bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A dynamic foot model for predictive simulations of human gait reveals causal relations between foot structure and whole-body mechanics
Authors: D’Hondt Lars , De Groote Friedl , Afschrift Maarten
Published: June 2024

The unique structure of the human foot is seen as a crucial adaptation for bipedalism. The foot’s arched shape enables stiffening the foot to withstand high loads when pushing off, without compromising foot flexibility. Experimental studies demonstrated that manipulating foot stiffness has considerable effects on gait. In clinical practice, altered foot structure is associated with pathological gait. Yet, experimentally manipulating individual foot properties (e.g. arch height or tendon and ligament stiffness) is hard and therefore our understanding of how foot structure influences gait mechanics is still limited. Predictive simulations are a powerful tool to explore causal relationships between musculoskeletal properties and whole-body gait. However, musculoskeletal models used in three-dimensional predictive simulations assume a rigid foot arch, limiting their use for studying how foot structure influences three-dimensional gait mechanics. Here, we developed a four-segment foot model with a longitudinal arch for use in predictive simulations. We identified three properties of the ankle-foot complex that are important to capture ankle and knee kinematics, soleus activation, and ankle power of healthy adults: (1) compliant Achilles tendon, (2) stiff heel pad, (3) the ability to stiffen the foot. The latter requires sufficient arch height and contributions of plantar fascia, and intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles. A reduced ability to stiffen the foot results in walking patterns with reduced push-off power. Simulations based on our model also captured the effects of walking with anaesthetised intrinsic foot muscles or an insole limiting arch compression. The ability to reproduce these different experiments indicates that our foot model captures the main mechanical properties of the foot. The presented four-segment foot model is a potentially powerful tool to study the relationship between foot properties and gait mechanics and energetics in health and disease.
Level of HIV serodiscordance and associated factors among heterosexual couples in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dinagde Dagne Deresa , Afework Hana Tadesse , Wada Habtamu Wana , Negash Meserat Workiye
Published: June 2024

HIV-related causes accounted for approximately 770,000 deaths globally in 2018. Globally, there were 1.7 million new infections, and approximately 37.9 million people were living with HIV by the end of 2018. According to the WHO 2018 study, the African Region was the most affected, with 25.7 million people living with HIV in 2018. In Africa, married and cohabiting couples have a high prevalence of HIV discordance, ranging from 3% to 20% in the general population. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the level of HIV serodiscordance among married couples in Ethiopia and the contributing factors. Studies were systematically searched, utilizing international databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Embase. The level of quality of the included articles, which employed cross-sectional and cohort study designs, was evaluated using the New Castle Ottawa scale. The systematic review employed a random-effects approach, and statistical analysis was conducted using STATA version 17 software. The presence of statistical heterogeneity within the included studies was assessed using the I-squared statistic. The random-effects meta-analysis model was used to estimate the pooled level of HIV serodiscordance. The results were reported following the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. A total of ten (10) observational studies were included in this review. The pooled level of HIV serodiscordance among married heterosexual couples in Ethiopia was found to be 11.4% (95% CI = 7% -15.7%). The results from the meta-analysis indicated a significant positive association between HIV serodiscordance and the variables studied. Specifically, consistently using condoms (OR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.08–2.56), having a CD4 count of >200 cells/mm3 (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.12–1.77), and having a premarital sexual relationship (OR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.28–2.57) were strongly linked to couples’ serodiscordance. To protect a seronegative partner in a serodiscordant relationship from acquiring HIV infection, it is crucial to implement preventive measures. These measures include providing comprehensive health education on the correct and consistent use of condoms, ensuring regular monitoring and care at an antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic, and offering voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services to both sexual partners.
Inactivation of yellow fever virus by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and surface disinfectants
Authors: Meister Toni Luise , Frericks Nicola , Kleinert Robin D. V. , Rodríguez Estefanía , Steinmann Joerg , Todt Daniel , Brown Richard J. P. , Steinmann Eike
Published: June 2024

Despite continued outbreaks of yellow fever virus (YFV) in endemic regions, data on its environmental stability or guidelines for its effective inactivation is limited. Here, we evaluated the susceptibility of the YFV 17D vaccine strain to inactivation by ethanol, 2-propanol, World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended hand rub formulations I and II, as well as surface disinfectants. In addition, two pathogenic strains were tested to compare inactivation kinetics by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations I and II. Furthermore, environmental stability of the vaccine strain was assessed. YFV 17D particles displayed infectivity half-life decay profiles of ~13 days at room temperature. Despite this extended environmental stability, YFV was efficiently inactivated by alcohols, WHO-recommended hand formulations, and four out of five tested surface disinfectants. These results are useful in defining disinfection protocols to prevent non-vector borne YFV transmission.
Modelling amoebic brain infection caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris using a human cerebral organoid
Authors: Tongkrajang Nongnat , Kobpornchai Porntida , Dubey Pratima , Chaisri Urai , Kulkeaw Kasem
Published: June 2024

The lack of disease models adequately resembling human tissue has hindered our understanding of amoebic brain infection. Three-dimensional structured organoids provide a microenvironment similar to human tissue. This study demonstrates the use of cerebral organoids to model a rare brain infection caused by the highly lethal amoebaBalamuthia mandrillaris. Cerebral organoids were generated from human pluripotent stem cells and infected with clinically isolatedB.mandrillaristrophozoites. Histological examination showed amoebic invasion and neuron damage following coculture with the trophozoites. The transcript profile suggested an alteration in neuron growth and a proinflammatory response. The release of intracellular proteins specific to neuronal bodies and astrocytes was detected at higher levels postinfection. The amoebicidal effect of the repurposed drug nitroxoline was examined using the human cerebral organoids. Overall, the use of human cerebral organoids was important for understanding the mechanism of amoeba pathogenicity, identify biomarkers for brain injury, and in the testing of a potential amoebicidal drug in a context similar to the human brain.
No evidence for enhanced disease with human polyclonal SARS-CoV-2 antibody in the ferret model
Authors: Reed Douglas S. , McElroy Anita K. , Barbeau Dominique J. , McMillen Cynthia M. , Tilston-Lunel Natasha L. , Nambulli Shamkumar , Cottle Emily , Gilliland Theron C. , Rannulu Hasala , Lundy Jeneveve , Olsen Emily L. , O’Malley Katherine J. , Xia Mengying , Hartman Amy L. , Luke Thomas C. , Egland Kristi , Bausch Christoph , Wu Hua , Sullivan Eddie J. , Klimstra William B. , Duprex W. Paul
Published: June 2024

Since SARS-CoV-2 emerged in late 2019, it spread from China to the rest of the world. An initial concern was the potential for vaccine- or antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of disease as had been reported with other coronaviruses. To evaluate this, we first developed a ferret model by exposing ferrets to SARS-CoV-2 by either mucosal inoculation (intranasal/oral/ocular) or inhalation using a small particle aerosol. Mucosal inoculation caused a mild fever and weight loss that resolved quickly; inoculation via either route resulted in virus shedding detected in the nares, throat, and rectum for 7–10 days post-infection. To evaluate the potential for ADE, we then inoculated groups of ferrets intravenously with 0.1, 0.5, or 1 mg/kg doses of a human polyclonal anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG from hyper-immunized transchromosomic bovines (SAB-185). Twelve hours later, ferrets were challenged by mucosal inoculation with SARS-CoV-2. We found no significant differences in fever, weight loss, or viral shedding after infection between the three antibody groups or the controls. Signs of pathology in the lungs were noted in infected ferrets but no differences were found between control and antibody groups. The results of this study indicate that healthy, young adult ferrets of both sexes are a suitable model of mild COVID-19 and that low doses of specific IgG in SAB-185 are unlikely to enhance the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
A semi-automated cell tracking protocol for quantitative analyses of neutrophil swarming to sterile and S. aureus contaminated bone implants in a mouse femur model
Authors: Lekkala Sashank , Ren Youliang , Weeks Jason , Lee Kevin , Tay Allie Jia Hui , Liu Bei , Xue Thomas , Rainbolt Joshua , Xie Chao , Schwarz Edward M. , Yeh Shu-Chi A.
Published: June 2024

Implant-associated osteomyelitis remains a major orthopaedic problem. As neutrophil swarming to the surgical site is a critical host response to prevent infection, visualization and quantification of this dynamic behavior at the native microenvironment of infection will elucidate previously unrecognized mechanisms central to understanding the host response. We recently developed longitudinal intravital imaging of the bone marrow (LIMB) to visualize host cells and fluorescent S. aureus on a contaminated transfemoral implant in live mice, which allows for direct visualization of bacteria colonization of the implant and host cellular responses using two-photon laser scanning microscopy. To the end of rigorous and reproducible quantitative outcomes of neutrophil swarming kinetics in this model, we developed a protocol for robust segmentation, tracking, and quantifications of neutrophil dynamics adapted from Trainable Weka Segmentation and TrackMate, two readily available Fiji/ImageJ plugins. In this work, Catchup mice with tdTomato expressing neutrophils received a transfemoral pin with or without ECFP/EGFP-expressing USA300 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to obtain 30-minute LIMB videos at 2-, 4-, and 6-hours post-implantation. The developed semi-automated neutrophil tracking protocol was executed independently by two users to quantify the distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and directionality of the target cells. The results revealed high inter-user reliability for all outcomes (ICC > 0.96; p > 0.05). Consistent with the established paradigm on increased neutrophil swarming during active infection, the results also demonstrated increased neutrophil speed and velocity at all measured time points, and increased displacement at later time points (6 hours) in infected versus uninfected mice (p < 0.05). Neutrophils and bacteria also exhibit directionality during migration in the infected mice. The semi-automated cell tracking protocol provides a streamlined approach to robustly identify and track individual cells across diverse experimental settings and eliminates inter-observer variability.
Objective monitoring of loneliness levels using smart devices: A multi-device approach for mental health applications
Authors: Jafarlou Salar , Azimi Iman , Lai Jocelyn , Wang Yuning , Labbaf Sina , Nguyen Brenda , Qureshi Hana , Marcotullio Christopher , Borelli Jessica L. , Dutt Nikil D. , Rahmani Amir M.
Published: June 2024

Loneliness is linked to wide ranging physical and mental health problems, including increased rates of mortality. Understanding how loneliness manifests is important for targeted public health treatment and intervention. With advances in mobile sending and wearable technologies, it is possible to collect data on human phenomena in a continuous and uninterrupted way. In doing so, such approaches can be used to monitor physiological and behavioral aspects relevant to an individual’s loneliness. In this study, we proposed a method for continuous detection of loneliness using fully objective data from smart devices and passive mobile sensing. We also investigated whether physiological and behavioral features differed in their importance in predicting loneliness across individuals. Finally, we examined how informative data from each device is for loneliness detection tasks. We assessed subjective feelings of loneliness while monitoring behavioral and physiological patterns in 30 college students over a 2-month period. We used smartphones to monitor behavioral patterns (e.g., location changes, type of notifications, in-coming and out-going calls/text messages) and smart watches and rings to monitor physiology and sleep patterns (e.g., heart-rate, heart-rate variability, sleep duration). Participants reported their loneliness feeling multiple times a day through a questionnaire app on their phone. Using the data collected from their devices, we trained a random forest machine learning based model to detect loneliness levels. We found support for loneliness prediction using a multi-device and fully-objective approach. Furthermore, behavioral data collected by smartphones generally were the most important features across all participants. The study provides promising results for using objective data to monitor mental health indicators, which could provide a continuous and uninterrupted source of information in mental healthcare applications.
What really matters for global intergenerational mobility?
Authors: Duong Khanh
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the genuine impacts of education expansion, education inequality, and parental dependency on intergenerational mobility. It utilizes data from the Global Database on Intergenerational Mobility for 153 countries and cohorts born between the 1940s and 1980s. By employing a causal machine learning approach to address confounding problems, this research reveals that education expansion can promote intergenerational mobility to a certain extent. However, its effectiveness is partially diminished by education inequality and may be ineffective if parental dependency exists at a high level. Furthermore, this study also indicates that while gender inequality in intergenerational mobility still exists, its degree has been significantly reduced across generations. When compared to parental dependency, gender effects are far less important. Therefore, there is a need to reassess the roles of parental dependency and gender bias in intergenerational mobility, especially when parental dependency is currently underestimated, and gender bias is overemphasized.
Healthcare utilization 9 months pre- and post- COVID-19 hospitalization among patients discharged alive
Authors: Zaidan Mohammed , Puebla Neira Daniel , Polychronopoulou Efstathia , Yong-Fang Kuo , Sharma Gulshan
Published: June 2024

Background

Emerging evidence suggests that there is an increase in healthcare utilization (HCU) in patients due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We investigated the change in HCU pre and post hospitalization among patients discharged home from COVID-19 hospitalization for up to 9 months of follow up.

Study design and methods

This retrospective study from a United States cohort used Optum® de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart; it included adults discharged home post hospitalization with primary diagnosis of COVID-19 between April 2020 and March 2021. We evaluated HCU of patients 9 months pre and post -discharge from index hospitalization. We defined HCU as emergency department (ED), inpatient, outpatient (office), rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility (SNF), telemedicine visits, and length of stay, expressed as number of visits per 10,000 person-days.

Results

We identified 63,161 patients discharged home after COVID-19 hospitalization. The cohort of patients was mostly white (58.8%) and women (53.7%), with mean age 72.4 (SD± 12) years. These patients were significantly more likely to have increased HCU in the 9 months post hospitalization compared to the 9 months prior. Patients had a 47%, 67%, 65%, and 51% increased risk of ED (rate ratio 1.47; 95% CI 1.45–1.49; p < .0001), rehabilitation (rate ratio 1.67; 95% CI 1.61–1.73; p < .0001), office (rate ratio1.65; 95% CI 1.64–1.65; p < .0001), and telemedicine visits (rate ratio 1.5; 95% CI 1.48–1.54; p < .0001), respectively. We also found significantly different rates of HCU for women compared to men (women have higher risk of ED, rehabilitation, and telemedicine visits but a lower risk of inpatient visits, length of stay, and office visits than men) and for patients who received care in the intensive care unit (ICU) vs those who did not (ICU patients had increased risk of ED, inpatient, office, and telemedicine visits and longer length of stay but a lower risk of rehabilitation visits). Outpatient (office) visits were the highest healthcare service utilized post discharge (64.5% increase). Finally, the risk of having an outpatient visit to any of the specialties studied significantly increased post discharge. Interestingly, the risk of requiring a visit to pulmonary medicine was the highest amongst the specialties studied (rate ratio 3.35, 95% CI 3.26–3.45, p < .0001).

Conclusion

HCU was higher after index hospitalization compared to 9 months prior among patients discharged home post-COVID-19 hospitalization. The increases in HCU may be driven by those patients who received care in the ICU.
Validity and reliability of a new whole room indirect calorimeter to assess metabolic response to small calorie loads
Authors: Baugh Mary Elizabeth , Ahrens Monica L. , Hutelin Zach , Stylianos Charlie , Wohlers-Kariesch Erica , Oster Mary E. , Dotson Jon , Moon Jon , Hanlon Alexandra L. , DiFeliceantonio Alexandra G.
Published: June 2024

We overview of our whole room indirect calorimeter (WRIC), demonstrate validity and reliability of our WRIC, and explore a novel application of Bayesian hierarchical modeling to assess responses to small carbohydrate loads. To assess WRIC validity seven gas infusion studies were performed using a gas blender and profiles designed to mimic resting and postprandial metabolic events. Sixteen participants underwent fasting and postprandial measurements, during which they consumed a 75-kcal drink containing sucrose, dextrose, or fructose in a crossover design. Linear mixed effects models were used to compare resting and postprandial metabolic rate (MR) and carbohydrate oxidation. Postprandial carbohydrate oxidation trajectories for each participant and condition were modeled using Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling. Mean total error in infusions were 1.27 ± 0.67% and 0.42 ± 0.70% for VO2and VCO2respectively, indicating a high level of validity. Mean resting MR was similar across conditions (x¯= 1.05 ± 0.03 kcal/min,p= 0.82, ICC: 0.91). While MR increased similarly among all conditions (~13%,p= 0.29), postprandial carbohydrate oxidation parameters were significantly lower for dextrose compared with sucrose or fructose. We provide evidence validating our WRIC and a novel application of statistical methods useful for research using WRIC.
Vitamin D and thyroid function: A mendelian randomization study
Authors: Pleić Nikolina , Babić Leko Mirjana , Gunjača Ivana , Zemunik Tatijana
Published: June 2024

Background

Numerous organs, including the thyroid gland, depend on vitamin D to function normally. Insufficient levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] are seen as a potential factor contributing to the emergence of several thyroid disorders, however, the causal relationship remains unclear. Here we use a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal effect of serum 25(OH)D concentration on the indicators of thyroid function.

Methods

We conducted a two-sample MR analysis utilizing summary data from the most extensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of serum 25(OH)D concentration (n = 443,734 and 417,580), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, n = 271,040), free thyroxine (fT4, n = 119,120), free triiodothyronine (fT3, n = 59,061), total triiodothyronine (TT3, n = 15,829), as well as thyroid peroxidase antibody levels and positivity (TPOAb, n = 12,353 and n = 18,297), low TSH (n = 153,241), high TSH (n = 141,549), autoimmune hypothyroidism (n = 287,247) and autoimmune hyperthyroidism (n = 257,552). The primary analysis was conducted using the multiplicative random-effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. The weighted mode, weighted median, MR-Egger, MR-PRESSO, and Causal Analysis Using Summary Effect estimates (CAUSE) were used in the sensitivity analysis.

Results

The IVW, as well as MR Egger and CAUSE analysis, showed a suggestive causal effect of 25(OH)D concentration on high TSH. Each 1 SD increase in serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with a 12% decrease in the risk of high TSH (p = 0.02). Additionally, in the MR Egger and CAUSE analysis, we found a suggestive causal effect of 25(OH)D concentration on autoimmune hypothyroidism. Specifically, each 1 SD increase in serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with a 16.34% decrease in the risk of autoimmune hypothyroidism (p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Our results support a suggestive causal effect which was negative in direction across all methods used, meaning that higher genetically predicted vitamin D concentration possibly lowers the odds of having high TSH or autoimmune hypothyroidism. Other thyroid parameters were not causally influenced by vitamin D serum concentration.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for children in custody: An analysis of inspection reports
Authors: Lennox Charlotte , Duncan-Zaleski Martha , Nasim Sahara , Shirley Olivia , Ross Kenny , Chitsabesan Prathiba , Robinson Louise , Shaw Jenny , Leonard Sarah
Published: June 2024

Background

Children in custodial settings are a vulnerable group. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic there were concerns about the safety of children in these settings. COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone but given the vulnerability of children in custody, there were concerns about the impact of COVID-19 restrictions. All custody settings for children are independently inspected and this research aimed to analyse data from inspection reports. Twenty-six inspection reports undertaken between March 2020 and October 2021 were analysed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on delivery of usual care/regime.

Results

Data showed that across all site’s children spent considerable amounts of time isolated and in some cases, this was deemed to amount to solitary confinement. There was evidence of some positive experiences, in the smaller sites, around COVID-19 slowing the pace of life allowing staff and children could foster relationships. However, in the larger sites, isolation was extreme and COVID-19 policies such as ‘bubbles’ appear to have created unintended consequences as sites have moved into recovery, leading to increased violence and stress. COVID-19 directly impacted staffing levels. This and the COVID-19 policies to reduce mixing also had an impact on how children’s behaviour, welfare and safeguarding was managed. In some larger sites, being COVID-19 secure was prioritised over the needs of the children.

Conclusions

This research highlights the importance of multi-site longitudinal research to understand how children, staff and institution’s function. The experiences of children in custody during COVID-19 differed by site type. The research suggests that the larger sites are struggling to keep children safe and there should be a shift towards smaller, more therapeutic environments. More research is needed to understand the longer-term unintended consequences of COVID-19 policy in custody, for these vulnerable children.
The impact of flipping class intervention on reading comprehension: Different approaches and proficiency levels
Authors: Fahmi Arfan , Mukminatien Nur , Ginting Daniel , Kusumaningrum Shirly Rizki
Published: June 2024

Flipped classes can improve English language teaching and learning, especially reading outcomes, by enhancing student engagement and motivation through interactive and captivating educational materials. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of different schema activations in different English flipped class formats in pre-reading activities on the reading comprehension of students with different reading proficiency levels. A quasi-experimental research design was employed involving 30 first-year students from the first university and 28 first-year students from the second university in Surabaya, Indonesia, who were studying English as a general course at an intermediate level. The study used informed consent and two different formats, A and B, where pre-reading tasks were completed in class or asynchronously online, respectively. The study found that using video-based pre-reading activities in flipped class can improve comprehension and schema acquisition. Flipped classes can provide personalized learning experiences, but its effectiveness varies depending on the strategies and delivery methods used. While most students benefit from flipped classes, those who struggle with self-discipline and time management may find it challenging to adapt to the online component and may experience lower performance as a result.
Notas em negrito: contribuições das epistemes afroperspectivistas contra os ruídos coloniais na produção de saberes no campo dos Estudos Críticos do Discurso
Authors: Macedo Litiane Barbosa
Published: June 2024

Neste artigo, apresentamos algumas reflexões acerca das epistemes negras afroperspectivistas e a relevância de aproximá-las aos estudos críticos discursivos a fim de descolonizar este campo de estudo. Inicialmente, para entendermos o que são epistemes afroperspectivistas, discutiremos sobre os saberes corporificados negros a modo de compreender suas potencialidades para descolonização do conhecimento e como na lógica da ciência moderna tais saberes foram invisibilizados. Posteriormente, discutiremos sobre alguns pontos norteadores da afroperspectiva de Noguera (2015,2019), buscando sua interface com os estudos críticos discursivos. Ainda, descrevemos brevemente exemplos de práticas discursivas de resistência e reexistência como produções de conhecimento por pessoas negras com o intuito de ilustrar a materialização discursiva do conhecimento corporificado. Para finalizar, sinalizamos que agir perante a injustiça cognitiva provocada pela colonialidade é um caminho de suma relevância rumo a uma pratica decolonial pois “vai além dos processos que definem as relações de saber, mas que também repensam e ressignificam as estruturas de poder que reduzem, marginalizam e invisibilizam outras práticas e formas de sentir, ver e interpretar o mundo” (Macedo, 2022).
Las variedades lingüísticas y la terminología dialectológica a través del columnismo lingüístico de ayer y hoy
Authors: Rodríguez-Iglesias Ígor
Published: June 2024

Este artículo estudia el tratamiento de las variedades lingüísticas respecto de términos técnicos como dialecto, variedad lingüística y hablas, en las columnas sobre la lengua. El conjunto de columnas analizadas pertenece al corpus METAPRES y, en tal análisis, se han tenido en cuenta dos criterios, tanto el diacrónico como el sincrónico, para estudiar, de un lado, la ideología lingüística en términos de cambio histórico en los columnistas y, por otro lado, las diferentes tendencias de uso de estos términos señalados a la hora de estudiar la diversidad lingüística y el multilingüismo de variedades próximas entre sí. El artículo se estructura en una introducción sobre el columnismo lingüístico y los objetivos del trabajo, así como en la presentación del corpus, la metodología y el análisis de los datos y sus resultados. El autor concluye que la ideología lingüística ha cambiado a lo largo del tiempo, desde una explícita deuda con la tradición gramatical a planteamientos estructuralistas, en los que aún se pueden observar postulados tradicionalistas. Además, se concluye cómo existen dos tendencias a la hora de abordar lo sincrónico, ya que coexisten la tendencia a jerarquizar variedades lingüísticas, entroncando con la ideología lingüística tradicionalista, y la tendencia a describir técnicamente las lenguas, sin establecer tales jerarquías.
Impact of thermal manipulation during embryogenesis on thermotolerance and semen quality of Mandarah roosters exposed to heat stress
Authors: El-Prollosy Ali , Iraqi Ebtsam , Elsayed Nadia , Khalil Hanaa , El-Saadany Amina , El-Sabrout Karim
Published: June 2024

Background and Aim: The management of incubation conditions impacts embryonic development, hatchability, and post-hatch performance. This study aimed to examine the effects of thermal manipulation (TM) during embryonic development on roosters’ thermotolerance, antioxidant activity, immunity, and semen quality under heat-stress conditions.

Materials and Methods: 1200 fertile eggs were distributed evenly between two groups, each containing three replicates (200 eggs/replicate). The first group (G1) was held in the commercial setter with a consistent temperature of 37.5°C and 55% relative humidity (RH) through the 18-day incubation period, acting as a control, while the second group (G2) experienced these conditions until only the 11th day. The eggs were incubated at 39.5°C with 60% RH for 4 h each day from the 12th to the 18th day. From the 19th to 22nd incubation days, both groups maintained a consistent temperature of 37.2°C with a RH of 70%. Two hundred hatched male chicks per treatment group were moved into a closed-system house. All roosters were exposed to a 6-h daily heat challenge with a temperature of 35°C and a humidity of 70% between their 36th and 40th weeks of age.

Results: Roosters of G2 exposed to thermal challenge showed improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in multiple blood biochemical, antioxidant, and immunity markers, including total protein, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, corticosterone, testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, and immunoglobulin A levels. Improved semen quality characteristics, including ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, motility, livability, and quality factor, as well as enhanced thermoregulation in post-hatch cocks, were also achieved (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: To boost antioxidant activity, immunity, thermotolerance, and semen parameters in roosters under heat-stress conditions, TM application during egg incubation, specifically at 12–18 days, is recommended.

Keywords: antioxidant capacity, immunity, incubation temperature, semen characteristics, testosterone, thermotolerance.
Analysis of Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. fruit powder's antioxidant and phytochemical properties
Authors: Ojediran Taiwo Kayode , Alagbe Olujimi John , Victor Durojaye , Adewale Emiola
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and phytochemical properties of Kigelia africana fruit powder. Fresh K. africana fruit was air-dried and processed into powder. K. africana fruit powder contained saponins (35.86 mg/100 g-1), tannins (106.1 mg/100 g-1), phenols (1340.6 mg/100 g-1), flavonoids (985.11 mg/100 g-1), steroids (81.20 mg/100 g-1), glycosides (18.32 mg/100 g-1), triterpenes (90.65 mg/100 g-1), and alkaloids (51.22 mg/100 g-1). The study found that phenolic chemicals were the most concentrated, followed by flavonoids, tannins, triterpenes, steroids, alkaloids, saponins, and glycosides. The antioxidant activities of Kigella africana fruit meal revealed that it contains lipid peroxidation (71.80%), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (56.02%), vitamin C (6.22%), 2,2’-Azino-bis(3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-Sulfonic acid) (ABTS) (26.11%), and hydroxyl radical inhibition (45.92%). Therapeutically, the phytochemicals revealed that K. africana fruit has antihelminthic, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, antifungal, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, hepatoprotective, hepatostimulatory, analgesic, and anticarcinogenic properties. The presence of lipid peroxidation, vitamin C, DPPH, and ABTS in Kigelia africana fruit indicates that it can be employed as an antioxidant supplement in animal diets.
Performance and carcass characteristics of Isa Brown cockerels fed graded levels of dried neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf and bark meal
Authors: Abiola Oyetoro Blessing , Stephen Adedeji Olusegun , Kayode Ojediran Taiwo , Adejoke Rom-Kalilu Fiwasade , Blessing Daniel Modupe
Published: June 2024

The use of synthetic additives has some safety risks, residues, and consumer dissatisfaction. This has led Poultry farmers to prefer the rearing of healthy birds using natural growth and health-promoting natural feed additives. Azadirachta indica (neem leaf and bark) has good potential as feed additives. This study assessed the effect of graded levels of neem leaf and bark meal on the performance and carcass characteristics of ISA Brown cockerels. The study used two hundred and seventy (270) day-old ISA Brown strain cockerels. The birds were randomly allotted to nine dietary treatments of thirty birds each, replicated thrice with ten birds per replicate. The treatments were 0 g Neem leaf meal (NLM) and Neem bark meal (NBM) as control, 2.5 g, 5.0 g, 7.5 g, and 10.0 g NLM/kg feed-1, 2.5 g, 5.0 g, 7.5 g and 10.0 g NBM/kg-1 feed in a Completely Randomized Design. Birds were fed the experimental diets from 1st week to 20th week of age. Daily feed intake (DFI), Daily Weight Gain (WG), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), and carcass weight were evaluated. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model at p = 0.05. Cockerel chickens fed 2.5 g/kg-1 NLM exhibited significantly higher Final Weight (FW), DWG, and ADG during the starter phase compared to the control. In the grower phase, birds fed 5.0 g/kg-1 Neem Bark Meal (NBM) showed significantly heavier FW, DWG, and ADG. Carcass features like wings, thighs, drumsticks, back, breast, head, and neck were similarly affected. At the finisher phase, neem bark meal up to 5.0 g/kg-1 of feed enhanced growth performance. Based on the outcomes of this study, the following conclusions can be drawn: Feeding cockerels with neem bark meal at a rate of up to 5.0 g/kg-1 of feed improved final body weight and resulted in a better feed conversion ratio. However, supplementation with 7.5 g/kg-1 neem leaf meal enhanced carcass characteristics in cockerel chickens.
Introduction: Animal Cultures
Authors: McKay Laura Jean , McEwan Alexandra , Archer-Lean Clare
Published: June 2024

Creative writing, transdisciplinary literary animal studies, and law-anthropology don’t often appear in the same sentence, but this interdisciplinary mingling is where we as editors meet in animal studies. We were particularly enthused by discussions that emerged during the Australasian Animal Studies Conference, held at the University of Sydney in November 2023, providing a rich source from which to consider the conference theme: ‘Animal Cultures’. Keynote speaker, Carol Gigliotti, wondered about the animal cultural research ideas that can be taken with us to ‘make lives better for animals, both wild and captive'.
Mateship with Animals: Writing Nonhuman Animals as Channels for Substitution and Expression
Authors: Tiffany Carrie
Published: June 2024

This paper reflects on my childhood fixation with nonhuman animals and considers my father’s relationship with the family dog as an example of a retreat to a traumatic wound. In my later work as a park ranger, I was confronted by the conditions by which certain nonhuman animals were categorised as those to be culled, or to be cared for. These memories, together with inspiration from Freud’s case studies, informed the writing of my second novel, Mateship with Birds. This novel is interested in what nonhuman animals might represent and where the divisions between nonhuman animal and human experience begin and end. I use psychoanalytic theory to draw attention to the role of nonhuman animals in formulating desire in the text and to explore how they are positioned to fill the gap between need and demand where human desire appears. I am aware that my writing about nonhuman animals does not reveal a great deal about nonhuman animals, but about myself. The nonhuman animals are portals through which I reclaim, reanimate and ultimately re-embody the trauma of my childhood. The novel, and my examination of it, concludes that love in human relationships with nonhuman animals can be a powerful conduit for empathy.
All the Animals: Short Fiction about Multispecies Families
Authors: Tipper Becky
Published: June 2024

The five-part short story ‘All the Animals’ imagines an array of animals who feature in the life of a fictional human family over many years. The story is inspired by qualitative research into human-animal relationships in families with children in Lisbon, Portugal. ‘All the Animals’ aims to offer a fictional ‘thick description’ of multispecies families in a particular time and place, but also to provide a reflection on the role of storytelling in human-animal entanglements.
Cosmopolitan geographic distribution of Phaeosaccion multiseriatum (Phaeosacciaceae, Phaeosacciophyceae), and description of P. westermeieri sp. nov. from Chile
Authors: Peters Akira F. , Muñoz Liliana A. , Johansson Niko R. , Rizouli Anastasia , Guiry Michael D. , Cho Ga Youn , Küpper Frithjof C.
Published: June 2024

The minute marine multicellular heterokont alga originally described as “Giraudyopsis stellifer” by P.J.L. Dangeard, nom. inval., from Atlantic France, was re-isolated by the germling emergence technique and classified according to psaA and psbC sequences. It is genetically similar (99–100 % identity) to Phaeosaccion multiseriatum R.A. Andersen, L. Graf et H.S. Yoon recently described from the NE Pacific, an ephemeral alga of wide geographical distribution. We isolated it also from substratum samples collected in Korea and the Falkland Islands, where it had not been reported previously. Two isolates of similar morphology from the coast of Chile had the same nuclear ribosomal SSU sequence but differed from P. multiseriatum and P. okellyi R.A. Andersen, L. Graf et H.S. Yoon from New Zealand in psaA and psbC sequences (3–4 % genetic distance). These two isolates are here described as Phaeosaccion  westermeieri sp. nov.. Our isolations of P. multiseriatum and P. westermeieri are a further demonstration that the germling emergence technique can reveal microscopic multicellular benthic algae that are easily overlooked in the field.
Study on impact resistance of steel fiber reinforced concrete after exposure to fire
Authors: Wang Wenjie , Zhang Yunpeng , Mo Zonglai , Wei Hong
Published: June 2024

The impact resistance of the steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams after exposure to fire was studied. The SFRC beams were subjected to open flame for 120 min. After cooling to the ambient temperature, the drop-weight impact tests were conducted on the SFRC specimens. The influence of the steel fiber type and fire temperature on the impact-resistant properties was examined. The temperature time history, force time history, and reaction force-deflection curve were obtained. The peak force is discussed and the energy absorption is calculated. The results showed that the influence of steel fiber type on the impact resistance of SFRC was negligible, while the impact resistance and ductility of SFRC decreased significantly after exposure to fire. Compared with the partial fracture of the specimen at room temperature, the specimen after fire showed a more complete fracture under impact load, indicating a larger deflection and more pullout of steel fibers. This means that more friction is needed during the damage process, resulting a higher energy absorption.
Scaffolding instruction in an EFL drama lesson: a systemic functional analysis
Authors: Zhang Dongbing , Wang Jiajia , Song Chengfang
Published: June 2024

This paper presents analyses of an EFL drama lesson at a university in China from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to explore the managing of the complexity of learning tasks through scaffolding instruction. Based on pedagogic activity analysis and exchange structure analysis, we show that scaffolding is achieved through the strategic arrangement of classroom activities and the deployment of the multilingual discourse resource of knowledge and action. First, the evaluation of student acting and/or the elaboration based on it frequently serves to prepare the students for acting in the next learning cycle. Second, modelling and explaining acting are achieved through the teacher taking on the roles of secondary actor and primary knower in non-Task phases. Third, the teacher uses students’ L1 in non-Task phases either to model alternative ways of acting or to explain motivations for particular ways of acting. The observations reported in this study have potential implications for teacher education that focuses on teaching drama in EFL programmes.
Supervised prediction of production patterns using machine learning algorithms
Authors: Kim Jungyeon
Published: June 2024

When an English word ending in a stop is adapted to Korean, a vowel is variably inserted after the final stop: some words always take the epenthetic vowel, and some never do, while some vary between these alternatives. Although there are different linguistic factors that possibly affect this insertion, it is not easy to determine which pattern will be chosen if a new word comes into the borrowing language. This study conducted classification data analyses of production patterns based on machine learning algorithms including support vector machines and random forests. These two classifiers show similar results where vowel tenseness is the best predictor among all the possible predictors. This indicates that vowel tenseness is most influential in classifying the patterns (no vowel insertion, optional vowel insertion, or vowel insertion). Results suggest that while vowel tenseness remains significant, other factors such as stop voicing and stop place also hold some importance, albeit to a lesser degree. The contribution of this study is that it provides insight into the factors that regulate vowel insertion, and these findings support the need for a behavioral experiment to see if the current results can make right predictions with respect to the behavior of nonce items.
Crystal structure of diaqua[bis(μ
2-pyridine 2,6-dicarboxylato) bismuth(III) potassium(I)], C14H10BiKN2O10
Authors: Wei-Hong Lu , Zu-Chen Hong , Jia-Hui Li , Miao Huang
Published: June 2024

C14H10BiKN2O10, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 7.029(8) Å, b = 10.460(9) Å, c = 11.891(9) Å, α = 71.19(2)°, β = 80.57(3)°, γ = 85.18(4)°, V = 815.9(13) Å3, Rgt
(F) = 0.0512, wRref
(F
2) = 0.1410, Z = 2, T = 296(2) K.
Microwear and Plant Residue Analysis in a Multiproxy Approach from Stone Tools of the Middle Holocene of Patagonia (Argentina)
Authors: Cueto Manuel Enrique , Ciampagna María Laura , Capparelli Aylen
Published: June 2024

This study aims to evaluate the functionality of a sample of lithic tools from a multiproxy perspective. The artifacts come from a mid-Holocene hunter-gatherers’ occupation of the La Mesada site in Patagonia. The perspective involves the examination of use-wear traces, hafting wear, and organic micro-residues. The experimental program that supports this perspective is presented. Use-wear traces and organic residues were recognized in the distal portion of the archaeological artifacts. Meanwhile, some tools, in the proximal and middle portion, present alterations attributable to hafting in combination with animal and vegetable residues. The production sequence of a particular artifact design is discussed, with distinctive aspects regarding regional trends. Practices related to plant management were identified that allow the evaluation of mobility circuits and interchange mechanisms of these societies.
Relationships Between Strength and Power With the 74.84-kg (165-lb) and 90.72-kg (200-lb) Body Drags
Authors: Moreno Matthew R. , Dawes J. Jay , Orr Robin M. , Dulla Joseph M. , Lockie Robert G.
Published: June 2024

Moreno, MR, Dawes, JJ, Orr, RM, Dulla, JM, and Lockie, RG. Relationships between strength and power with the 74.84-kg (165-lb) and 90.72-kg (200-lb) body drags. J Strength Cond Res 38(7): 1305–1313, 2024—A body drag is an essential job task in law enforcement. It is purported that strength and power should contribute to this task, but there has been limited analysis. This study examined strength (1-repetition maximum hexagonal bar deadlift [1RM HBD]) and power (vertical jump [VJ], standing broad jump [SBJ]) relationships with the 74.84-kg and 90.72-kg body drags. Forty-three civilians (24 men and 19 women) completed the SBJ, VJ, and 1RM HBD in 1 session. Peak anaerobic power measured in watts (PAPw) was derived from the VJ. Relative measures were calculated from the SBJ, PAPw, and HBD. In another 2 sessions, subjects completed 74.84-kg and 90.72-kg drags in a counterbalanced order using 2 techniques: standard and adapted (time taken to pick dummy up from ground included in time). Independent samples t-tests compared the sexes and subjects who could or could not complete all drags. Partial correlations and stepwise regression, both controlling for sex, examined relationships between strength and power and the drags. In general, men outperformed women in almost all tests (p ≤ 0.024). Thirty-five subjects completed all drags and were stronger and more powerful than subjects who could not (p ≤ 0.011). The SBJ correlated with the 74.84-kg standard (r = −0.355) and 90.72-kg adapted (r = −0.373) drags; the VJ correlated with the 74.84-kg standard drag (r = −0.356). Peak anaerobic power measured in watts and 1RM HBD correlated with all drags (r = −0.382 to −0.668); PAPw was involved in all significant predictive relationships (explained variance = 34–62%). Absolute strength and power training should be a focus for recruits to enhance their ability to perform dragging tasks, especially with heavier masses.