bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance improvements by dynamic amplifier reconfigurations for C + L-band optical networks in the presence of stimulated Raman scattering
Authors: Huang Zhuili , Dou Liang , Cheng Jingchi , Xie Chongjin , Lu Chao , Lau Alan Pak Tao
Published: April 2023

C+L-band optical networks suffer from transmission impairments including amplified spontaneous emission noise and Kerr-induced and stimulated-Raman-scattering-induced nonlinear interference. The generalized signal-to-noise ratio (GSNR) profiles across different links of the network play a crucial role in determining the overall network traffic load and operating margins, but the GSNR is highly dependent on the signal power profiles along the link and time-varying channel-loading conditions, particularly for future dynamic mesh networks. As the network is dynamically loaded, we monitor the GSNR across the active channels of each link and investigate the benefits of regularly reconfiguring the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) gain and tilts to optimize either (1) the mean GSNR minus the GSNR standard deviation (i.e., to achieve a high and flat GSNR across channels) or (2) the minimum GSNR to improve the traffic load and/or GSNR margins. Different lightpath provisioning strategies are studied, and simulation results for COST 239, a German network, and a sample Alibaba production network show that, compared with static EDFA configurations assuming fully loaded conditions, the GSNR margin and hence network robustness with dynamic EDFA reconfigurations can be improved by at least 0.45, 0.57, and 0.72 dB, respectively, with similar or better network blocking probability. Alternatively, the improved GSNR profiles can enable an average network capacity improvement of at least 9%, 8%, and 16%, respectively, in principle when operating at the same GSNR margin at 30% spectral occupancy.
Initialized autoencoders to find constellations robust to residual laser phase noise
Authors: Omidi Amir , Guan Xun , Zeng Ming , Rusch Leslie A.
Published: April 2023

Autoencoder (AE) has been used to find quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellations robust to optical impairments, such as residual laser phase noise or fiber nonlinearities. We examine AE for constellations for fiber links with residual phase noise following phase recovery. We study 1) improved constellations via AE neural network (NN) initialization, 2) bit-to-symbol mappings for AE constellations, and 3) performance enhancement from the AE decoder as a detection algorithm. We compare our performance to several other phase-noise-optimized constellations, using an identical phase recovery method for fair comparison. We confirm the improved performance of our constellations experimentally as well as via simulation. Our AE initialization technique (using previous constellations found experimentally, empirically, numerically, etc.) is shown to improve constellations for 16QAM and 64QAM. A bit-to-symbol mapping is essential to benefit fully from AE constellations, but is intractable to optimize. We use an ad hoc approach that derives mappings from our initialization constellations. Our AE initialization technique leads to performance improvements over the previous QAM constellations under all metrics: generalized mutual information (GMI), bit error rate (BER) and symbol error rate (SER). We examine the gap between BER and SER due to non-optimal bit-to-symbol mappings. The AE approach to constellation design has as a byproduct an optimized detector: the AE decoder. We quantify the improvement of this detector over the classic maximum likelihood detection that neglects phase noise.
Virtuelle Welten in der Fernlehre – Eine Studie der Fernhochschule AKAD University
Authors: Rinn Heidi , Markgraf Daniel , Robra-Bissantz Susanne
Published: April 2023

Die Corona-Pandemie hat die Welt der Hochschullehre in vielerlei Hinsicht verändert. In Folge der Beschränkungen häufig eingesetzte Videokonferenzlösungen erwiesen sich für einige Themen als guter Ersatz bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung der örtlichen Flexibilität. Es wurde aber auch offensichtlich, dass es Lehrformate gibt, die per Videokonferenz nicht ideal umsetzbar sind. Dazu zählen u. a. Seminare mit starkem Fokus auf Gruppenarbeit oder Kursinhalte, die viel Hilfestellung durch den Dozierenden erfordern. Virtuelle Welten werden in diesen Fällen aufgrund ihrer sozialen und räumlichen Präsenz als potenziell bessere Alternative zu Videokonferenzen identifiziert. Als besonders problematisch werden an der Institution, einer deutschen Fernhochschule, zwei Seminare identifiziert, nämlich ein Programmierseminar und ein Wirtschaftsplanspiel. Hierfür wird eine prototypische Lösung mit der virtuellen Welt von TriCAT spaces explorativ gestaltet, durchgeführt und evaluiert. Wir stellen vor, wie diese beiden Seminare erfolgreich in eine virtuelle Welt portiert werden können. Die Evaluierung der Stichprobe (N = 23) zeigt, dass die Umsetzung in 3D demselben Seminar in Zoom in Bezug auf Flow-Erleben zwar nur leicht überlegen ist, allerdings trotzdem die meisten die 3D-Variante vorziehen. Bei der Beobachtung der 3D-Seminare identifizieren wir Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten für nachfolgende Prototypen und legen den Grundstein für vertiefende Forschungen.
Casein kinase 1 gamma regulates oxidative stress response via interacting with the NADPH dual oxidase complex
Authors: Hu Yiman , Xu Zhaofa , Pan Qian , Ma Long
Published: April 2023

Oxidative stress response is a fundamental biological process mediated by conserved mechanisms. The identities and functions of some key regulators remain unknown. Here, we report a novel role ofC.eleganscasein kinase 1 gamma CSNK-1 (also known as CK1γ or CSNK1G) in regulating oxidative stress response and ROS levels.csnk-1interacted with thebli-3/tsp-15/doxa-1NADPH dual oxidase genes via genetic nonallelic noncomplementation to affectC.eleganssurvival in oxidative stress. The genetic interaction was supported by specific biochemical interactions between DOXA-1 and CSNK-1 and potentially between their human orthologs DUOXA2 and CSNK1G2. Consistently, CSNK-1 was required for normal ROS levels inC.elegans. CSNK1G2 and DUOXA2 each can promote ROS levels in human cells, effects that were suppressed by a small molecule casein kinase 1 inhibitor. We also detected genetic interactions betweencsnk-1andskn-1 Nrf2in oxidative stress response. Together, we propose that CSNK-1 CSNK1G defines a novel conserved regulatory mechanism for ROS homeostasis.
Cohort study of the mortality among patients in New York City with tuberculosis and COVID-19, March 2020 to June 2022
Authors: Easton Alice V. , Salerno Marco M , Trieu Lisa , Humphrey Erica , Kaba Fanta , Macaraig Michelle , Dworkin Felicia , Nilsen Diana M. , Burzynski Joseph
Published: April 2023

Both tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system, and early findings suggest co-occurrence of these infectious diseases can result in elevated mortality. A retrospective cohort of patients who were diagnosed with TB and COVID-19 concurrently (within 120 days) between March 2020 and June 2022 in New York City (NYC) was identified. This cohort was compared with a cohort of patients diagnosed with TB-alone during the same period in terms of demographic information, clinical characteristics, and mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to compare mortality between patient cohorts. One hundred and six patients with concurrent TB/COVID-19 were identified and compared with 902 patients with TB-alone. These two cohorts of patients were largely demographically and clinically similar. However, mortality was higher among patients with concurrent TB/COVID-19 in comparison to patients with TB-alone, even after controlling for age and sex (hazard ratio 2.62, 95% Confidence Interval 1.66–4.13). Nearly one in three (22/70, 31%) patients with concurrent TB/COVID-19 aged 45 and above died during the study period. These results suggest that TB patients with concurrent COVID-19 were at high risk for mortality. It is important that, as a high-risk group, patients with TB are prioritized for resources to quickly diagnose and treat COVID-19, and provided with tools and information to protect themselves from COVID-19.
Dietary diversity and association with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adult men (15–54 years): A cross-sectional study using National Family and Health Survey, India
Authors: Dolui Mriganka , Sarkar Sanjit , Ghosh Pritam , Hossain Moslem
Published: April 2023

A healthy and diversified diet is essential for preventing several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Given the increasing evidence of diet-related health burdens and the rising prevalence of NCDs among Indian adults, the present study aims to explore dietary diversity patterns among adult men in India and their association with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For this purpose, the study used the fourth round of the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-4) to analyze adult male samples (n = 1,12,122). Dietary Diversity Scores (DDS) were computed by the weighted sum of the number of different food groups consumed by an individual. The prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer among adult men is considered a non-communicable disease. Bivariate and logistic regression was carried out to examine the association between DDS and NCDs by estimating chi-squared tests (χ2-test), odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (CI). The prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer among adult men in India is 2.1 percent, 1.2 percent, and 0.3 percent, respectively. Results show a positive association between dietary diversity score and the prevalence of the non-communicable disease. High-level dietary diversity scores increase to two times the likelihood of diabetes (OR 2.15 with p<0.05) among adult men than to better-off counterparts while controlling all the covariates. However, a moderate dietary diversity score significantly decreases the likelihood of heart disease (OR 0.88 with p<0.10) and Cancer (OR 0.71 with p<0.05) for adult men compared to a lower score of dietary diversity. In addition, age, marital status, drinking and smoking habits, occupation, and wealth index are also significantly associated with the odds of non-communicable diseases among adult men.
The influence of COVID-19 barrier measures on the positivity rate of typhoidal salmonellosis and amoebiasis in the Buea Health District, South West Region of Cameroon
Authors: Sunday Afegenui Blaise , Nyasa Raymond Babila , Mokake Martin
Published: April 2023

Typhoidal salmonellosis and amoebiasis are prevalent in the Buea Health District (BHD) and it is evident that hand hygiene can reduce the transmissibility of these diseases. The barrier measures enforced by the government, in the wake of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to behavioural changes which may have had an influence on the positivity rate of these diseases. This study seeks to determine the influence of COVID-19 barrier measures and the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination on the positivity rate of typhoidal salmonellosis and amoebiasis in the BHD. A retrospective study, with purposive and random sampling methods were used to select health facilities in BHD, whose laboratory records were reviewed using a data extraction form to obtain health information of patients who tested for typhoidal salmonella and/or Entamoeba histolytica from June 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. Chi-square test was used to compare the positivity rate in the pre-and-COVID-19 and in the pre-and-vaccination era. The positivity rate of typhoidal salmonellosis and amoebiasis dropped from 57.8% and 2.7% in the pre-COVID-19 era to 34% and 1.8% in the COVID-19 era respectively, which were significant (χ2 = 945.8; P<0.001 and χ2 = 11.8; P = 0.001 respectively). Within the COVID-19 era, the positivity rate of salmonellosis and amoebiasis decreased from 39% and 2.6% before the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination to 27.7% and 0.8% respectively in the COVID-19 vaccination era and these differences were significant (χ2 = 149.1; P<0.001 and χ2 = 33.8; P<0.001 respectively). However, the positivity rate of salmonellosis between the rainy (43.5%) and the dry (42.8%) seasons and amoebiasis between the rainy (2.2%) and the dry (2%) seasons were not significantly different (χ2 = 0.6; P = 0.429 and χ2 = 0.54; P = 0.463 respectively). A significant decline in the positivity rate of typhoidal salmonellosis and amoebiasis was observed after the implementation of COVID-19 barrier measures and vaccination.
A qualitative case study of community experiences with Tungiasis in high prevalence villages of Bungoma County, Kenya: “The whole body aches and the jiggers are torturing me!”
Authors: Mørkve Åse Walle , Sitienei Jackline , Van den Bergh Graziella
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Tungiasis is a painful skin infection caused by a flea called Tunga Penetrans/jiggers, which enters the epidermis of humans and animals. If untreated it may result in bacterial infection, sepsis, necrosis, and disability. In Kenya, it is estimated that 4% of the population suffer from jigger infestation. The aim of this study was to contribute with knowledge about the experiences of those affected, perceived causes and local coping strategies, to improve the control and elimination of this neglected condition.

Method

A qualitative case study research design was applied involving fieldwork in Bungoma County, a high-prevalence rural area in Western Kenya. Multiple data collection methods were combined: participant observation, home visits, semi- structured in-depth interviews, and group discussions. In total, 48 informants participated, including infected children and adults, teachers and pupils, public health officers, community health workers and NGO volunteers.

Results

Those infected suffered with multiple penetrating wounds on hands and feet that cause disability, resulting in an incapacity to work and school drop-out. People described feeling stigmatized, and at school pupils preferred not to play with infected classmates. People perceived that the sand flea infestation was caused by poverty and that those affected were not even able to cover their basic needs. They were often living in sandy huts that they shared with their animals, without access to soap and clean water. Moreover, those infected were often viewed as ignorant by the rest of the community. Informants perceived recurrence after treatment as inevitable, resulting in creation of hopelessness. Those infected felt that they were left alone with an irremediable plague. There was confusion about effective approaches regarding prevention and treatment at all levels.

Conclusion

Tungiasis is a debilitating and neglected ailment, inflicting severe suffering and increasing the circle of poverty. To address fatalist attitudes among those affected, national guidelines need to be implemented, and coordination of public health measures regarding prevention and treatment need to be strengthened. Further research is recommended to enable the control and elimination of this neglected tropical disease
On Cox proportional hazards model performance under different sampling schemes
Authors: Samawi Hani , Yu Lili , Yin JingJing
Published: April 2023

Cox’s proportional hazards model (PH) is an acceptable model for survival data analysis. This work investigates PH models’ performance under different efficient sampling schemes for analyzing time to event data (survival data). We will compare a modified Extreme, and Double Extreme Ranked Set Sampling (ERSS, and DERSS) schemes with a simple random sampling scheme. Observations are assumed to be selected based on an easy-to-evaluate baseline available variable associated with the survival time. Through intensive simulations, we show that these modified approaches (ERSS and DERSS) provide more powerful testing procedures and more efficient estimates of hazard ratio than those based on simple random sampling (SRS). We also showed theoretically that Fisher’s information for DERSS is higher than that of ERSS, and ERSS is higher than SRS. We used the SEER Incidence Data for illustration. Our proposed methods are cost saving sampling schemes.
miR-96-5p is involved in alcohol-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells via negatively regulating TAp73
Authors: Yang Bin , Wang Qi , Li Yanzhong , Li Lin , Zhang YanJie , Leong Bin Abdullah Mohammad Farris Iman , Hao Wei , Li Duan , Zhang Ruiling
Published: April 2023

Objective

The present study opted for the adrenal phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cell line to frame a neuronal injury model induced by alcohol exposure in vitro, aiming to probe whether TAp73 and miR-96-5p are involved in the neuronal injury process induced by alcohol and elucidate the regulatory relationship between miR-96-5p and TAp73.

Methods

Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the structural features of PC12 cells after culturing in medium with nerve growth factor (NGF). After different doses and different durations of alcohol treatment, CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the viability of PC12 cells, flow cytometry assay was carried out to detect the apoptosis rate of PC12 cells, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to definitude the regulatory relationship between miR-96-5p and Tp73, and western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TAp73.

Results

The result of immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that PC12 cells abundantly expressed Map2, CCK-8 assay illustrated alcohol exposure significantly downregulated the cell viability of PC12 cells, Treatment with miR-96-5p inhibitor induced apoptosis and upregulated the expression of TAp73 in PC12 cells. Contrastingly, miR-96-5p mimic reversed the above effects and downregulation of TAp73 inhibited the apoptosis of PC12 cells.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that miR-96-5p participates in alcohol-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells via negatively regulating TAp73.
Exploring sex as a moderator of other prognostic variables in whiplash associated disorder: An observational study
Authors: Callan Bradford , Walton David M. , Cleland Joshua , Kolber Morey J. , Elliott James M.
Published: April 2023

Background

Prognostic variables for assessing people with whiplash associated disorder (WAD) following a motor vehicle collision (MVC) have been evaluated in numerous studies. However, there is minimal evidence assessing how these variables may differ between males and females.

Question/Purpose

1) To assess if the sex of a person interacts with known prognostic variables within the development of chronic WAD. 2) To determine if commonly used outcome measures used in the assessment of chronic WAD differ between sexes.

Methods

The study was a secondary analysis of an observational study with an inception cohort immediately following an MVC in an emergency department in Chicago, IL, USA. Ninety-seven adults aged 18 to 60 (mean 34.7 years old; 74% female) participated in the study. The primary outcome was long-term disability as determined by Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores at 52-weeks post-MVC. Data was collected at baseline (less than 1-week), 2, 12, 52-weeks post MVC. Hierarchal linear regression was used to determine significance (ΔF-score, p < 0.05) and R2 for each of the variables. The primary variables of interest were sex of the participant, age, baseline scores on the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and NDI and created interaction terms for sex x z-baseline NPRS and sex x z-NDI.

Results

From analysis 1, both NDI (R2 = 8.7%, p < 0.01) and NPRS (R2 = 5.7%, p = 0.02) collected at baseline predicted significant variance in NDI score at 52-weeks. The interaction term of sex x z-NPRS was also significant (R2 = 3.8%, p = 0.04). In analysis 2 the regression models when disaggregated by sex showed that baseline NDI was the significant predictor of 52-week outcome in males (R2 = 22.4%, p = 0.02) while it was the NPRS as the significant predictor in females (R2 = 10.5%, p < 0.01).
Determining minimal clinically important differences in the North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Ayyar Gupta Vandana , Pitchforth Jacqueline M. , Domingos Joana , Ridout Deborah , Iodice Mario , Rye Catherine , Chesshyre Mary , Wolfe Amy , Selby Victoria , Mayhew Anna , Mazzone Elena S. , Ricotti Valeria , Hogrel Jean-Yves , Niks Erik H. , de Groot Imelda , Servais Laurent , Straub Volker , Mercuri Eugenio , Manzur Adnan Y. , Muntoni Francesco ,   on behalf of the iMDEX Consortium and the U.K. NorthStar Clinical Network
Published: April 2023

The North Star ambulatory assessment (NSAA) is a functional motor outcome measure in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), widely used in clinical trials and natural history studies, as well as in clinical practice. However, little has been reported on the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the NSAA. The lack of established MCID estimates for NSAA presents challenges in interpreting the significance of the results of this outcome measure in clinical trials, natural history studies and clinical practice. Combining statistical approaches and patient perspectives, this study estimated MCID for NSAA using distribution-based estimates of 1/3 standard deviation (SD) and standard error of measurement (SEM), an anchor-based approach, with six-minute walk distance (6MWD) as the anchor, and evaluation of patient and parent perception using participant-tailored questionnaires. The MCID for NSAA in boys with DMD aged 7 to 10 years based on 1/3 SD ranged from 2.3–2.9 points, and that on SEM ranged from 2.9–3.5 points. Anchored on the 6MWD, the MCID for NSAA was estimated as 3.5 points. When the impact on functional abilities was considered using participant response questionnaires, patients and parent perceived a complete loss of function in a single item or deterioration of function in one to two items of the assessment as an important change. Our study examines MCID estimates for total NSAA scores using multiple approaches, including the impact of patient and parent perspective on within scale changes in items based on complete loss of function and deterioration of function, and provides new insight on evaluation of differences in these widely used outcome measure in DMD.
Exposure to multiple ion beams, broadly representative of galactic cosmic rays, causes perivascular cardiac fibrosis in mature male rats
Authors: Lenarczyk Marek , Kronenberg Amy , Mäder Marylou , Komorowski Richard , Hopewell John W. , Baker John E.
Published: April 2023

Long-duration space exploratory missions to the Earth’s moon and the planet Mars are actively being planned. Such missions will require humans to live for prolonged periods beyond low earth orbit where astronauts will be continuously exposed to high energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). A major unknown is the potential impact of GCRs on the risks of developing degenerative cardiovascular disease, which is a concern to NASA. A ground-based rat model has been used to provide a detailed characterization of the risk of long-term cardiovascular disease from components of GCRs at radiation doses relevant to future human missions beyond low earth orbit. Six month old male WAG/RijCmcr rats were irradiated at a ground-based charged particle accelerator facility with high energy ion beams broadly representative of GCRs: protons, silicon and iron. Irradiation was given either as a single ion beam or as a combination of three ion beams. For the doses used, the single ion beam studies did not show any significant changes in the known cardiac risk factors and no evidence of cardiovascular disease could be demonstrated. In the three ion beam study, the total cholesterol levels in the circulation increased modestly over the 270 day follow up period, and inflammatory cytokines were also increased, transiently, 30 days after irradiation. Perivascular cardiac collagen content, systolic blood pressure and the number of macrophages found in the kidney and in the heart were each increased 270 days after irradiation with 1.5 Gy of the three ion beam grouping. These findings provide evidence for a cardiac vascular pathology and indicate a possible threshold dose for perivascular cardiac fibrosis and increased systemic systolic blood pressure for complex radiation fields during the 9 month follow up period. The development of perivascular cardiac fibrosis and increased systemic systolic blood pressure occurred at a physical dose of the three ion beam grouping (1.5 Gy) that was much lower than that required to show similar outcomes in earlier studies with the same rat strain exposed to photons. Further studies with longer follow up periods may help determine whether humans exposed to lower, mission-relevant doses of GCRs will develop radiation-induced heart disease.
Comparing public support for nuclear and wind energy in Washington State
Authors: Uji Azusa , Song Jaehyun , Dolšak Nives , Prakash Aseem
Published: April 2023

The proliferation of country and state-level net zero-emission commitments, rising energy costs, and the quest for energy security in the wake of the Ukraine crisis have renewed the debate about the future of energy sources. As opposed to elite discourse, the energy policy preferences of the public remain less explored. While many public opinion surveys report preferences for a specific type of clean energy, there is less work on understanding choices among different types. We explore whether support for nuclear over wind energy at the state level depends on how people assess the impact of these energy sources on health, local jobs, landscape disruption, and the stability of the electricity supply. Importantly, we seek to understand where people physically reside (and their experience of existing energy possibilities) might influence their energy policy preferences. We estimate multiple regression models with OLS with our original survey data of a representative sample of Washington residents (n = 844). We find that the physical proximity to existing energy facilities does not influence support for nuclear over wind energy. However, this support is shaped by the importance respondents attach to health (-), jobs (-), landscapes (+), and supply stability (+) dimensions of energy source. Moreover, the physical proximity to existing energy facilities moderates the importance respondents attach to these dimensions.
Disordered dolomite as an unusual biomineralization product found in the center of a natural Cassis pearl
Authors: Zhou Chunhui , Jin Shiyun , Sun Ziyin , Homkrajae Artitaya , Myagkaya Elina , Nilpetploy Nanthaporn , Lawanwong Kwanreun
Published: April 2023

Natural pearls are produced without human intervention, mainly due to various irritations from the surrounding environment to their mantle tissues. Pearls usually possess similar mineral compositions to the host shells, which means they are also dominated by aragonite and calcite. In this study, we report a natural pearl from aCassisspecies mollusk containing granular central structures. Raman spectroscopy, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) coupled with scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were carried out in order to characterize the mineral composition in the center region of this pearl. Our results showed that this pearl’s center was made of mostly disordered dolomite (Ca0.53Mg0.47CO3) mixing with small amount of aragonite and high magnesium-calcite. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time disordered dolomite was conclusively identified inside of a natural pearl and such information expanded our knowledge on internal growth structures and formation of natural pearls.
COVID-19 outbreak prediction using Seq2Seq + Attention and Word2Vec keyword time series data
Authors: Kim Yeongha , Park Chang-Reung , Ahn Jae-Pyoung , Jang Beakcheol
Published: April 2023

As of 2022, COVID-19, first reported in Wuhan, China, in November 2019, has become a worldwide epidemic, causing numerous infections and casualties and enormous social and economic damage. To mitigate its impact, various COVID-19 prediction studies have emerged, most of them using mathematical models and artificial intelligence for prediction. However, the problem with these models is that their prediction accuracy is considerably reduced when the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak is short. In this paper, we propose a new prediction method combining Word2Vec and the existing long short-term memory and Seq2Seq + Attention model. We compare the prediction error of the existing and proposed models with the COVID-19 prediction results reported from five US states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois. The results of the experiment show that the proposed model combining Word2Vec and the existing long short-term memory and Seq2Seq + Attention achieves better prediction results and lower errors than the existing long short-term memory and Seq2Seq + Attention models. In experiments, the Pearson correlation coefficient increased by 0.05 to 0.21 and the RMSE decreased by 0.03 to 0.08 compared to the existing method.
Multi-group analysis of grooming network position in a highly social primate
Authors: Torfs Jonas R. R. , Stevens Jeroen M. G. , Verspeek Jonas , Laméris Daan W. , Guéry Jean-Pascal , Eens Marcel , Staes Nicky
Published: April 2023

Individual variation in complex social behavioral traits, like primate grooming, can be influenced by the characteristics of the individual and those of its social group. To better grasp this complexity, social network analysis can be used to quantify direct and indirect grooming relationships. However, multi-group social network studies remain rare, despite their importance to disentangle individual from group-level trait effects on grooming strategies. We applied social network analysis to grooming data of 22 groups of zoo-housed bonobos and investigated the impact of three individual (sex, age, and rearing-history) and two group-level traits (group size and sex ratio) on five social network measures (out-strength, in-strength, disparity, affinity, and eigenvector centrality). Our results showed age-effects on all investigated measures: for females, all measures except for affinity showed quadratic relationships with age, while in males, the effects of age were more variable depending on the network measure. Bonobos with atypical rearing histories showed lower out-strength and eigenvector centrality, while in-strength was only impacted by rearing history in males. Group size showed a negative association with disparity and eigenvector centrality, while sex ratio did not influence any of the investigated measures. Standardization for group size did not impact the effects of sex and age, indicating the robustness of these findings. Our study provides comprehensive insights into the complexity of grooming behavior in zoo-housed bonobos, and underlines the importance of multi-group analyses for the generalizability of social network analysis results for species as a whole.
Differential innate immune response of endometrial cells to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 1 versus type 2
Authors: Lothong Muttarin , Rukarcheep Dran , Wattanaphansak Suphot , Thammacharoen Sumpun , Deachapunya Chatsri , Poonyachoti Sutthasinee
Published: April 2023

Modification of cellular and immunological events due to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection is associated with pathogenesis in lungs. PRRSV also causes female reproductive dysfunction and persistent infection which can spread to fetus, stillbirth, and offspring. In this study, changes in cellular and innate immune responses to PRRSV type 1 or type 2 infection, including expression of PRRSV mediators, mRNA expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokine, and cytokine secretion, were examined in primary porcine glandular endometrial cells (PGE). Cell infectivity as observed by cytopathic effect (CPE), PRRSV nucleocapsid proteins, and viral nucleic acids was detected as early as two days post-infection (2 dpi) and persisted until 6 dpi. A higher percentage of CPE and PRRSV-positive cells were observed in type 2 infections. PRRSV mediator proteins, CD151, CD163, sialoadhesin (Sn), integrin and vimentin, were upregulated following type 1 and type 2 infection.CD151,CD163andSnwere upregulated by type 2. In both PRRSV types, mRNA expression of TLR1 and TLR6 was upregulated. However,TLR3was upregulated by type 1, butTLR4andTLR8mRNA and protein were downregulated by type 2 only.Interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6andtumor necrotic factor(TNF)-αwere upregulated by type 2, butIL-8was upregulated by type 1. Both PRRSV type 1 and 2 stimulated IL-6 but suppressed TNF-α secretion. In addition, IL-1β secretion was suppressed only by type 2. These findings reveal an important mechanism underlying the strategy of PRRSV infection in the endometrium and associated with the viral persistence.
Ataxic speech disorders and Parkinson’s disease diagnostics via stochastic embedding of empirical mode decomposition
Authors: Campi Marta , Peters Gareth W. , Toczydlowska Dorota
Published: April 2023

Medical diagnostic methods that utilise modalities of patient symptoms such as speech are increasingly being used for initial diagnostic purposes and monitoring disease state progression. Speech disorders are particularly prevalent in neurological degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, the focus of the study undertaken in this work. We will demonstrate state-of-the-art statistical time-series methods that combine elements of statistical time series modelling and signal processing with modern machine learning methods based on Gaussian process models to develop methods to accurately detect a core symptom of speech disorder in individuals who have Parkinson’s disease. We will show that the proposed methods out-perform standard best practices of speech diagnostics in detecting ataxic speech disorders, and we will focus the study, particularly on a detailed analysis of a well regarded Parkinson’s data speech study publicly available making all our results reproducible. The methodology developed is based on a specialised technique not widely adopted in medical statistics that found great success in other domains such as signal processing, seismology, speech analysis and ecology. In this work, we will present this method from a statistical perspective and generalise it to a stochastic model, which will be used to design a test for speech disorders when applied to speech time series signals. As such, this work is making contributions both of a practical and statistical methodological nature.
Battling the unknown: Using composite vignettes to portray lived experiences of COVID-19 and long-COVID
Authors: Knight Rachel L. , Mackintosh Kelly A. , Hudson Joanne , Shelley James , Saynor Zoe L. , McNarry Melitta A.
Published: April 2023

Understanding the day-to-day lived experiences of individuals who have had or are still recovering from Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), whilst a complex challenge, presents the opportunity to listen and learn. Composite vignettes provide a novel approach to explore and present descriptive portrayals of the most commonly derived experiences and recovery journeys. The thematic analysis of 47 shared accounts (semi-structured interviews with adults aged ≥18 years; 40 females; 6–11 months post-COVID-19 infection) produced a series of four intricate character stories written through the lens of a single individual. Each vignette gives a voice to and captures a different experience trajectory. From the point of initial symptom development onwards, the vignettes depict how COVID-19 has affected everyday lives, focusing on the secondary non-biological socio-psychological effects and implications. The vignettes highlight in participants’ own words: i) the potential negative implications of not addressing the psychological effects of COVID-19; ii) the lack of symptom and recovery linearity; iii) the ongoing ‘lottery’ of access to healthcare services; and iv) the highly variable, yet generally devastating, impacts that COVID-19 and consequent long-COVID has had across multiple facets of daily living.
Regulation of the two-pore domain potassium channel, THIK-1 and THIK-2, by G protein coupled receptors
Authors: Tateyama Michihiro , Kubo Yoshihiro
Published: April 2023

A member of THIK (two pore domain halothane-inhibited K+) channels, THIK-1, was reported as a target of Gi/o-coupled receptors (Gi/o-Rs) in neurons and microglia. We confirmed that in HEK293T cells the THIK-1 channel is activated by Gi/o-Rs and found that Gq-coupled receptors (Gq-Rs) also activates the channel. The effects of Gi/o-Rs and Gq-Rs were inhibited by the Gi/o inhibitor pertussis toxin and phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, respectively. The effects of Gi/o-Rs were attenuated when consensus Gβγ binding motif at the C-tail of the THIK-1 channel was mutated, suggesting that Gβγ serves as a THIK-1 channel activator upon the stimulation of Gi/o-Rs. As to the effects of Gq-Rs on the THIK-1 channel, a protein kinase C inhibitor and calcium chelators failed to inhibit the effect of a Gq coupled muscarinic M1R. Neither the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositol bisphosphate induced by voltage sensitive phosphatase nor the application of a diacylglycerol analogue, OAG, increased the channel current. The mediator of Gq-dependent activation of the THIK-1 channel remained unsolved. The effects of Gi/o- and Gq-Rs on the THIK-2 channel were also investigated, by using a THIK-2 mutant channel whose N-terminal domain is deleted to improve the surface membrane expression. We observed that Gi/o- and Gq-Rs activate the mutated THIK-2 channel, similarly to the THIK-1 channel. Interestingly, heterodimeric channels of THIK-1 and THIK-2 responded to Gi/o-R and Gq-R stimulation. Taken together, Gi/o- or Gq-Rs activates the THIK-1 and THIK-2 channels in a Gβγ or PLC dependent manner, respectively.
Strengthened social ties in disasters: Threat-awe encourages interdependent worldviews via powerlessness
Authors: Takano Ryota , Nomura Michio
Published: April 2023

Threat-awe, a negatively valenced variant of awe, is thought to strengthen social ties among community members. However, few empirical studies have examined the social functions of threat-awe. This study investigated whether threat-awe is linked to interdependent worldviews through feelings of powerlessness in comparison with positive awe. After remembering and describing their experiences of positive-or threat-awe, 486 Japanese participants reported on items regarding a small self, a sense of powerlessness, and interdependent worldviews. The results demonstrated that threat-awe encouraged interdependent worldviews via an increased sense of powerlessness, rather than the small self, compared to the positive awe condition. From textual perspectives, the semantic networks between awe-related and other words differed from the descriptions of threat-awe and positive awe experiences. These results provide a more nuanced understanding of the emotions of awe as well as new insights into human cooperation in the context of disasters.
New feminist voices in Spanish audio-visual cultural production: Vis a vis (Locked Up) (Antena 3 and Globomedia, 2015–19) and La casa de papel (Money Heist) (Antena 3 and Netflix, 2017–21)
Authors: Noble Fiona
Published: April 2023

This article maps an emerging engagement with intersections amongst gender, voice/sound and feminism in the context of contemporary Spanish audio-visual cultural production. I locate the voice at the nexus of contemporary feminisms as these manifest through popular, public and theoretical means. Taking two recent internationally successful Spanish series (Vis a vis [Locked Up] and La casa de papel [Money Heist]) as examples, I contend that female voices and their treatment within contemporary Spanish audio-visual cultures constitute an important site within which female subjectivities emerge and are claimed. I analyse the importance of gender representations on- and off-screen in these works and attend to the use of music and voice-over in these shows as exemplifying the contradictory character of the voice within contemporary feminisms, both in and beyond Spain.
Transparência e os efeitos da política monetária no sistema de metas para inflação no Brasil
Authors: Sabioni Lopes Luckas , Leite Felisberto Cabral Maurília
Published: April 2023

Este trabalho investiga os efeitos da transparência sobre os resultados da política monetária no Brasil no sistema de metas para inflação. Para tanto, definem-se períodos de alta e baixa transparência, com a proposição de um indicador baseado no diferencial das expectativas inflacionárias do banco central e as de mercado, e os modelos VAR com threshold. Os resultados mostram uma predominância do regime de maior transparência após junho de 2003. Ademais, encontra-se que os efeitos positivos da transparência se deram principalmente sobre o controle inflacionário, uma vez que aumentos na taxa Selic reduziram tanto a inflação como suas expectativas um ano à frente.
Estratégias de crescimento de países selecionados da América Latina e do Leste Asiático entre 1970-2019: revisitando a Lei de Thirlwall
Authors: Traina Koga Lucas , Luzia Araujo Elisangela
Published: April 2023

Este paper analisa o processo de crescimento de países selecionados do leste asiático e América Latina entre 1970 e 2019, à luz do modelo de Thirlwall (1979), segundo o qual quanto mais um país diversifica exportações com bens com alta elasticidade-renda da demanda, menor é a restrição externa em longo prazo. Através de uma análise econométrica de séries temporais, estimou-se a elasticidade-renda da demanda por exportações e importações e a taxa de crescimento compatível com o equilíbrio do balanço de pagamentos. Os resultados obtidos sugeriram êxito do leste asiático, que logrou crescimento robusto, sendo o oposto verificado na América Latina.
Federalismo Fiscal e Descentralização no Sistema Único de Saúde: evidências de um experimento natural
Authors: Lins Julyan , Almeida de Menezes Tatiane , Da Silva Ciríaco Juliane
Published: April 2023

O objetivo deste artigo é verificar em que medida a transferência intergovernamental do Fundo de Participação dos Municípios (FPM), associada às auditorias nas contas municipais feitas pela Controladoria Geral da União (CGU), podem ser importantes para o bem-estar social, medido através de indicadores de saúde materna e infantil. Os resultados sugerem que a eficácia na alocação dos recursos públicos, em melhorar os indicadores de saúde dos municípios, apenas se verifica em situações de auditoria, ou seja, em média, um aumento de 1% nas transferências, quando da presença de auditoria, resultou em uma queda de 0,5% nos indicadores de mortalidade.
Analysis of Anthropic Pressure on Urban Mangroves: Subsidies for Environmental Protection and Territorial Planning
Authors: Vikou Sidney Vincent de Paul , Da Paz Otacílio Lopes de Souza , Pilatti Daiane Maria , De Paula Eduardo Vedor
Published: April 2023

The mangrove is a transitional ecosystem between terrestrial and marine environments and represents an important ecological indicator for the ecosystem services provided. However, despite its ecological relevance, it still suffers anthropic pressures and has been losing in extent and environmental quality. In Brazil, and specifically in the municipality of Paranaguá, a mix of anthropogenic use has caused significant pressures on mangroves. In this sense, the aim of this study is to assess the degree of anthropization of the urban mangroves in the city of Paranaguá (PR), through the use of very high spatial resolution images, obtained from Remotely Piloted Aircraft in order to support municipal policies for land-use planning. From the methodological point of view, from field campaigns, maps were produced with the aid of QGIS 3.10 software, from the photointerpretation of orthomosaics. The legend of the anthropization classes covered: deposition of household waste (i), rubble (ii), discharge of untreated domestic effluents (iii) and manholes (iv). The results indicated a total of 475 points of anthropic pressure on the 22 mangrove patches analysed. The most prominent class was household waste, followed respectively by untreated domestic effluent discharge, debris (construction material) and, finally, shackle. In conclusion, the use of high-resolution orthomosaics proved to be an important and effective tool in the analysis of anthropization of urban mangroves, thus highlighting the areas with greater pressure and contributing to a continuous monitoring. The products of this research can help in the elaboration of land-use planning instruments for the municipality, highlighting the need for the construction of a holistic view in favor of mangrove conservation.
Does Borrower Domicile Influence the Credit Default in P2P Lending? Preliminary Analysis from Indonesia
Authors: Albanna Hasan
Published: April 2023

Purpose: Credit risk is one of the most fundamental risks that P2P lending platforms have. The magnitude of information asymmetry, consumer behavior, and the unequal distribution of financial literacy make credit risk in P2P lending more vulnerable in several parts of Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the domicile of the borrower on the credit risk in P2P lending
Methodology: We use time series data from January 2018-December 2021 for analysis. Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) is used to analyze the data.
Findings: The results show that borrowers domiciled outside Java influence the credit default significantly positively, while borrowers domiciled in Java influence credit default significantly negatively. Moreover, interest rate influences positively significant on P2P lending default, while inflation influences positively on P2P lending default.
Novelty: this paper is the first paper to analyze the P2P credit default in Indonesia using time series analysis.
Las raíces del árbol de la libertad Hölderlin y Hegel ante Rousseau
Authors: Santiago Rodriguez Gonzalo
Published: April 2023

La importancia de Rousseau para el surgimiento del idealismo poskantiano ha sido poco investigada. Oculta en gran medida por la recepción kantiana, la obra del pensador ginebrino parece tener tan solo una importancia accesoria. A partir del análisis interpretativo de las fuentes y su comparación con las principales doctrinas de Rousseau, nuestro trabajo busca mostrar, valiéndonos de las obras de Hölderlin y Hegel de la época de Tubinga y de los años inmediatamente posteriores (1791-1795), que la influencia del pensador ginebrino posee una importancia decisiva para concebir el programa artístico y religioso de los autores estudiados. El análisis nos permitirá comprender que el mencionado autor no representa la figura de un filósofo, menos la de un ilustrado, sino más bien la de un sabio, el portador de una doctrina práctica cuyo principio fundamental se encuentra en la suprema dignidad del hombre y en la idea de libertad entendida como autonomía.