledad , Lopez-Albizu Constanza , Rodriguez Marcelo , Calbosa Adriana , Oliveto Daniela , Esteva Mónica , Bisio Margarita , Bohorquez Laura C.
Published: March 2024

Background

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is the most important endemic anthropozoonosis in Argentina. Since 2010, the World Health Organization has highlighted the urgent need to validate diagnostic systems that allow rapid detection of T. cruzi, infection in primary healthcare centers. Serological rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for T. cruzi, infection could be used to improve case management, as RDTs do not require specialized laboratories or highly trained staff to use them. We aimed to generate unbiased performance data of RDTs in Argentina, to evaluate their usefulness for improving T. cruzi, diagnosis rates.

Methods and principal findings

This is a retrospective, laboratory-based, diagnostic evaluation study to estimate the clinical sensitivity/specificity of four commercially available RDTs for T. cruzi, using the Chagas disease diagnostic algorithm currently used in Argentina as the reference standard. In total, 400 serum samples were tested, 200 from individuals with chronic T. cruzi infection and 200 from individuals not infected with T. cruzi. All results were registered as the agreement of at least two operators who were blinded to the reference standard results. The sensitivity estimates ranged from 92.5–100% (95% confidence interval (CI) lower bound 87.9–98.2%); for specificity, the range was 76–96% (95% CI lower bound 69.5–92.3%). Most RDTs evaluated showed performances comparable with the reference standard method, showing almost perfect concordance (Kappa 0.76–0.92).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that, under controlled laboratory conditions, commercially available RDTs for CD have a performance comparable to the Argentinian diagnostic algorithm, which is based on laboratory-based serological tests. For the next stage of our work, the RDTs will be evaluated in real-world settings.
A fluorescence viewer for rapid molecular assay readout in space and low-resource terrestrial environments
Authors: Misquitta Kristoff , Miller Bess M. , Malecek Kathryn , Gleason Emily , Martin Kathryn , Walesky Chad M. , Foley Kevin , Copeland D. Scott , Saavedra Ezequiel Alvarez , Kraves Sebastian
Published: March 2024

Fluorescence-based assays provide sensitive and adaptable methods for point of care testing, environmental monitoring, studies of protein abundance and activity, and a wide variety of additional applications. Currently, their utility in remote and low-resource environments is limited by the need for technically complicated or expensive instruments to read out fluorescence signal. Here we describe the Genes in Space Fluorescence Viewer (GiS Viewer), a portable, durable viewer for rapid molecular assay readout that can be used to visualize fluorescence in the red and green ranges. The GiS Viewer can be used to visualize any assay run in standard PCR tubes and contains a heating element. Results are visible by eye or can be imaged with a smartphone or tablet for downstream quantification. We demonstrate the capabilities of the GiS Viewer using two case studies–detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using RT-LAMP and quantification of drug-induced changes in gene expression via qRT-PCR on Earth and aboard the International Space Station. We show that the GiS Viewer provides a reliable method to visualize fluorescence in space without the need to return samples to Earth and can further be used to assess the results of RT-LAMP and qRT-PCR assays on Earth.
Detection of pathogenic Leptospira with rapid extraction followed by recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay-A comprehensive study from Sri Lanka
Authors: Uduwawala Hansi , Manamperi Aresha , Gunaratna Gayana P. S. , Karunanayake Lilani , Ceruti Arianna , Abd El Wahed Ahmed , Fernando Lakkumar , Premaratna Ranjan , Hapugoda Menaka
Published: March 2024

Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonosis in the world. The disease is more prevalent in tropical regions where the majority of developing countries are located. Leptospirosis is considered a protean manifestation zoonosis with severity of the disease ranging from a mild febrile illness to a severe and life-threatening illness. Clinical symptoms of leptospirosis overlap with other tropical febrile illnesses. Early, rapid, and definitive diagnosis is important for effective patient management. Since Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based assays are not readily available in most clinical settings, there is a need for an affordable, simple, and rapid diagnostic test. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) were implemented at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, and a prospective study to evaluate RPA for diagnosis of acute phase of leptospirosis was conducted. Results indicate that RPA and qPCR were positive in 81% (98/121) of the total positive and acute clinical samples. Of the 81 positive MAT confirmed patients 60 (74%) and 53 (65%) were positive with qPCR and RPA respectively. Retrospective evaluation revealed a high diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity-70% and specificity-87%) of RPA compared to MAT as the reference gold standard. Results further suggest that there is no significant difference between the two assays, qPCR and RPA-SwiftX (P = 0.40). Laboratory procedures for the extraction and detection by qPCR in the laboratory have been optimized to obtain results within 6 hours. However, the RPA-SwiftX method under field conditions took 35 minutes. The RPA-SwiftX method could replace the qPCR which shows similar sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, RPA established under the current study presents a powerful tool for the early and rapid diagnosis of leptospirosis at point-of-care.
Walkability and socio-economic status in relation to walking, playing and sports practice in a representative Spanish sample of youth: The PASOS study
Authors: Aznar Susana , Jimenez-Zazo Fabio , Romero-Blanco Cristina , Gómez Santiago F. , Homs Clara , Wärnberg Julia , Medrano Maria , Gusi Narcís , Gonzalez-Gross Marcela , Marín-Cascales Elena , González-Valeiro Miguel Ángel , Serra-Majem Lluis , Terrados Nicolás , Tur Josep A. , Segu Marta , Lassale Camille , Colom-Fernández Antoni , Labayen Idoia , Sánchez-Gómez Jesús , Alcaraz Pedro Emilio , Sevilla-Sanchez Marta , Zapico Augusto G. , Herrera-Ramos Estefanía , Pulgar Susana , Bibilonii Maria del Mar , Sistac Clara , Schröder Helmut , Molina-García Javier
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Physical activity (PA) provides multiple health-related benefits in children and adolescents, however, at present, the majority of young people are insufficiently physically active. The aim of this study was to evaluate if neighborhood walkability and/or socio-economic status (SES) could affect the practice of walking, play outdoors and sports practice in a representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents.

Methods

A sample of 4092 youth (aged 8–16 years old) from 245 primary and secondary schools in 121 localities from each of the 17 Spanish autonomous communities participated in the study. Walk Score was used to evaluate walkability of the neighborhood and household income was used as an indicator of SES. A 7-item self-reported validated questionnaire, was used to assess PA levels, and in a subsample of 10% of the participants, randomly selected from the entire sample, PA was objectively measured by accelerometers.

Results

Youth from more walkable areas reported more minutes walking per day compared with those from less walkable neighborhoods (51.4 vs 48.8 minutes, respectively). The lowest average minutes spent in playing outdoors was found among participants from low-SES and low-walkable neighborhoods. Neighborhood SES influenced on the participation in team sports during the weekend, being this participation higher in high SES neighborhoods.

Conclusion

Providing high walkable environments seems a good strategy to promote PA regardless SES levels. It seems that improving the walkability is a key component to partially overcome the SES inequalities, especially in urban areas with low SES. High-SES environments can offer better sports facilities and more organized physical activities than low-SES ones.
Democracy’s limited impact on innovation: Panel data evidence from developing countries
Authors: Ahmed Masood , Khan Muhammad Atif , Attique Anam , Khan Muhammad Asif , Haddad Hossam , Al-Ramahi Nidal Mahmoud
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the relationship between democracy and innovation across 61 developing countries from 2013 to 2020, utilizing data from Global Innovation Index. Employing the Freedom House Index and Polity2 indicators as proxies for democracy, research employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Fixed Effects and SystemGMM techniques to analyze their impact on innovation. The findings of the study reveal no statistically significant relationships between democracy and innovation in developing nations within specified timeframe. Through empirical analysis, including various econometric approaches, it is observed that the level of democracy as measured by these indicators, does not appear to exert a discernable impact on the innovation landscape of these countries. These results carry important implications for public policy. While the promotion of democracy remains a crucial goal, especially for societal development and political stability, this study suggests that solely focusing on enhancing democratic institutions might not necessarily yield immediate direct improvements in the innovation capacities of developing nations. Policymakers and stakeholders involved in fostering innovation ecosystems in these regions may need to consider a more nuanced approach, encompassing factors beyond the scope of democratic governance to effectively spur innovation. Understanding the nuanced relationship between democracy and innovation in developing countries has significant implications for designing targeted policies aimed at enhancing innovation capacities, economic growth and overall societal development in these regions.
”Daddy comforts me”–Young Swedish children’s perspectives on their family relations before and after their parents’ participation in a parenting programme
Authors: Dahlberg Anton , Fängström Karin
Published: March 2024

Despite extensive research assessing parenting support, there is a lack of knowledge about the perspectives of the youngest children. In this study, we explored changes in preschool children’s emotional and relational experiences at home before and after their parents participated in a parenting intervention, the Triple P parenting programme. Nine children in total were interviewed, aged 3–6 years, whose parents participated in a group parenting intervention. The interviews were conducted during the first and final group sessions attended by the children’s parents. Data were analysed qualitatively, using a longitudinal approach, resulting in a deductive mapping of the children’s statements onto four themes, based on the parenting intervention’s main objectives. Further, changes in content for each of the four themes were assessed. Before the programme, children described conflicts with siblings, parents’ negative emotions, and punitive parenting behaviours. After the programme, sibling conflicts remained, but parents’ negative emotions decreased and parent threats and violence ceased. Positive family interactions and quality time increased, along with experiences of tenderness and being comforted. Parents also implemented new strategies such as verbal management and more comforting or soothing behaviours. Clinical implications of the results include promoting positive sibling relationships, emphasising parental self-regulation, encouraging empathy and reconciliation, and highlighting the importance of spending quality time with children. These findings contribute to a better understanding of children’s perspectives and provide implications for clinical practice and future research.
Evaluating synergistic effects of metformin and simvastatin on ovarian cancer cells
Authors: Mikhael Sara , Kurdi Abdullah , Khoueiry-Zgheib Nathalie , Tahtouh Roula , Nasr Rihab , Hilal George
Published: March 2024

Background

Ovarian Cancer (OC) stands as the most lethal gynecological malignancy, presenting an urgent clinical challenge in the quest to improve response rates. One approach to address this challenge is through drug repurposing, exemplified by the investigation of metabolic-modulating drugs such as Metformin (MTF) and Simvastatin (SIM). This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms contributing to the potential synergistic anti-cancer effects between MTF and SIM on ovarian cancer cells.

Methods

We assessed the effects of the combination on the proliferation and viability of two cell lines OVCAR-3 and SKOV-3. IC50 concentrations of MTF and SIM were determined using a proliferation assay, followed by subtoxic concentrations to explore the potential synergistic effects on the viability of both cell lines. Transcriptomic analysis was conducted on OVCAR-3 treated cells, and the findings were validated by assessing the expression levels of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through real-time PCR in both cell lines SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3.

Results

Cytotoxicity analysis guided the selection of treatment concentrations as such MTF 10 mM and SIM 5 μM. The combined treatment of MTF and SIM demonstrated a synergistic inhibition of proliferation and viability in both cell lines. In OVCAR-3, exclusive identification of 507 DEGs was seen in the combination arm. Upregulation of FOXO3, RhoA, and TNFα, along with downregulation of PIK3R1, SKP2, and ATP6V1D levels, was observed in OVCAR-3 treated cells. Real-time PCR validation confirmed the consistency of expression levels for the mentioned DEGs.

Conclusion

Our data strongly supports the presence of synergy between MTF and SIM in OC cells. The combination’s effect is associated with the dysregulation of genes in the key regulators AMPK and mTOR alongside other interconnected pathways.
Venous blood gases and electrolyte values of captive red foot tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)
Authors: Silva La Rocca de Freitas Sofia , Garcia Laís Velloso , dos Santos Jairo Antonio Melo , Luz Hirano Líria Queiroz
Published: March 2024

Blood gas analysis reflects the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs. This test provides important information, since the relationship between these gases has a direct impact on the acid-basic balance in the body. Given the significance of blood gas analysis in Brazilian reptiles, this study set out to establish temperature-corrected and uncorrected reference intervals for venous blood gas measurements in Chelonoidis carbonarius, and to compare values between females and males. In this study, 19 animals were used, 8 males and 11 females. Blood samples were collected from the dorsal coccygeal vein, and the analyses were performed immediately after blood sample collection. The following parameters were measured: pH, PO2, HCO3-, TCO2, BEecf, Na, K, ICa, and Glu, and were compared between females and males. Additionally, pH, pCO2, and pO2 values were compared with and without temperature correction. Oxygen saturation and Na levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) in males. Furthermore, it was possible to infer that the lower the body temperature relative to the environmental temperature, the larger the difference in pH following temperature correction.
The relationship between dietary phosphorus and peripheral neuropathy in the general population of the United States: A preliminary research
Authors: Wu Chunli , Wu Zhe , Chen Yanling , Xu Huirong , Li Kejian
Published: March 2024

Background

Dietary phosphorus intake may serve as a potential predictor for peripheral neuropathy (PN). While past research has predominantly focused on the relationship between dietary phosphorus and bone health, relatively little is known about its role in the nervous system, particularly its association with PN.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from NHANES 1999–2004. Participants were categorized into different dietary phosphorus intake groups, and the relationship between dietary phosphorus and PN was explored using multifactorial logistic regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis, and threshold effect analysis based on dietary intake.

Results

The final study included 7726 participants, with 1378 diagnosed with PN and 6348 without. The study revealed a U-shaped non-linear relationship between dietary calcium and magnesium intake levels and PN, indicating that both excessive and insufficient dietary phosphorus intake may increase the risk of PN. Specifically, the incidence rates in the first quintile (1.433, 95% CI: 1.080–1.901), the fourth quintile (1.284, 95% CI: 1.000–1.648), and the fifth quintile (1.533, 95% CI: 1.155–2.035) significantly higher than the second quintile, with an overall trend showing a decrease followed by an increase in incidence rates. The results of RCS and threshold effect analysis indicate that when dietary phosphorus intake is below 939.44mg, the risk of PN decreases with increasing dietary phosphorus intake. On the contrary, when dietary phosphorus intake exceeds 939.44mg, the risk of PN increases with increasing dietary phosphorus intake.

Conclusion

This study reveals a U-shaped correlation between dietary phosphorus intake and PN. Future research should further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this association, providing guidance for more scientifically informed dietary adjustments to prevent the occurrence of PN.
The impact of metabolic syndrome severity on racial and ethnic disparities in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Authors: Elsaid Mohamed I. , Bridges John F. P. , Mumtaz Khalid , Li Na , Sobotka Lindsay , Rustgi Vinod K. , Paskett Electra D.
Published: March 2024

Background & aims

Previous studies have examined the effects of metabolic syndrome (MetS) rather than its severity on race and ethnic disparities in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). We used the MetS severity score, a validated sex-race-ethnicity-specific severity measure, to examine the effects of race/ethnicity on the association between MetS severity and MASLD.

Methods

This study included 10,605 adult participants from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The MASLD diagnosis was based on ultrasound findings in patients without excessive alcohol intake or other liver diseases. MetS severity Z-scores were calculated and stratified into four categories low (1st-50th), moderate (>50th-75th), high (>75th-90th), and very high (>90th+)]. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression models with complex survey methods were used to test the effect of MetS severity on MASLD.

Results

The age-adjusted MASLD prevalence was 17.4%, 25.7%, 42.5, and 54.9% in adults with mild, moderate, high, and very high MetS severities, respectively (P-trend <0.001). MetS severity was significantly higher in patients with MASLD than in those without [mean percentile 60th vs. 44th, P<0.001]. Among patients with MASLD, Mexican-American and Black non-Hispanic females had significantly higher age-adjusted MetS severity (68th and 61st, respectively) than White non-Hispanic females 54th, while Black non-Hispanic males had significantly lower MetS severity (56th) than White non-Hispanic males (70th) (P-Interaction = 0.02). Adults with high and very high MetS severity had 2.27 (95% CI:1.70 to 3.03) and 3.12 (95% CI:2.20 to 4.42), respectively, higher adjusted odds of MASLD than those with mild MetS severity.

Conclusions

Racial/ethnic disparities in MetS severity play a pivotal role in the risk of MASLD. Our findings highlight the potential clinical utility of the MetS severity score in identifying at-risk individuals, which will help guide targeted prevention and tailoring management strategies to mitigate the MASLD burden.
Analyzing the determinants of beef cattle commercialization and Its market inefficiency: A case study of Pabna district, Bangladesh
Authors: Eyasmin Farjana , Ghosh Bikash Chandra
Published: March 2024

The world has entered a new era of globalization and industrialization, which pose several challenges to ensuring food security. Beef cattle production is one of the fastest-growing subsectors that has the capacity to meet protein demand. Due to growing demand of meat and protein and a market-oriented production system, small-scale beef cattle production contribute most to marginal farmers as a means of rising income in many developing nations like Bangladesh. Though production and commercialization are not easier for households’ due to various factors and a lack of market efficiency. To determine beef cattle commercialization and market inefficiency, the current study focused on the determinants of beef cattle commercialization and the challenges to the of market efficiency. Heckman’s two-stage model used to determine the factors that influence households’ commercialization decisions, and the two-stage least squares method is used to examine the constraints of market inefficiencies. However, commercialization decisions offer twofold decision of commercialization and degree of commercialization. The result showed that commercialization decisions are significantly influenced by households’ age, extension services, and production costs. The degree of commercialization was affected by education, marketing costs, income from dairy, transportation costs, and training access. On the other hand, market inefficiency was influenced by formal market access, distance, extension services, and earning from cattle. As extension services worsen both commercialization decisions and market efficiency, the government should focus on extension services and offer farmers opportunities to increase their understanding and knowledge of marketing.
TTDCapsNet: Tri Texton-Dense Capsule Network for complex and medical image recognition
Authors: Akoto-Adjepong Vivian , Appiah Obed , Mensah Patrick Kwabena , Appiahene Peter
Published: March 2024

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are frequently used algorithms because of their propensity to learn relevant and hierarchical features through their feature extraction technique. However, the availability of enormous volumes of data in various variations is crucial for their performance. Capsule networks (CapsNets) perform well on a small amount of data but perform poorly on complex images. To address this, we proposed a new Capsule Network architecture called Tri Texton-Dense CapsNet (TTDCapsNet) for better complex and medical image classification. The TTDCapsNet is made up of three hierarchic blocks of Texton-Dense CapsNet (TDCapsNet) models. A single TDCapsNet is a CapsNet architecture composed of a texton detection layer to extract essential features, which are passed onto an eight-layered block of dense convolution that further extracts features, and then the output feature map is given as input to a Primary Capsule (PC), and then to a Class Capsule (CC) layer for classification. The resulting feature map from the first PC serves as input into the second-level TDCapsNet, and that from the second PC serves as input into the third-level TDCapsNet. The routing algorithm receives feature maps from each PC for the various CCs. Routing the concatenation of the three PCs creates an additional CC layer. All these four feature maps combined, help to achieve better classification. On fashion-MNIST, CIFAR-10, Breast Cancer, and Brain Tumor datasets, the proposed model is evaluated and achieved validation accuracies of 94.90%, 89.09%, 95.01%, and 97.71% respectively. Findings from this work indicate that TTDCapsNet outperforms the baseline and performs comparatively well with the state-of-the-art CapsNet models using different performance metrics. This work clarifies the viability of using Capsule Network on complex tasks in the real world. Thus, the proposed model can be used as an intelligent system, to help oncologists in diagnosing cancerous diseases and administering treatment required.
Correlates of post-traumatic growth among persons bereaved from cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: K. N. V. Sri Lakshmi , Rajkumar Eslavath , Gopi Aswathy , Hareesh P. V. , Romate John , Lakshmi R. , Abraham John
Published: March 2024

Background

Recent research identified that cancer bereavement can lead to post-traumatic growth (PTG). Although PTG and its correlates are well explored in cancer patients and survivors, persons bereaved from cancer have received scant attention. Therefore, the present review attempts to identify the correlates of PTG among persons bereaved from cancer.

Methods

A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycNet, Science Direct, Scopus, and Wiley was conducted to identify quantitative studies published in English, resulting in 12 eligible reports being included in the final analysis. JBI critical checklists were employed to appraise the risk of bias.

Results

The review identified 17 correlates, which were classified into four categories: demographic factors (age, gender, religious status, level of education), loss-related factors (time since death, quality of death, prolonged grief symptoms), interpersonal factors (relationship to the deceased, social support, attachment style, bereavement behaviours) and intrapersonal factors (resilience, coping, rumination, benevolence, meaningfulness, self-worth). Random effects meta-analyses on six correlates revealed correlation coefficients of age = -0.02 (95% CI: -0.35–0.31), gender = 0.27 (95% CI: 0.08–0.45), time since death = 0.09 (95% CI: -0.02–0.20), quality of death = 0.29 (95% CI: -0.01–0.54), prolonged grief symptoms = 0.22 (95% CI: 0.08–0.35) and relationship to the deceased = 0.13 (95% CI: -0.03–0.29). Fixed effects meta-analysis was performed for social support (r = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.04–0.21). However, PTG was found to be significantly associated with gender, prolonged grief symptoms, and social support.

Conclusions

Very few studies examined PTG among persons bereaved from cancer, highlighting the need for increased attention, understanding, and conceptualisation of PTG in the population.
Factors associated with suicidal ideation among medical residents in Tehran during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multicentric cross-sectional survey
Authors: Saeed Fahimeh , Ghalehnovi Elaheh , Saeidi Mahdieh , Ali beigi Neda , Vahedi Mohsen , Shalbafan Mohammadreza , Kamalzadeh Leila , Nazeri Astaneh Ali , Jalali Nadoushan Amir Hossein , Shoib Sheikh
Published: March 2024

Background

The mental health of medical residents, challenged by their intensive training, is of utmost concern. In light of reported suicides among Iranian medical residents in 2021, this study investigates the factors behind suicidal ideation among medical residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran.

Methods

This study conducted a cross-sectional online survey among medical residents in various specialties in Tehran, Iran, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI), while depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the DASS-21. It also collected demographic and clinical data from the participants. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and multiple linear regression to examine the prevalence and determinants of suicidal ideation among medical residents.

Results

The study enrolled 353 medical residents and found that 34.3% of them had suicidal ideation, with 10.2% indicating a high risk. The study also found high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among the participants. The variables that significantly predicted suicidal ideation were depression, history of alcohol/substance use, personal history of suicide attempts, history of self-mutilation, family history of suicide attempts, number of shifts in a month, death of close persons because of COVID-19, and income. Depression was the strongest predictor of suicidal ideation.

Conclusion

These findings underscore the urgent need for effective interventions and support systems to address the mental health needs of medical residents in Iran. The strategies should prioritize destigmatizing mental health, promoting access to mental health services, fostering a supportive training environment, and enhancing income opportunities.
Neural flip-flops I: Short-term memory
Authors: Yoder Lane
Published: March 2024

The networks proposed here show how neurons can be connected to form flip-flops, the basic building blocks in sequential logic systems. The novel neural flip-flops (NFFs) are explicit, dynamic, and can generate known phenomena of short-term memory. For each network design, all neurons, connections, and types of synapses are shown explicitly. The neurons’ operation depends only on explicitly stated, minimal properties of excitement and inhibition. This operation is dynamic in the sense that the level of neuron activity is the only cellular change, making the NFFs’ operation consistent with the speed of most brain functions. Memory tests have shown that certain neurons fire continuously at a high frequency while information is held in short-term memory. These neurons exhibit seven characteristics associated with memory formation, retention, retrieval, termination, and errors. One of the neurons in each of the NFFs produces all of the characteristics. This neuron and a second neighboring neuron together predict eight unknown phenomena. These predictions can be tested by the same methods that led to the discovery of the first seven phenomena. NFFs, together with a decoder from a previous paper, suggest a resolution to the longstanding controversy of whether short-term memory depends on neurons firing persistently or in brief, coordinated bursts. Two novel NFFs are composed of two and four neurons. Their designs follow directly from a standard electronic flip-flop design by moving each negation symbol from one end of the connection to the other. This does not affect the logic of the network, but it changes the logic of each component to a logic function that can be implemented by a single neuron. This transformation is reversible and is apparently new to engineering as well as neuroscience.
ALIX and TSG101 are essential for cellular entry and replication of two porcine alphacoronaviruses
Authors: Chen Xiongnan , Liang Yifan , Weng Zhijun , Hu Chen , Peng Yunzhao , Sun Yingshuo , Gao Qi , Huang Zhao , Tang Shengqiu , Gong Lang , Zhang Guihong
Published: March 2024

Alphacoronaviruses are the primary coronaviruses responsible for causing severe economic losses in the pig industry with the potential to cause human outbreaks. Currently, extensive studies have reported the essential role of endosomal sorting and transport complexes (ESCRT) in the life cycle of enveloped viruses. However, very little information is available about which ESCRT components are crucial for alphacoronaviruses infection. By using RNA interference in combination with Co-immunoprecipitation, as well as fluorescence and electron microscopy approaches, we have dissected the role of ALIX and TSG101 for two porcine alphacoronavirus cellular entry and replication. Results show that infection by two porcine alphacoronaviruses, including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and porcine enteric alphacoronavirus (PEAV), is dramatically decreased in ALIX- or TSG101-depleted cells. Furthermore, PEDV entry significantly increases the interaction of ALIX with caveolin-1 (CAV1) and RAB7, which are crucial for viral endocytosis and lysosomal transport, however, does not require TSG101. Interestingly, PEAV not only relies on ALIX to regulate viral endocytosis and lysosomal transport, but also requires TSG101 to regulate macropinocytosis. Besides, ALIX and TSG101 are recruited to the replication sites of PEDV and PEAV where they become localized within the endoplasmic reticulum and virus-induced double-membrane vesicles. PEDV and PEAV replication were significantly inhibited by depletion of ALIX and TSG101 in Vero cells or primary jejunal epithelial cells, indicating that ALIX and TSG101 are crucial for PEDV and PEAV replication. Collectively, these data highlight the dual role of ALIX and TSG101 in the entry and replication of two porcine alphacoronaviruses. Thus, ESCRT proteins could serve as therapeutic targets against two porcine alphacoronaviruses infection.
Consent Culture and Teen Films: Adolescent Sexuality in US Movies, Michele Meek (2023)
Authors: Heath Miriam
Published: March 2024

Review of: Consent Culture and Teen Films: Adolescent Sexuality in US Movies, Michele Meek (2023)

Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 244pp., ISBN: 9780253065742 (pbk), $30.00, ISBN: 9780253065735 (hbk), $75.00, ISBN: 9780253065766 (ebk), $29.99
Fashioning Frankenstein: Deathliness, technology and the body in contemporary fashion photography
Authors: Rogers Louisa
Published: March 2024

The deathly aesthetic of Heroin Chic caused a moral panic in the late 1990s for its aestheticization of cadaverously pale and skeletally thin models. Subsequent photographers have experimented with the female body as a prop, staging high-fashion crime scenes and mimicking the passivity of corpses in prone posture. Fashion photography offers an arena to explore daily life and the national imagination by materializing concepts through a focus on corporeality and compelling stylized visuals. These images therefore represent a commercialized articulation of broader cultural concerns surrounding mortality. Steven Klein’s 2015 fashion editorial ‘Love machine’, published in W magazine, will be analysed to argue that this represents a cultural response to the shifting relationship between the human body and technology. The discourse of human–machine coexistence presents the transhumanist stance as idealized with the fashion field’s agenda of body modification, wellness and leisure assisted and instigated by technology. However, the tone of this shoot presents a less optimistic vision of a posthuman future. Whilst posthuman ideology is decisive and assured in its deference to technology, Klein’s use of Frankensteinian and cyborg motifs evidence the uncertainty and unease with which biological and technical forms begin to blur. The styling of the model as cyborg and the invocation of Frankenstein’s monster are a logical vehicle for personifying the ontological anxieties coming to the fore of public conscience as debates on digital immortality and artificial intelligence become more prevalent.
La fluoxetina reduce la fuerza, potencia y resistencia muscular, especialmente cuando se ingiere junto con cafeína: un estudio de caso
Authors: Montalvo-Alonso Juan Jesús , Ferragut Carmen , Rodríguez-Martín Sara , Valadés David , Pérez-López Alberto
Published: March 2024

Introducción: La fluoxetina es un fármaco utilizado para la depresión especialmente en deportistas ya que parece no alterar el rendimiento deportivo. Algunos atletas combinan este fármaco con cafeína, sin embargo, el efecto combinado de ambas drogas se desconoce. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo explorar el efecto combinado de fluoxetina y cafeína sobre el rendimiento de fuerza, potencia y resistencia muscular.
Metodología: En este estudio de caso, una mujer entrenada en fuerza realizó cuatro condiciones experimentales: a) placebo (PLA); b) placebo y fluoxetina (PLA+FLU); c) cafeina (CAF); d) cafeína y fluoxetina (CAF+FLU). La participante ingirió 20 mg/día de fluoxetina y 3 g/kg de masa corporal de cafeína o placebo (maltodextrina), 60 minutos antes de realizar los test. La participante realizó un test de fuerza y potencia muscular al 25%, 50%, 75% y 90% de 1-repetición-máxima (1RM), seguido de un test de resistencia muscular al 65% y 85% de 1RM, en ambos casos para los ejercicios de press de banca y sentadilla.
Resultados: CAF+FLU redujo la velocidad y potencia media en press de banca y sentadilla al 75% y 90% de 1RM en el test de fuerza y potencia muscular, y al 85% en el test de resistencia muscular. Mientras que la administración de PLA+FLU y CAF+FLU redujo el pico de velocidad y potencia al 25% de 1RM en fuerza y potencia muscular y al 65% de 1RM en resistencia muscular.
Conclusiones: La fluoxetina contrarresta el efecto ergogénico de la cafeína sobre la fuerza, potencia y resistencia muscular. Por tanto, aunque más estudios son necesarios, los atletas diagnosticados con depresión bajo tratamiento de fluoxetina debería reconsiderar el uso de cafeína como suplemento nutricional para mejorar el rendimiento.