bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transporting Causal Effects Across Populations Using Structural Causal Modeling: An Illustration to Work-from-Home Productivity
Authors: Park Sujin , Tafti Ali , Shmueli Galit
Published: August 2023

Transportability is a structural causal modeling approach aimed at “transporting” a causal effect from a randomized experimental study in one population to a different population where only observational data are available. It allows for extracting much more value from randomized control trials because under some conditions, it allows the estimation of causal effects in a target population where replicating the experiment is difficult, costly, or impossible. Despite the enormous economic and social benefits of transportability, it has thus far seldom been implemented in practice, likely because of the lack guidelines for applying transportability theory in practice and on handling the statistical challenges that might arise. Using a practical problem as an illustration—estimating the effect of telecommuting on worker productivity—we attempt to offer a detailed procedure for transporting a causal effect across different populations, and we discuss some practical considerations for its implementation, including how to conceptualize causal diagrams, determine the feasibility of transport, select an appropriate diagram, and evaluate its credibility. We also discuss the current limitations, challenges, and opportunities for future research on transportability that would make it more amenable for broad practical use.
Network Externalities and Market Dominance
Authors: Akerlof Robert , Holden Richard , Rayo Luis
Published: August 2023

We propose a monopoly and Stackelberg duopoly model for “new economy” markets—with a Beckerian S-shaped demand curve at its center—that allows for intermediate degrees of firm focality and consumer heterogeneity. Because of network externalities, firms compete for the dominant market share, rather than the marginal consumer. This leads to a type of limit pricing—from within, rather than from outside the market—where the nondominant firm captures a positive market share that serves as a consolation prize. We characterize how firms’ technologies, “consumer impulses” (which might be influenced by past sales, defaults, or advertising), and network externalities affect competition, and derive implications for firm strategy. Broadly speaking, we find that the dominant firm should adopt an aggressive “top-dog” stance (akin to, but not identical to, that of a firm seeking to deter rival entry), whereas the nondominant firm should respond with an accommodating “puppy-dog” approach.

This paper was accepted by Alfonso Gambardella, business strategy.

Funding: R. Akerlof received financial support from the Institute for New Economic Thinking.
Phase Transitions in Bandits with Switching Constraints
Authors: Simchi-Levi David , Xu Yunzong
Published: August 2023

We consider the classic stochastic multiarmed bandit problem with a constraint that limits the total cost incurred by switching between actions to be no larger than a given switching budget. For this problem, we prove matching upper and lower bounds on the optimal (i.e., minimax) regret and provide efficient rate-optimal algorithms. Surprisingly, the optimal regret of this problem exhibits a nonconventional growth rate in terms of the time horizon and the number of arms. Consequently, we discover surprising “phase transitions” regarding how the optimal regret rate changes with respect to the switching budget: when the number of arms is fixed, there are equal-length phases, in which the optimal regret rate remains (almost) the same within each phase and exhibits abrupt changes between phases; when the number of arms grows with the time horizon, such abrupt changes become subtler and may disappear, but a generalized notion of phase transitions involving certain new measurements still exists. The results enable us to fully characterize the trade-off between the regret rate and the incurred switching cost in the stochastic multiarmed bandit problem, contributing new insights to this fundamental problem. Under the general switching cost structure, the results reveal interesting connections between bandit problems and graph traversal problems, such as the shortest Hamiltonian path problem.

This paper was accepted by J. George Shanthikumar, data science.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4755 .
A ESCREVIVÊNCIA E O ANIMISMO NO CONTO “NÃO ME DEIXE DORMIR O PROFUNDO DO SONO”, DE CONCEIÇÃO EVARISTO
Authors: Marques miranda Caio Vitor , Trevisan Ana Lúcia
Published: August 2023

O objetivo desse ensaio é analisar o conto “Não me deixe dormir o profundo do sono”, de Conceição Evaristo – cujo tema da pandemia se faz como pano de fundo do enredo – publicado em agosto de 2020, pela revista Piauí, evidenciando o caráter duplo do conto proposto por Ricardo Piglia (2004), ou seja, primeira e segunda história, trazendo à tona, com esta última, as características do projeto literário de Evaristo, intitulado Escrevivências, pelo viés do realismo animista, entendido aqui como uma das vertentes do Insólito Ficcional. Para isso, pautamo-nos em Paradiso (2015), Piglia (2004), Evaristo (2012), autores renomados nessa área.
O SOBRENATURAL SOBRE O NATURAL: A LIMITAÇÃO DA VISÃO CIENTÍFICA NO CONTO “AS FORMIGAS”
Authors: Melo Joaz Silva de
Published: August 2023

A visão de mundo científica-positivista esteve em alta nos círculos mais altos da sociedade no século passado e permanece ainda na atualidade. Pessoas que estão envolvidas com o fazer científico declaram-se claramente céticas a fenômenos sobrenaturais. A literatura, como fator de rompimento, sempre busca contrapor ideias socialmente estabelecidas. No presente artigo, analisamos como a autora Lygia Fagundes Telles, através de seu conto fantástico “As Formigas” traz à tona a discussão sobre insuficiência da visão científica para explicar o mundo. O estudo se deu mediante a pesquisas nas áreas de literatura fantástica e alegoria. O aporte teórico foi fornecido por David Roas (2014), Tzvetan Todorov (2004), Charles Nodier (1989), Karen Volobuef (2000) e Walter Benjamin (2016).
A FANTÁSTICA ESCRITA FEMININA: MARIANA ENRÍQUEZ E A RECONFIGURAÇÃO DO FANTÁSTICO HISPANO-AMERICANO
Authors: Mazzutti Luciana , Ortega Raquel Da Silva
Published: August 2023

A literatura latino-americana ficou marcada, nos anos 1960, pelo momento conhecido como boom latino-americano, em que as produções literárias fantásticas ganharam evidência. Passados mais de 60 anos desse período, recorremos à literatura argentina, como integrante dessa produção literária latino-americana, para discutir o Fantástico em textos contemporâneos. Mais especificamente, este estudo tematiza a releitura do Fantástico na literatura argentina de autoria feminina, a partir dos contos de terror da escritora Mariana Enríquez. Para tanto, nos direcionamos às seguintes questões: De que forma a literatura de Mariana Enríquez apresenta novas configurações ao Fantástico argentino? Como a escrita feminina conduz a uma releitura do Fantástico na literatura argentina? Frente a essas problematizações, objetivamos, de modo geral, discutir a releitura do Fantástico na literatura argentina de autoria feminina, apresentando suas novas configurações e desdobramentos sociais, a partir do estudo de contos que integram a obra da autora: Los peligros de fumar en la cama (2009). Entendemos, nesse sentido, que, partindo de um cenário antecessor prioritariamente masculino, essa autora reinventa e reconfigura o Fantástico, na conjuntura do Insólito, a partir de um olhar feminino, centrado em questões de gênero, com protagonistas mulheres, evidenciando personagens latinas em uma configuração social argentina hispano-americana marcada pelo medo e horror social cotidiano. Enfim, destacamos que a literatura de Enríquez delineia novas configurações ao Fantástico argentino, dada a predominância de personagens femininas e latinas, em que as situações insólitas partem do cotidiano social e histórico envolto em medo, horror e terror para as mulheres na Argentina – consequentemente, e em paralelo, para todas na América do Sul.
TECNOPÓLIO E CONTROLE DO SER SOCIAL
Authors: Fargoni Everton Henrique Eleutério , Zacarias Mayna , Vicente William Augusto
Published: August 2023

Neste artigo ponderamos sobre questões pertinentes que estruturam a sociedade civil que cada vez mais está aparelhada e monopolizada por tecnologias provenientes da tecnociência. O elemento principal desta discussão é o tecnopólio, conceito pouco explorado no circuito científico e no caso brasileiro aparece como uma das contradições que reverberam nos âmbitos político, educacional e social. O tecnopólio tem poder de mudar realidades, não de forma emancipadora, mas de influência, tendo como alvo central o ser social, o trabalhador alienado que reproduz ideologias e inverdades acriticamente. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste artigo é elucidar como o tecnopólio acontece e como essa circunstância de domínio se constitui e repercute na sociedade civil. Para isso, reflexionaremos sobre alguns assuntos temáticos, tais como alienação, escolarização, fake news, ciência e tecnociência.
AVANÇOS E RETROCESSOS NA EDUCAÇÃO ESCOLAR INDÍGENA, DURANTE OS GOVERNOS PT, MICHEL TEMER E BOLSONARO
Authors: Santos Maicon Rodrigues dos
Published: August 2023

Esse trabalho como como objetivo trazer, através de resenha, uma discussão sobre o livro de Gersem Baniwa, Educação Escolar Indígena no Século XXI: encantos e desencantos. No decorrer do texto, serão abordadas informações sobre o autor, sobre o livro; informações sobre a introdução, sobre cada capítulo. O autor não faz a conclusão do livro, mas deixa bem claro que durante a gestão do PT, houve encantos e desencantos. Porém, durante a gestão dos governos Michel Temer e Bolsonaro, a situação foi muito pior, comparando-se aos governos Petistas. Por fim, o autor dessa resenha, faz as suas considerações sobre o texto e a sua indicação.
A EDUCAÇÃO ESCOLAR E AGENCIAMENTOS INDÍGENAS NO VALE DO TOCANTINS-ARAGUAIA
Authors: Azevedo-Lopes Ronnielle
Published: August 2023

O ensaio anseia pensar a escola reivindicada pelos povos indígenas no Vale do Tocantins-Araguaia enquanto agenciamento e transignificação. Quando os Gavião (Akrãtikatêjê, Parkatêjê e Kyikatêjê), os Awaeté (Parakanã), os Suruí-Aikewára, os Guarani de Nova Jacundá-PA, os Kayapó e os Xikrim, entre outros coletivos indígenas, no Vale do Tocantins-Araguaia, na Amazônia Oriental, sobretudo no Sudeste Paraense, demandam educação escolar, enunciam uma escola outra, descolonizada e expressão da diferença. A metodologia deste ensaio é potencializada por pesquisas de corte pós-qualitativo que em sua performatividade intercambia observação participante, pesquisa de campo, etnografias, entrevistas, rodas de conversas, autobiografia, estudo de caso, pesquisa bibliográfica, relatos de experiências e cartografias sociais.
ÍNDICE DE TRANSFORMAÇÃO ANTRÓPICA POR UNIDADES DE PAISAGEM NA BACIA DO MACACU-GUAPIAÇU - RJ
Authors: Da Silva Paola Nogueira , Costa Evelyn de Castro Porto , Seabra Vinicius Da Silva
Published: August 2023

A bacia Macacu-Guapiaçu tem grande importância socioambiental para o estado do Rio de Janeiro, pois é responsável pelo abastecimento de água de grande parte da população do leste metropolitano, além de possuir em seu território extensos remanescentes de Mata Atlântica. Devido à importância dos remanescentes naturais nesta região, este trabalho teve o objetivo de mapear e analisar as transformações antrópicas, por unidades de paisagem, na bacia Macacu-Guapiaçu. O estudo optou em realizar as análises pelas unidades de paisagem da bacia, pois reúne em mesmas classes as paisagens com características físicas semelhantes. Como resultados desta pesquisa foram gerados mapeamentos de unidades de paisagem, a partir de dados físicos; uso e cobertura da terra, a partir de imagens Sentinel 2 por classificação de imagens baseada em objetos (GEOBIA); e índice de transformação antrópica (ITA), por unidades de paisagem.
ANÁLISE COMPARATIVA DE MAPEAMENTOS DO USO E COBERTURA A PARTIR DE IMAGENS LANDSAT-8 E SENTINEL-2 ATRAVÉS DO ALGORITMO RANDOM FOREST NA PLATAFORMA GOOGLE EARTH ENGINE
Authors: Da Silva Rodrigo Gomes , Lira Felipe Fidelis , Pimentel Jonas Ramos , Cruz Carla Bernadete Madureira
Published: August 2023

Com o advento do sensoriamento remoto, surgiram técnicas de mapeamento que contribuíram para o monitoramento e compreensão das mudanças que ocorrem no espaço geográfico, as análises de Cobertura e Uso da Terra aparecem como um estudo indispensável no entendimento dos fenômenos responsáveis por provocar essas mudanças. Itaboraí é um município localizado no leste metropolitano do estado do Rio de Janeiro e, desde o anúncio da implantação do Comperj (Complexo Petroquímico do Rio de Janeiro), a cidade passou por diversas transformações em sua paisagem. Obras de infraestrutura urbana começaram a ser construídas e pessoas de outras cidades passaram a migrar para o município em virtude da demanda de mão-de-obra. O presente trabalho tem como objetivos verificar a precisão de mapeamentos de Cobertura e Uso da Terra dos satélites Landsat 8 (OLI) e Sentinel-2 (MSI) no ano de 2020, a fim de identificar as principais diferenças que podem ser percebidas ao adotar esses diferentes sensores para o município. As classificações foram feitas na plataforma gratuita do Google Earth Engine (GEE). Como resultados foi possível verificar algumas diferenças nas classificações do Landsat 8 (OLI) e do Sentinel-2 (MSI), principalmente nas classes de agropasto e infraestrutura urbana.
20 ANOS DA LEI 10.639/2003: IMPACTOS NA PRÁTICA DE ENSINO DE GEOGRAFIA EM PRÉ-VESTIBULARES POPULARES
Authors: Tinoco de Vasconcelos André
Published: August 2023

O objetivo deste texto é analisar a importância da Lei 10.639/2003, 20 anos após sua aprovação, no combate ao racismo na educação e na sociedade brasileira. Nessa perspectiva, destacaremos o seu papel fundamental na transformação de currículos e abordagens de ensino de Geografia, tendo como foco de análise, o movimento dos cursos Pré-Vestibulares Populares como atores essenciais na luta pela democratização do acesso ao ensino superior. Faremos uma contextualização da Lei 10.639/2003, sua origem e objetivos com base nas obras de Santos (2005), Gomes (2017) entre outros. Em seguida, abordaremos o importante papel dos Cursos Pré-Vestibulares Populares (PVPs) como agentes fundamentais nas lutas pela construção de uma sociedade antirracista e pela defesa da Educação. Para isso utilizamos estudos de autores como Santos (2006) e Vasconcelos (2015). Por fim, estabeleceremos paralelos entre as contribuições da implementação da Lei 10.639 e o movimento dos Pré-Vestibulares Populares no contexto da luta por uma educação antirracista, com ênfase nos impactos no ensino de Geografia.
“UM NEGÃO DESSE TAMANHO”: cacos e currículos cotidianos na trajetória de um professor negro de geografia
Authors: Hozana Vinícius
Published: August 2023

Este artigo se constrói a partir de relatos da minha trajetória ao longo de 16 anos de experiência como professor de geografia nas escolas do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Tem o objetivo de dialogar sobre currículo e ensino de geografia na aplicação da lei 10.639/03. Minha escolha teórico metodológica baseia-se em três conceitos: cotidiano, currere e paradigma indiciário. Assim, venho trilhando meu caminho na escrita acadêmica ressaltando a importância de uma educação antirracista, das múltiplas possibilidades de compreensão e valorização da produção de saberes no cotidiano escolar. Diante disso, neste artigo abordo a impossibilidade de controle do currículo, e a mudança de ótica na observação dos diversos imprevistos que permeiam nosso dia a dia, para que possamos vislumbrar parte da riqueza presente no cotidiano escolar, manifestando-se através da heterogeneidade presente nas escolas. As temáticas abordadas parecem funcionar como gatilhos, rizomas que acionam experiências e saberes dos estudantes e professores, muitas vezes levando as reflexões e os debates para caminhos bem distantes do tema. Ao navegar em um rio anastomosado, muitos são os caminhos para percorrer da nascente a foz. Nos cotidianos os sujeitos estão sempre presentes e o racismo e suas diversas manifestações também. Palavras-chave: Racismo, Estudos do cotidiano, Educação, Antirracista, Geografia.
Membangun Global Halal Hub Indonesia: Strategi dan Peluang untuk Mencapai Kompetitif di Pasar Global
Authors: Istiqlal Fais
Published: August 2023

Abstrak

  Pembangunan Global Halal Hub Indonesia (GHHI) telah menjadi bidang utama untuk pemerintah dalam upaya untuk mendukung ekonomi halal dan meningkatkan pasar global halal. Halal Hub Indonesia adalah solusi untuk membangun jaringan dan mengembangkan layanan yang terintegrasi, yang didukung oleh teknologi, demi membantu meningkatkan standar produk dan perdagangan halal. Artikel ini akan membahas tentang strategi dan peluang GHHI untuk mencapai kompetitif di pasar global. Dari sisi strategis, GHHI akan memanfaatkan sejumlah inisiatif dan layanan untuk mendukung ekonomi halal global. Secara komersial, GHHI sebagai global halal hub akan memampukan pengembangan produk dan layanan terintegrasi untuk mendukung pasar halal global. Artikel ini juga akan membahas potensi, batasan dan tantangan yang dihadapi oleh GHHI dalam mendorong pertumbuhan dan kompetitifnya pasar halal global. Artikel ini berharap agar membantu dalam pemahaman tentang pentingnya GHHI sebagai infrastruktur kunci untuk mendukung komunitas halal global, tertentu dengan mempromosikan model pengembangan setara dengan pasar halal, produksi berbasis sastra e-halal dan pengelolaan aset halal.
Perbandingan Kandungan Gizi Daging Halal dan Haram untuk usia Produktif 19-29 tahun dengan metode Euclidean Distance
Authors: Mustofa Adhimas Nurul , Putri Ilda Zahra Karunia
Published: August 2023

Identifikasi kandungan nilai gizi berbasis data mining untuk 8 variasi daging halal dan haram yang popular di Indonesia. Daging babi menjadi sampel yang mewakili populasi daging haram. Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah untuk membandingkan kualitas daging halal dibandingkan haram. Data kandungan gizi diuji dengan uji statistika Euclidean Distance dibandingkan dengan Angka Kecukupan Gizi pada laki-laki dan perempuan usia 19-29 tahun. Hasil uji statistika Euclidean Distance dari parameter gizi menunjukan bahwa daging domba menempati peringkat pertama yang artinya jarak Euclideannya mendekati standard Angka Kebutuhan Gizi, sedangkan daging babi menempati peringkat terakhir yang artinya jarak Euclideannya jauh dari standard AKG. Urutan peringkat jenis daging konsumsi untuk laki-laki dan perempuan adalah sama. Dibandingkan dengan 7 varian daging halal lainnya, daging babi memiliki peringkat paling rendah. Maka dari itu dapat disimpulkan bahwa daging halal memiliki keunggulan lebih mendekati standar AKG dibandingkan daging babi (haram).
The spectrum of care within a university context: the differing roles of carers in supporting students who self-harm
Authors: Edwards-Bailey Laura , Smyth Nina , Cartwright Tina , Mackenzie Jay-Marie
Published: August 2023

University provides a unique context for carers and care workers; however, there is a paucity of research aimed at understanding experiences of caring, specifically for self-harm, within this setting. This article reports on 24 interviews with informal carers and professional care workers (aged 18–55 years) with experience of supporting students who self-harm during their time at a UK University. Identifying with the role of care, understanding self-harm and the challenges of providing support in a university environment were explored. Findings highlight key areas for universities and student support to address in order to support students, family members and professionals in caring roles.
The good, the bad and the grey areas of care: a review of the anthropology of care in health care
Authors: Schweitzer Erwin , Jaeger Margret
Published: August 2023

Current societal transformations in health care and other fields of care have led to an enormous increase in the number of publications in the anthropology of care. Yet, the field turns out to be fragmented and complex. To provide some orientation, we present results of a scoping review on empirical research on paid care work in health-care settings. We structure our findings according to whether the authors tend to focus on ‘good’, ‘bad’ or ‘grey’ areas of care. Anthropology might contribute to the field of care studies by making aspects of care visible that often remain concealed otherwise.
Ten cases of continuum in language
Authors: Shi Feng , Wang Dazuo
Published: August 2023

Continuum is a one-dimensional pattern with a concise form and the significance of universality. “Prototype Theory” considers the members with the most common characteristics as the core members of one category, and all members of that category share some similar family features. Furthermore, quantum logic revised the classical logic law of “excluded middle” to the law of “included middle”, which provides us with a new perspective in the linguistic study. Based on the above theories and ideas, this paper lists ten cases of continuum in language: 1) the continuum of language similarity; 2) the continuum of word and non-word in Chinese; 3) the continuum of animacy of words in language; 4) the continuum of communicative pressure; 5) the continuum of sentential focus; 6) the vowel-consonant continuum; 7) the continuum of phonation types; 8) the continuum of nasality of sounds; 9) the continuum of r-suffixation; 10) the continuum of words with neutral tone. Continuum is the renewal of academic concepts and research methods, which is of great significance to the synchronic and diachronic study of language.
Generation of 107  W, 1.07  mJ femtosecond pulses from chirped- and divided-pulse Sagnac Yb-fiber amplifiers by suppression of static mode degradation
Authors: Shi Zhuo , Wang Jingshang , Zhang Yao , Wang Junli , Wei Zhiyi , Chang Guoqing
Published: August 2023

We investigate the effect of static mode degradation (SMD) on the power scaling of mJ-level Sagnac Yb-fiber amplifiers. We find that SMD can be effectively suppressed by inserting a polarization-filtering device between two rod-type fibers. Consequently, the resulting amplifier system exhibits improved combining efficiency and average power, and it can deliver 240 fs pulses with 1.07 mJ energy and 107 W average power. This mJ femtosecond source of hundred-watt average power is of particular importance for high-field science applications.
Inverse-designed ultra-compact multi-channel and multi-mode waveguide crossings
Authors: Ma Hansi , Du Te , Jiang Xinpeng , Zhang Zhaojian , He Xin , Chen Huan , Yu Yang , Zhang Zhenfu , Han Yunxin , Yang Junbo , Peng Yuanxi , Fang Liang
Published: August 2023

In this work, we use the inverse design method to design three-channel and four-channel dual-mode waveguide crossings with the design regions of 4.32 µm-wide regular hexagon and 6.68 µm-wide regular octagon, respectively. Based on the highly-symmetric structures, the fundamental transverse electric (TE0) and TE1 modes propagate through the waveguide crossings efficiently. Moreover, the devices are practically fabricated and experimentally characterized. The measured insertion losses and crosstalks of the three-channel and dual-mode waveguide crossing for both the TE0 and TE1 modes are less than 1.8 dB and lower than −18.4 dB from 1540 nm to 1560 nm, respectively. The measured insertion losses of the four-channel and dual-mode waveguide crossing for the TE0 and TE1 modes are less than 1.8 dB and 2.5 dB from 1540 nm to 1560 nm, respectively, and the measured crosstalks are lower than −17.0 dB. In principle, our proposed scheme can be extended to waveguide crossing with more channels and modes.
Ultrafast vortex arrays generated from a mode-locked oscillator with dispersion management
Authors: Guo Pan , Pu Yongjie , Zhu Jie , Li Huinan , Fan Minyu , Wang Sha
Published: August 2023

Herein, we demonstrate the generation of optical vortex arrays pulses using a Sagnac common-path interferometric vortex generator. Hermite–Gaussian (HG) modes with different orders are initially obtained from a SESAM mode-locked laser in the positive dispersion regime. Then, in the interferometric vortex generator, by controlling the phase difference and sheering displacement between two HG modes, optical vortex pulses with different numbers of phase singularities are generated through superposition. The generated HG10 mode has a pulse width of 2 ps and maximum energy of 0.75 nJ. One-dimensional vortex arrays and triangular vortex arrays are also generated, which are formed by HGm0 and HG0n modes, respectively. This work has potential applications in the massive manipulation of microparticles, optical communication, and so on.
Investigating the ability of astrocytes to drive neural network synchrony
Authors: Handy Gregory , Borisyuk Alla
Published: August 2023

Recent experimental works have implicated astrocytes as a significant cell type underlying several neuronal processes in the mammalian brain, from encoding sensory information to neurological disorders. Despite this progress, it is still unclear how astrocytes are communicating with and driving their neuronal neighbors. While previous computational modeling works have helped propose mechanisms responsible for driving these interactions, they have primarily focused on interactions at the synaptic level, with microscale models of calcium dynamics and neurotransmitter diffusion. Since it is computationally infeasible to include the intricate microscale details in a network-scale model, little computational work has been done to understand how astrocytes may be influencing spiking patterns and synchronization of large networks. We overcome this issue by first developing an “effective” astrocyte that can be easily implemented to already established network frameworks. We do this by showing that the astrocyte proximity to a synapse makes synaptic transmission faster, weaker, and less reliable. Thus, our “effective” astrocytes can be incorporated by considering heterogeneous synaptic time constants, which are parametrized only by the degree of astrocytic proximity at that synapse. We then apply our framework to large networks of exponential integrate-and-fire neurons with various spatial structures. Depending on key parameters, such as the number of synapses ensheathed and the strength of this ensheathment, we show that astrocytes can push the network to a synchronous state and exhibit spatially correlated patterns.
Redundant representations are required to disambiguate simultaneously presented complex stimuli
Authors: Johnston W. Jeffrey , Freedman David J.
Published: August 2023

A pedestrian crossing a street during rush hour often looks and listens for potential danger. When they hear several different horns, they localize the cars that are honking and decide whether or not they need to modify their motor plan. How does the pedestrian use this auditory information to pick out the corresponding cars in visual space? The integration of distributed representations like these is called the assignment problem, and it must be solved to integrate distinct representations across but also within sensory modalities. Here, we identify and analyze a solution to the assignment problem: the representation of one or more common stimulus features in pairs of relevant brain regions—for example, estimates of the spatial position of cars are represented in both the visual and auditory systems. We characterize how the reliability of this solution depends on different features of the stimulus set (e.g., the size of the set and the complexity of the stimuli) and the details of the split representations (e.g., the precision of each stimulus representation and the amount of overlapping information). Next, we implement this solution in a biologically plausible receptive field code and show how constraints on the number of neurons and spikes used by the code force the brain to navigate a tradeoff between local and catastrophic errors. We show that, when many spikes and neurons are available, representing stimuli from a single sensory modality can be done more reliably across multiple brain regions, despite the risk of assignment errors. Finally, we show that a feedforward neural network can learn the optimal solution to the assignment problem, even when it receives inputs in two distinct representational formats. We also discuss relevant results on assignment errors from the human working memory literature and show that several key predictions of our theory already have support.
Identification of novel lactic acid bacteria with enhanced protective effects against influenza virus
Authors: Sugimoto Atsushi , Numaguchi Tomoe , Chihama Ryota , Takenaka Yuto , Sato Yuuki
Published: August 2023

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) exert health-beneficial effects by regulating innate immunity in the intestinal tract. Due to growing health awareness, the demand for LAB and studies have focused on identifying beneficial LAB strains is increasing, especially those that stimulate innate immunity. In this study, the LAB strain D279 (NITE_BP-03645, Latilactobacillus sakei) was isolated from among 741 LAB strains that were analyzed for their ability to induce interleukin 12 (IL-12) production and was subsequently characterized. D279 induced the highest expression of IL-12 among the screened LABs. Furthermore, D279 significantly activated antiviral genes and preferentially induced interferon (IFN)λ expression in vitro, which plays a critical role in the epithelial tissue, thereby conferring strong anti-influenza potency without inflammation. However, it decreased the IFNα levels. The administration of pasteurized D279 to mice resulted in strong anti-influenza potency, with higher natural killer (NK) cell activity and a lower viral load in the lung than in the control. Importantly, none of the D279-administered mice were sacrificed during the viral infection tests. These results suggest that D279 administration confers beneficial effects by regulating innate immunity and that it may be relevant for commercial use in the future.
Component of sexual health services for vaginismus management: A qualitative study
Authors: Banaei Mojdeh , Kariman Nourossadat , Ghasemi Vida , Roozbeh Nasibeh , Jahangirifar Maryam
Published: August 2023

Background

Provision of sexual health services requires gender-sensitive management, facilities, and staff, as well as planning for gender-sensitive caregivers and education. Couples suffering from vaginismus face many types of barriers to accessing sexual health services. This qualitative study was conducted to explain the needs of sexual health services in women with primary vaginismus in Iran.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted through the participation of 20 participants including service providers, women with vaginismus and their husbands in 2022, Iran. The samples were selected using purposive sampling method and considering the maximum variation. For data collection, in-depth semi-structured individual interviews were conducted and continued until data saturation was reached. The collected data were analyzed in MAXQDA10 software using conventional content analysis approach based on the criteria proposed by Graneheim and Lundman.

Results

Data analysis led to the emergence of three main themes: 1) Comprehensive preventive sex education which included the three categories of sex education in the education system, premarital sex education through the health system, and sex education through the media with scientific content; 2) Efficient sexual health clinics which included three categories of therapist’s skills, empowerment of sexual therapist, and structural features of sexual health clinics and cultural considerations in establishing sexual health clinics; and 3) Protocol for management and treatment of sexual problems which consisted of sexual education and counseling content, treatment requirements, and sex education approaches.

Conclusion

Based on the results of the study, comprehensive preventive sex education through the education system and the Ministry of Health can improve the attitudes of adolescents and young people. Moreover, it can take a fundamental step in solving sexual problems by providing the infrastructure necessary for the establishment of efficient sexual health clinics and protocols required to manage and treat such problems.
A sub-chronic feeding study of dual toxin insect-resistant transgenic maize (CEMB-413) on Wistar rats
Authors: Liaqat Ayesha , Salisu Ibrahim Bala , Bakhsh Allah , Ali Qasim , Imran Ayesha , Ali Muhammad Azam , Farooq Abdul Munim , Rao Abdul Qayyum , Shahid Ahmad Ali
Published: August 2023

Genetically modified (GM) crops expressing insecticidal crystal proteins are widely accepted worldwide, but their commercial utilization demands comprehensive risk assessment studies. A 90-day risk assessment study was conducted on Wistar rats fed with GM maize (CEMB-413) expressing binary insect-resistant genes (cry1Ac and cry2Ab) at low (30%) and high (50%) dose along with a control diet group. The study used fifty Wistar rats randomly distributed in five treatment groups. Our study revealed that compared to controls, GM diet had no adverse effects on animal’s health, including body weight, food consumption, clinical pathological parameters, serum hormone levels and histological parameters of testes and ovaries of rats. Differences were observed in transcripts levels of fertility related genes, but these were independent of treatment with GM diet.
Assessing the spatial structure of the association between attendance at preschool and children’s developmental vulnerabilities in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Areed Wala Draidi , Price Aiden , Arnett Kathryn , Thompson Helen , Malseed Reid , Mengersen Kerrie
Published: August 2023

Demographic and educational factors are essential, influential factors of early childhood development. This study aimed to investigate spatial patterns in the association between attendance at preschool and children’s developmental vulnerabilities in one or more domain(s) in their first year of full-time school at a small area level in Queensland, Australia. This was achieved by applying geographically weighted regression (GWR) followed byK-means clustering of the regression coefficients. Three distinct geographical clusters were found in Queensland using the GWR coefficients. The first cluster covered more than half of the state of Queensland, including the Greater Brisbane region, and displays a strong negative association between developmental vulnerabilities and attendance at preschool. That is, areas with high proportions of preschool attendance tended to have lower proportions of children with at least one developmental vulnerability in the first year of full-time school. Clusters two and three were characterized by stronger negative associations between developmental vulnerabilities, English as the mother language, and geographic remoteness, respectively. This research provides evidence of the need for collaboration between health and education sectors in specific regions of Queensland to update current service provision policies and to ensure holistic and appropriate care is available to support children with developmental vulnerabilities.
Reconstructing past migratory behaviour of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus): Insights from geometric morphometric analysis of proximal phalanx morphology from extant caribou populations
Authors: Galán López Ana Belén , Pelletier Maxime , Discamps Emmanuel
Published: August 2023

Reindeer mobility patterns vary widely in modern ecosystems, notably between more open or more wooded environments. This renders the reconstruction of past reindeer mobility patterns challenging, while being at the same time key if archaeologists want to better understand the role that reindeer herds played in the subsistence and territorial organisation of Prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies. Studying the morphology associated with different habitats and mobility patterns can be a useful method for understanding past reindeer behaviour. To access paleoecological information, the relationship between locomotor anatomy and substrate type can be explored in modern animals and transposed to the past, as previous studies have proven that an animal´s environment affects bone morphology. In this study, 3D Geometric Morphometrics are used to explore the impact of extant reindeer habitat type and mobility pattern on phalanx morphology. Results obtained reflects on the potential archaeological application of such an approach for paleoecological reconstructions. Size and shape of phalanx vary significantly, yet complex to interpret in light of interplaying factors such as subspecies, sexual dimorphism and the influence of migration costs, snow cover and substrate type. If direct application to the archaeological record remains preliminary, this first study permits to highlight promising avenues for future research.
Small molecule inhibitor of tau self-association in a mouse model of tauopathy: A preventive study in P301L tau JNPL3 mice
Authors: Davidowitz Eliot J. , Lopez Patricia , Jimenez Heidy , Adrien Leslie , Davies Peter , Moe James G.
Published: August 2023

Advances in tau biology and the difficulties of amyloid-directed immunotherapeutics have heightened interest in tau as a target for small molecule drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we evaluated OLX-07010, a small molecule inhibitor of tau self-association, for the prevention of tau aggregation. The primary endpoint of the study was statistically significant reduction of insoluble tau aggregates in treated JNPL3 mice compared with Vehicle-control mice. Secondary endpoints were dose-dependent reduction of insoluble tau aggregates, reduction of phosphorylated tau, and reduction of soluble tau. This study was performed in JNPL3 mice, which are representative of inherited forms of 4-repeat tauopathies with the P301L tau mutation (e.g., progressive supranuclear palsy and frontotemporal dementia). The P301L mutation makes tau prone to aggregation; therefore, JNPL3 mice present a more challenging target than mouse models of human tau without mutations. JNPL3 mice were treated from 3 to 7 months of age with Vehicle, 30 mg/kg compound dose, or 40 mg/kg compound dose. Biochemical methods were used to evaluate self-associated tau, insoluble tau aggregates, total tau, and phosphorylated tau in the hindbrain, cortex, and hippocampus. The Vehicle group had higher levels of insoluble tau in the hindbrain than the Baseline group; treatment with 40 mg/kg compound dose prevented this increase. In the cortex, the levels of insoluble tau were similar in the Baseline and Vehicle groups, indicating that the pathological phenotype of these mice was beginning to emerge at the study endpoint and that there was a delay in the development of the phenotype of the model as originally characterized. No drug-related adverse effects were observed during the 4-month treatment period.
Artificial intelligence directed development of a digital twin to measure soft tissue shift during head and neck surgery
Authors: Männle David , Pohlmann Jan , Monji-Azad Sara , Hesser Jürgen , Rotter Nicole , Affolter Annette , Lammert Anne , Kramer Benedikt , Ludwig Sonja , Huber Lena , Scherl Claudia
Published: August 2023

Digital twins derived from 3D scanning data were developed to measure soft tissue deformation in head and neck surgery by an artificial intelligence approach. This framework was applied suggesting feasibility of soft tissue shift detection as a hitherto unsolved problem. In a pig head cadaver model 104 soft tissue resection had been performed. The surface of the removed soft tissue (RTP) and the corresponding resection cavity (RC) was scanned (N = 416) to train an artificial intelligence (AI) with two different 3D object detectors (HoloLens 2; ArtecEva). An artificial tissue shift (TS) was created by changing the tissue temperature from 7,91±4,1°C to 36,37±1,28°C. Digital twins of RTP and RC in cold and warm conditions had been generated and volumes were calculated based on 3D surface meshes. Significant differences in number of vertices created by the different 3D scanners (HoloLens2 51313 vs. ArtecEva 21694, p<0.0001) hence result in differences in volume measurement of the RTC (p = 0.0015). A significant TS could be induced by changing the temperature of the tissue of RC (p = 0.0027) and RTP (p = <0.0001). RC showed more correlation in TS by heating than RTP with a volume increase of 3.1 μl or 9.09% (p = 0.449). Cadaver models are suitable for training a machine learning model for deformable registration through creation of a digital twin. Despite different point cloud densities, HoloLens and ArtecEva provide only slightly different estimates of volume. This means that both devices can be used for the task.TS can be simulated and measured by temperature change, in which RC and RTP react differently. This corresponds to the clinical behaviour of tumour and resection cavity during surgeries, which could be used for frozen section management and a range of other clinical applications.
Heuristic-enabled active machine learning: A case study of predicting essential developmental stage and immune response genes in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Aromolaran Olufemi Tony , Isewon Itunu , Adedeji Eunice , Oswald Marcus , Adebiyi Ezekiel , Koenig Rainer , Oyelade Jelili
Published: August 2023

Computational prediction of absolute essential genes using machine learning has gained wide attention in recent years. However, essential genes are mostly conditional and not absolute. Experimental techniques provide a reliable approach of identifying conditionally essential genes; however, experimental methods are laborious, time and resource consuming, hence computational techniques have been used to complement the experimental methods. Computational techniques such as supervised machine learning, or flux balance analysis are grossly limited due to the unavailability of required data for training the model or simulating the conditions for gene essentiality. This study developed a heuristic-enabled active machine learning method based on a light gradient boosting model to predict essential immune response and embryonic developmental genes inDrosophila melanogaster. We proposed a new sampling selection technique and introduced a heuristic function which replaces the human component in traditional active learning models. The heuristic function dynamically selects the unlabelled samples to improve the performance of the classifier in the next iteration. Testing the proposed model with four benchmark datasets, the proposed model showed superior performance when compared to traditional active learning models (random sampling and uncertainty sampling). Applying the model to identify conditionally essential genes, four novel essential immune response genes and a list of 48 novel genes that are essential in embryonic developmental condition were identified. We performed functional enrichment analysis of the predicted genes to elucidate their biological processes and the result evidence our predictions. Immune response and embryonic development related processes were significantly enriched in the essential immune response and embryonic developmental genes, respectively. Finally, we propose the predicted essential genes for future experimental studies and use of the developed tool accessible athttp://heal.covenantuniversity.edu.ngfor conditional essentiality predictions.
A 104-Ma record of deep-sea Atelostomata (Holasterioda, Spatangoida, irregular echinoids) – a story of persistence, food availability and a big bang
Authors: Wiese Frank , Schlüter Nils , Zirkel Jessica , Herrle Jens O. , Friedrich Oliver
Published: August 2023

Deep-sea macrobenthic body fossils are scarce due to the lack of deep-sea sedimentary archives in onshore settings. Therefore, hypothesized migrations of shallow shelf taxa into the deep-sea after phases of mass extinction (onshore-offshore pattern in the literature) due to anoxic events is not constrained by the fossil record. To resolve this conundrum, we investigated 1,475 deep-sea sediment samples from the Atlantic, Pacific and Southern oceans (water depth ranging from 200 to 4,700 m), providing 41,460 spine fragments of the crown group Atelostomata (Holasteroida, Spatangoida). We show that the scarce fossil record of deep-sea echinoids is in fact a methodological artefact because it is limited by the almost exclusive use of onshore fossil archives. Our data advocate for a continuous record of deep-sea Atelostomata back to at least 104 Ma (late early Cretaceous), and literature records suggest even an older age (115 Ma). A gradual increase of different spine tip morphologies from the Albian to the Maastrichtian is observed. A subsequent, abrupt reduction in spine size and the loss of morphological inventory in the lowermost Paleogene is interpreted to be an expression of the “Lilliput Effect”, related to nourishment depletion on the sea floor in the course of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) Boundary Event. The recovery from this event lasted at least 5 Ma, and post-K-Pg Boundary Event assemblages progress—without any further morphological breaks—towards the assemblages observed in modern deep-sea environments. Because atelostomate spine morphology is often species-specific, the variations in spine tip morphology trough time would indicate species changes taking place in the deep-sea. This observation is, therefore, interpreted to result from in-situ evolution in the deep-sea and not from onshore-offshore migrations. The calculation of the “atelostomate spine accumulation rate” (ASAR) reveals low values in pre-Campanian times, possibly related to high remineralization rates of organic matter in the water column in the course of the mid-Cretaceous Thermal Maximum and its aftermath. A Maastrichtian cooling pulse marks the irreversible onset of fluctuating but generally higher atelostomate biomass that continues throughout the Cenozoic.