bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal Characteristics of Infant Vocalization during Interaction with Adults
Authors: Jeong Yulim , Ha Seunghee
Published: April 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the temporal characteristics of infant vocalizations during interactions with adults in natural home environments.Methods: One day LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) recordings were collected from 20 infants aged 6 and 12 months. The collected data were analyzed by selecting 20 5-mintue intervals in the order of highest CTCs (conversational turn counts). In the analysis unit of turn-taking, interactions in which the infant responded within 0.05 seconds to 3 seconds after the adult spoke directly to the infant were regarded as one analysis unit. The temporal characteristics of infant vocalization during interactions with adults were examined through infants’ Vocalization response ratio. The temporal characteristics of infant vocalization in interactions with adults were examined by the after adults’ infant-directed speech (IDS), latency of vocalization response and overlapping vocalization ratio.Results: Infants’ Vocalization response ratio following IDS in adults did not differ significantly between the two age groups. Infants’ Vocalization response latencies increased significantly with age from 6 to 12 months. Overlapping vocalization ratio showed a significant decrease with increasing age.Conclusion: This study supports that as infants grow, they acquire temporal turn-taking skills. It also suggests that the temporal characteristics of infant vocalizations during interactions with adults may be a useful to predict infants’ language development.
An exploration of managing emotional labour and maintaining professional integrity in children's hospice nursing
Authors: Brimble Mandy J , Anstey Sally , Davies Jane , Dunn Catherine
Published: April 2024

Background:

Research exploring nurse-parent relationships in children's hospices is rare.

Aim:

To investigate how children's hospice nurses manage emotional labour and professional integrity in their long-term relationships with parents.

Methods:

A purposive sample of six children's nurses, from hospices across England, recorded audio diaries and participated in telephone interviews. Narratives were thematically analysed.

Findings:

Three overarching, cross-cutting themes were identified—purposeful positioning; balancing personability and professionalism; coping with and counterbalancing emotional labour. All themes were indicative of and/or built upon emotional intelligence constructs, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, appropriate (managed) empathy, social skills and intrinsic motivation. Innate features of children's hospice work were important for perpetuating intrinsic motivation and satisfaction.

Conclusion:

This study provided an insight into the management of emotional labour and professional integrity by experienced children's hospice nurses. The identification of emotional intelligence skills merits further exploration in this environment, as well as other children's palliative care settings.
The incidence of surgical intervention following a suspected scaphoid fracture
Authors: Ryan Paul J. , Duckworth Andrew D. , McEachan Jane E. , Jenkins Paul J.
Published: April 2024

Aims

The underlying natural history of suspected scaphoid fractures (SSFs) is unclear and assumed poor. There is an urgent requirement to develop the literature around SSFs to quantify the actual prevalence of intervention following SSF. Defining the risk of intervention following SSF may influence the need for widespread surveillance and screening of SSF injuries, and could influence medicolegal actions around missed scaphoid fractures.

Methods

Data on SSF were retrospectively gathered from virtual fracture clinics (VFCs) across a large Scottish Health Board over a four-year period, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021. The Bluespier Electronic Patient Record System identified any surgical procedure being undertaken in relation to a scaphoid injury over the same time period. Isolating patients who underwent surgical intervention for SSF was performed by cross-referencing the unique patient Community Health Index number for patients who underwent these scaphoid procedures with those seen at VFCs for SSF over this four-year period.

Results

In total, 1,739 patients were identified as having had a SSF. Five patients (0.28%) underwent early open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). One patient (0.06%) developed a nonunion and underwent ORIF with bone grafting. All six patients undergoing surgery were male (p = 0.005). The overall rate of intervention following a SSF was 0.35%. The early intervention rate in those undergoing primary MRI was one (0.36%), compared with three in those without (0.27%) (p > 0.576).

Conclusion

Surgical intervention was rare following a SSF and was not required in females. A primary MRI policy did not appear to be associated with any change in primary or secondary intervention. These data are the first and largest in recent literature to quantify the prevalence of surgical intervention following a SSF, and may be used to guide surveillance and screening pathways as well as define medicolegal risk involved in missing a true fracture in SSFs.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(4):312–316.
A Passive Adaptive Metamaterial Radome based on PIN Diodes
Authors: Ge Ting-Ting , Li Ming-Shun , Song Wei , Xu Kai-Jiang , Xing Ke-Xin , Sheng Xin-Qing
Published: April 2024

Automatic protection of EM detecting systems from unexpected high-power incidence is important to the robustness and life of a passive detecting system. In this paper, an adaptive metamaterial radome which automatically shields the receiving antenna from strong incident wave is designed. Based on standard wire medium, PIN diodes are added between adjacent wires. When the incident EM wave is weak, the diodes are in “off” state and affect little to the transmission of the wire medium. When the incident EM wave is strong enough to turn the diodes to “on” state, electric currents will be automatically formed in the diodes and the power transmitted to the antenna will be largely reduced. The adaptive transmission of the proposed radome is validated by the simulation and measurement results.
Uncertainty Quantification and Optimal Design of EV-WPT System Efficiency based on Adaptive Gaussian Process Regression
Authors: Shang Xinlei , Xu Linlin , Yu Quanyi , Li Bo , Lv Gang , Chi Yaodan , Wang Tianhao
Published: April 2024

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is a safe, convenient, and intelligent charging solution for electric vehicles. To address the problem of the susceptibility of transmission efficiency to large uncertainties owing to differences in coil and circuit element processing and actual driving levels, this study proposes the use of adaptive Gaussian process regression (aGPR) for the uncertainty quantification of efficiency. A WPT system efficiency aGPR surrogate model is constructed with a set of selected small-sample data, and the confidence interval and probability density function of the transmission efficiency are predicted. Finally, the reptile search algorithm is used to optimize the structure of the WPT system to improve efficiency.
„Königreich des Hochdeutschen“ – Die Tradierung des Hochdeutsch-Mythos in Hannover
Authors: Ikenaga Hana , Ehrlich Stefan , Conrad François
Published: April 2024

There is a myth that says that the best standard German nationwide is spoken in Hanover. This article deals with the transmission of this myth in public discourse within the city of Hanover itself. The textual testimonies found (for example, on homepages, in literary works, or in advertising) were categorized according to different groups of people as well as economic and governmental institutions, and grouped into narrative patterns. This captured the knowledge and attitudes regarding the topos and revealed dominant thinking patterns. The results show that the myth is strongly anchored in the Hanoverian public in a variety of ways: sometimes it is propagated as fact, at other times it is toned down as hearsay; some perceive it as a trademark of Hanover, others view it critically against the background of the former city dialect (“Hannöversch”).
Plau, krau und krün? – Zur Verteilung und Variation der anlautenden Fortisierung von Plosiven vor Sonoranten
Authors: Vorberger Lars
Published: April 2024

Starting with two written examples and new insights into regional language research, this article examines the phenomenon of fortition (Fortisierung) of lenis plosives in the initial consonant cluster before sonorant (e. g. [tʁ̊a̠͡ɛ] drei ‘three’). Based on the data of the research project Regionalssprache.de (REDE) (82 locations, speakers of 3 generations, 2 settings), the distribution of this feature is examined in more detail. It can be shown that the frequency of fortition varies significantly depending on the combination of sounds, the generation and the region. It is to be classified as a new and primarily Central German feature.
Eine empirische Studie zum syntaktischen Status der niederdeutschen Pseudokoordination
Authors: Kakuchi Nobuharu
Published: April 2024

In the so-called pseudocoordination two verbs show congruence as in normal coordination while referring to a single event. This article deals with the syntactic status of the pseudocoordination in Low German by means of an empirical survey. According to the results of the survey, most aspectual verbs are accepted as first verb, but the absentive verb and the cessative verb are not accepted. Moreover, in this construction the object cannot be moved leftward, which is possible in Swedish pseudocoordination. To explain its syntactic behaviour, this article hypothesizes that the pseudocoordination in Low German does not involve complementation and that aspectual verbs in Low German can stand independently.
Clytus Gottwald * 20. November 1925, † 18. Januar 2023
Authors: Limbeck Sven
Published: April 2024

Nachruf
Una lectura en contrapunto de Wide Sargasso Sea y La migration des coeurs
Authors: Montero Barra Greta
Published: April 2024

El presente estudio es una lectura en contrapunto entre dos novelas que se plantean como reescritura de las conocidas obras canónicas inglesas de las hermanas Brontë, Jane Eyre y Wuthering Heights. A saber: Wide Sargasso Sea (1966), de Jean Rhys, y La migration des coeurs (1995), de Maryse Condé. Estas reescrituras son proyectos escriturales que cuestionan las concepciones socioculturales europeas dominantes. Las dos novelas, en líneas generales, son reelaboraciones que obedecen a un proyecto de resistencia frente a la ideología imperialista. Planteamos que sus novelas resignifican aquellos juicios y criterios condicionados culturalmente, tales como la posición subordinada de la mujer en el entorno familiar, su dependencia económica y su determinismo en la jerarquización social, según el origen y la raza.
La tela de la lengua: Tomás Saraceno y la construcción de un universalismo arácnido, háptico, geológico
Authors: Horne Luz
Published: April 2024

En La communauté terrestre (2023), Achille Mbembe nos dice que en el mundo contemporáneo estamos en una nueva era en la que, por primera vez en la historia, compartimos un destino en el que no se podrán levantar fronteras políticas para la toxicidad del agua que bebemos y del aire que respiramos. Esto reclama —nos dice— la invención de una nueva lengua terrestre. Este ensayo toma el proyecto artístico de Tomás Saraceno enfocándose en sus exhibiciones en las que involucra a las arañas y en el proyecto que se desprende de allí: Arachnophilia, una red multidisciplinaria de investigación sobre las arañas. En estas obras surge un nuevo tipo de universalismo que, lejos de la abstracción nominal, recurre a lo material, a lo sensible, a lo háptico y lo vibracional para nombrar lo común y lo interespecie. Así, surge una nueva lengua —una lengua textil, una lengua geológica— y la esfera estética (sensible) se vuelve un sitio filosófico-político desde donde pensar la comunidad terrestre.
Patitas de insectos en medio de las páginas: la zoopoética entomológica de Eduardo Chirinos en tres de sus poemas
Authors: Rosas-Romero Sergio I.
Published: April 2024

La obra de Eduardo Chirinos (1960-2016), a pesar de la exigua atención crítica que ha recibido en los últimos años, es sumamente relevante al momento de aproximarse a la representación poética de todo tipo de animales, especialmente de los insectos. En este artículo, hago un repaso de las teorías y conceptos más importantes del campo de los estudios animales, para así proponer una lectura zoopoética de la obra del autor peruano en tres poemas pertenecientes a dos poemarios de 2013: 35 lecciones de biología (y tres crónicas didácticas) y Coloquio de los animales. El concepto de zoopoética, estudiado por Aaron Moe, Kári Driscoll y Eva Hoffmann, entre otros, sostiene que los animales no son solamente sujetos simbólicos que se prestan a metaforizaciones y otros recursos retóricos, sino que también son agentes de representación activos dentro del texto literario, donde su animalidad entra en diálogo con la desnudez animal del propio ser humano, en palabras de Derrida. Bajo esta perspectiva, la obra de Chirinos puede interpretarse como una compleja red zoopoética, donde los insectos contribuyen creativamente a la producción de su poesía, pensamiento y visión de mundo.
Desbroces significativos: paisajes negociados entre humanos y hormigas en el Brasil del siglo XIX
Authors: De Carvalho Cabral Diogo
Published: April 2024

Este artículo explora los conflictos entre las personas y las hormigas cortadoras de hojas Atta a partir de lo que significó la deforestación antropogénica en el Brasil del siglo XIX. Las hormigas siguieron en su avance a los emplazamientos agrícolas humanos, recolectando hojas, flores, frutos y otras partes de plantas de los sembrados para abastecer sus propios cultivos subterráneos de hongos. De esta forma, las hormigas, en tanto seres semióticos, interpretaron la conducta humana y actuaron en consecuencia, generando en el proceso un cambio ambiental con implicaciones históricas. Un examen de las fuentes primarias que siguen el diálogo entre humanos y hormigas ―legislaciones, diarios de viaje, manuales agrícolas, documentación administrativa gubernamental y periódicos— demuestra cómo la búsqueda de sentido entre especies ha impulsado innovaciones y reordenamientos sociales, dando forma a desarrollos técnicos, prácticas jurídico-administrativas, debates parlamentarios, e incluso espacios electorales locales. Al tomar los documentos escritos como registros sobrevivientes de esos diálogos tácitos, más que simbólicos, este análisis se inspira y contribuye a fundamentar lo que Ewa Domanska ha denominado un enfoque de «coautoría multiespecies» para el examen de las relaciones entre humanos y animales. Se sostiene que esta postura teórico-metodológica permite a los historiadores ambientales explicar las agencias no-humanas mediante la exploración de un comportamiento verdaderamente creativo de los animales, en lugar de uno meramente pasivo.
Relations of care and affirmative disruptions in academia: A conversation with Katie Strom
Authors: Forte Magali , Barreiro Jacky , Strom Kathryn
Published: April 2024

This article features an intra-view with critical posthumanist Professor Kathryn (Katie) Strom and the co-editors of the intra-view section of this journal Jacky Barreiro and Magali Forte. Throughout their conversation, Strom shares her determination to co-create relations of care and affirmative disruptions in the neoliberal context of academia while giving concrete examples and explaining how her feminist praxis evolved. The three authors discuss several initiatives Strom and others have implemented, inspired by Braidotti’s (2019) notion and praxis of affirmative ethics among other feminist scholarship, to create spaces of support for graduate students and early career scholars. This piece encourages readers to view and understand feminist processes as affirmative disruptions to foster affective flows, challenge conventions, and inspire innovative scholarly pursuits.
Henri Bergson and New Materialism
Authors: Lovasz Adam
Published: April 2024

Henri Bergson’s Matter and Memorypresents a panpsychist ontology. Bergson pushes the dualism of mind and matter to breaking point. Matter is reconceived as the sum of all images. Idealism and deterministic materialism are bypassed. We get an indeterministic and emancipative model of the world. The idea that matter is inherently creative and endowed with both perception and memory is highly relevant today. Materiality, far from being dead or passive, is equipped with agency. Bergson’s themes coincide with the concerns of contemporary New Materialism. Authors working in the latter school explicitly cite Bergson as a key influence. Bergson can help us understand what “newness” means in New Materialism. That being said, recent scholarship has pointed to certain unpalatable political implications of Bergson’s works, in particular the anthropological premises of Two Sources of Morality and Religion. In my article, I seek to address such critiques. In my view, by reading Bergson ontologically as a New Materialist process philosophy, some of the unfortunate cultural and ideological presuppositions Bergson did not reflect upon may be ameliorated to a great extent.
The Archive as a World-Making Apparatus in the Anthropocene
Authors: Galati Gabriela
Published: April 2024

This text aims to explore the archive as a powerful force that shapes life. Consequently, it seeks to develop an ethical framework for the archive from a feminist perspective. De-extinction can be linked to the archive as a stabilizing apparatus and a scene of responsibility (Wolfe 2018) that entails our ethical commitment to acknowledge the radical passivity of those who no longer exist in this world, both as individuals and species. This scene of responsibility is intertwined with the agency of the archive. In other words, the archive acts as a life-creating apparatus by shaping the conditions for reading, the future, and, to some extent, reality itself. By establishing the foundations for an ethics of the archive as a practice that creates life, this text aims to reframe the discourse surrounding extinction and de-extinction.
Automating task design: bridging the gap between second language research and L2 instruction
Authors: Castellví Joan , Gilabert Guerrero Roger , Comelles Pujadas Elisabet
Published: April 2024

The present study addresses the issue of the transfer from second language acquisition (SLA) research to second and foreign language (L2) instruction, particularly within the context of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). The main goal of this article is to show how technology, particularly the web-based tool taskGen (https://taskgen.eu), which primarily serves to create teaching materials, also functions as a mediator for transfer and provides valuable information on teaching practices, teachers' needs, pedagogical strategies, and L2 task design. This article is organised as follows. Firstly, a web-based tool that assists and trains teachers in L2 task design is presented, along with the instantiation and integration of natural language processing (NLP) resources in the tool; later, we show how quantitative information obtained from the massive use of the tool through data analytics can be combined with qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, think aloud protocols, questionnaires, case studies, and transcripts to generate research. Automatic (quantitative) data collection gathers information of the teaching contexts, task aims, task flow structures, focus on form options, and the access and time on help files. Not only does the collected information feed back to the tool, but it also contributes to understanding teachers' design choices and patterns, and to exploring the intersection between SLA and TBLT theory and task design practises. Qualitative analysis is being conducted and oriented toward teachers’ experiences during task design. Finally, we present the future lines of research that we anticipate will be carried out with the further use and development of taskGen.
Fiber-optic gyroscope for rotational seismic ground motion monitoring of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area
Authors: Capezzuto Marialuisa , Gaudiosi Guido , Nardone Lucia , D’Alema Ezio , D’Ambrosio Davide , Manzo Roberto , Giorgini Antonio , Malara Pietro , De Natale Paolo , Gagliardi Gianluca , Santamaria Amato Luigi , Galluzzo Danilo , Avino Saverio
Published: April 2024

The real-time monitoring of densely populated areas with high seismic and volcanic risk is of crucial importance for the safety of people and infrastructures. When an earthquake occurs, the Earth surface experiences both translational and rotational motions. The latter are usually not monitored, but their measurement and characterization are essential for a full description of the ground motion. Here we present preliminary observational data of a high-sensitivity rotational sensor based on a 2-km-long fiber-optic Sagnac gyroscope, presently under construction in the middle of the Campi Flegrei Volcanic Area (Pozzuoli, Italy). We have evaluated its performance by analyzing data continuously recorded during an acquisition campaign of five months. The experimental setup was composed of a digital nine-component seismic station equipped with both a rotational sensor and conventional seismic sensors (seismometers, accelerometers, and tiltmeters). During this experiment we detected seismic noise and ground rotations wavefield induced by small to medium local earthquakes (M
D
<3). The prototype gyroscope shows a very promising sensitivity in the range of 5×10−7−8×10−9rad/s/Hz over the frequency bandwidth 5 mHz–50 Hz. Future upgrades and perspectives are discussed.
Dual-channel air-pulse optical coherence elastography for frequency-response analysis
Authors: Song Chengjin , He Weichao , Feng Jinping , Twa Michael D. , Huang Yanping , Xu Jingjiang , Qin Jia , An Lin , Wei Xunbin , Lan Gongpu
Published: April 2024

Microliter air-pulse optical coherence elastography (OCE) has recently been proposed for the characterization of soft-tissue biomechanics using transient, sub-nanometer to micrometer-scale natural frequency oscillations. However, previous studies have not been able to provide real-time air-pulse monitoring during OCE natural frequency measurement, which could lead to inaccurate measurement results due to the unknown excitation spectrum. To address this issue, we introduce a dual-channel air-pulse OCE method, with one channel stimulating the sample and the other being simultaneously measured with a pressure sensor. This allows for more accurate natural frequency characterization using the frequency response function, as proven by a comprehensive comparison under different conditions with a diverse range of excitation spectra (from broad to narrow, clean to noisy) as well as a diverse set of sample response spectra. We also demonstrate the capability of the frequency-response analysis in distinguishing samples with different stiffness levels: the dominant natural frequencies increased with agar concentrations (181–359 Hz, concentrations: 1–2%, and maximum displacements: 0.12–0.47 µm) and intraocular pressures (IOPs) for the silicone cornea (333–412 Hz, IOP: 5–40 mmHg, and maximum displacements: 0.41–0.52 µm) under a 200 Pa stimulation pressure. These frequencies remained consistent across different air-pulse durations (3 ms to 35 ms). The dual-channel OCE approach that uses transient, low-pressure stimulation and high-resolution imaging holds the potential to advance our understanding of sample frequency responses, especially when investigating delicate tissues such as the human cornea in vivo.
Towards improved 3D reconstruction of cystoscopies through real-time feedback for frame reacquisition
Authors: Eimen Rachel , Pillai Mayaank , Scarpato Kristen R. , Bowden Audrey K.
Published: April 2024

Cystoscopic video can be cumbersome to review; however, preservation of data in the form of 3D bladder reconstructions has the potential to improve patient care. Unfortunately, not all cystoscopy videos produce viable reconstructions, because their underlying frames contain artifacts such as motion blur and bladder debris, which consequently make them unusable for 3D reconstructions. Here, we develop a real-time pipeline, termed the Assessment and Feedback Pipeline (AFP), that alerts clinicians when unusable frames are detected and encourages them to recollect the last few seconds of data. We show that the AFP classifies frames as usable or unusable with a balanced accuracy of 81.60% and demonstrate that use of the AFP improves 3D reconstruction coverage. These results suggest that clinical implementation of the AFP would improve 3D reconstruction quality through real-time detection and recollection of unusable frames.
Experimental demonstration of wavefront reconstruction and correction techniques for variable targets based on distorted grating and deep learning
Authors: Ge Xinlan , Zhu Licheng , Gao Zeyu , Wang Ning , Yang Ping , Wang Shuai , Ye Hongwei
Published: April 2024

This research presents a practical approach for wavefront reconstruction and correction adaptable to variable targets, with the aim of constructing a high-precision, general extended target adaptive optical system. Firstly, we delve into the detailed design of a crucial component, the distorted grating, simplifying the optical system implementation while circumventing potential issues in traditional phase difference-based collection methods. Subsequently, normalized fine features (NFFs) and structure focus features (SFFs) which both are independent of the imaging target but corresponded precisely to the wavefront aberration are proposed. The two features provide a more accurate and robust characterization of the wavefront aberrations. Then, a Noise-to-Denoised Generative Adversarial Network (N2D-GAN) is employed for denoising real images. And a lightweight network, Attention Mechanism-based Efficient Network (AM-EffNet), is applied to achieve efficient and high-precision mapping between features and wavefronts. A prototype of object-independent adaptive optics system is demonstrated by experimental setup, and the effectiveness of this method in wavefront reconstruction for different imaging targets has been verified. This research holds significant relevance for engineering applications of adaptive optics, providing robust support for addressing challenges within practical systems.
Single-pixel microscopy with optical sectioning
Authors: Ordóñez Luis , Lenz Armin. J. M. , Ipus Erick , Lancis Jesús , Tajahuerce Enrique
Published: April 2024

Imaging with single-pixel detectors offers a valuable alternative to the conventional focal plane array strategy, especially for wavelengths where silicon-based sensor arrays exhibit lower efficiency. However, the absence of optical sectioning remains a challenge in single-pixel microscopy. In this paper, we introduce a single-pixel microscope with optical sectioning capabilities by integrating single-pixel imaging (SPI) techniques with structured illumination microscopy (SIM) methods. A spatial light modulator positioned at the microscope's input port encodes a series of structured light patterns, which the microscope focuses onto a specific plane of the 3D sample. Simultaneously, a highly sensitive bucket detector captures the light reflected by the object. Optical sectioning is achieved through a high-frequency grating positioned at the microscope's output port, which is conjugated with the spatial light modulator. Utilizing SPI reconstruction techniques and SIM algorithms, our computational microscope produces high-quality 2D images without blurred out-of-focus regions. We validate the performance of the single-pixel microscope (SPM) by measuring the axial response function and acquiring images of various 3D samples in reflected bright-field configuration. Furthermore, we demonstrate the suitability of the optical setup for single-pixel fluorescence microscopy with optical sectioning.
Simultaneous deep ultraviolet transmission and scattering microscopy for virtual histology
Authors: Cikaluk Brendyn D. , Masoumi Mohammad H. , Restall Brendon S. , Martell Matthew T. , Haven Nathaniel J. M. , Zemp Roger J.
Published: April 2024

In recent years, the emergence of a variety of novel optical microscopy techniques has enabled the generation of virtual optical stains of unlabeled tissue specimens, which have the potential to transform existing clinical histopathology workflows. In this work, we present a simultaneous deep ultraviolet transmission and scattering microscopy system that can produce virtual histology images that show concordance to conventional gold-standard histological processing techniques. The results of this work demonstrate the system’s diagnostic potential for characterizing unlabeled thin tissue sections and streamlining histological workflows.
Polarization-engineered photon statistics and its tomography via optomagnonic interaction
Authors: Liang Zhu , Wu Ying , Li Jiahua
Published: April 2024

Cavity optomagnonics has received considerable research interest in recent years, due to the coherent magnetic Brillioun light scattering in the ferromagnetic material. Here, we theoretically propose and numerically verify a feasible scheme for the full polarization tomography on photon statistics in an optomagnonic whispering-gallery-mode microresonator system in the weak-coupling regime. By performing the polarization pre- and post-selections to manipulate the polarization states of the input and output photons, we find that the rich sub- and super-Poissonian photon statistics can be selectively generated, thanks to quantum interferences. In the parameter space of phase delay, the evolution from photon bunching to antibunching indicates the change from phase to amplitude squeezing. Our obtained result has potential applications in tunable quantum polarized light sources based on the cavity optomagnonic platform in micro-nano scale. It also offers a deeper understanding for full quantum cavity optomagnonics.
Predominance of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhi genotype 4.3.1 with low-level ciprofloxacin resistance in Zanzibar
Authors: Onken Annette , Moyo Sabrina , Miraji Mohammed Khamis , Bohlin Jon , Marijani Msafiri , Manyahi Joel , Kibwana Kibwana Omar , Müller Fredrik , Jenum Pål A. , Abeid Khamis Ali , Reimers Marianne , Langeland Nina , Mørch Kristine , Blomberg Bjørn
Published: April 2024

Background

Typhoid fever is a common cause of febrile illness in low- and middle-income countries. While multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) has spread globally, fluoroquinolone resistance has mainly affected Asia.

Methods

Consecutively, 1038 blood cultures were obtained from patients of all age groups with fever and/or suspicion of serious systemic infection admitted at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, Zanzibar in 2015–2016. S. Typhi were analyzed with antimicrobial susceptibility testing and with short read (61 strains) and long read (9 strains) whole genome sequencing, including three S. Typhi strains isolated in a pilot study 2012–2013.

Results

Sixty-three S. Typhi isolates (98%) were MDR carrying blaTEM-1B, sul1 and sul2, dfrA7 and catA1 genes. Low-level ciprofloxacin resistance was detected in 69% (43/62), with a single gyrase mutation gyrA-D87G in 41 strains, and a single gyrA-S83F mutation in the non-MDR strain. All isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone and azithromycin. All MDR isolates belonged to genotype 4.3.1 lineage I (4.3.1.1), with the antimicrobial resistance determinants located on a composite transposon integrated into the chromosome. Phylogenetically, the MDR subgroup with ciprofloxacin resistance clusters together with two external isolates.

Conclusions

We report a high rate of MDR and low-level ciprofloxacin resistant S. Typhi circulating in Zanzibar, belonging to genotype 4.3.1.1, which is widespread in Southeast Asia and African countries and associated with low-level ciprofloxacin resistance. Few therapeutic options are available for treatment of typhoid fever in the study setting. Surveillance of the prevalence, spread and antimicrobial susceptibility of S. Typhi can guide treatment and control efforts.
The Vicious Worm education tool improves the knowledge of community health workers on Taenia solium cysticercosis in Rwanda
Authors: Uwibambe Esther , Shyaka Anselme , Niyotwagira Egide , Mutoniwase Justine , Fèvre Eric M. , Quinnell Rupert J. , Trevisan Chiara
Published: April 2024

The pork tapeworm Taenia solium causes human taeniasis and cysticercosis when ingested as viable cysts and eggs, respectively. Despite its high health burden in low-income countries, knowledge of the parasite in endemic areas such as Rwanda is often limited. Here, we assess whether The Vicious Worm education software can increase knowledge in endemic areas of Rwanda. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted to evaluate knowledge about T. solium among community health workers trained using the Vicious Worm education software. Knowledge was assessed before, immediately after, and four weeks after the training. The health workers perceptions of the software were analysed thematically. A total of 207 community health workers were recruited from Nyamagabe district in Southern Province, Rwanda. Participants were composed of males (33.5%) and females (66.5%), aged between 22 and 68 years, and most (71%) had only completed primary education. Knowledge of cysticercosis at baseline was low, particularly knowledge of human cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis. The overall knowledge score increased significantly after training and was maintained four weeks after the training. Overall, insufficient knowledge was associated with neurocysticercosis-related questions, which after the training, remained relatively lower compared to questions of other categories. Participants reported the software to be user-friendly and educational. Digital illiteracy and the lack of smartphones were among the critical challenges highlighted in responses. This study has shown gaps in knowledge regarding T. solium infections within rural Rwanda, particularly neurocysticercosis. Health education using the Vicious Worm education software should be considered in integrated control programs.
DArTseq-based SNP markers reveal high genetic diversity among early generation fall armyworm tolerant maize inbred lines
Authors: Adu Gloria Boakyewaa , Awuku Frederick Justice , Garcia-Oliveira Ana Luisa , Amegbor Isaac Kodzo , Nelimor Charles , Nboyine Jerry , Karikari Benjamin , Atosona Benedicta , Manigben Kulai Amadu , Aboyadana Paulina Abanpoka
Published: April 2024

Diversity analysis using molecular markers serves as a powerful tool in unravelling the intricacies of inclusivity within various populations and is an initial step in the assessment of populations and the development of inbred lines for host plant resistance in maize. This study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of 242 newly developed S3 inbred lines using 3,305 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and to also assess the level of homozygosity achieved in each of the inbred lines. A total of 1,184 SNP markers were found highly informative, with a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.23. Gene diversity was high among the inbred lines, ranging from 0.04 to 0.50, with an average of 0.27. The residual heterozygosity of the 242 S3 inbred lines averaged 8.8%, indicating moderately low heterozygosity levels among the inbred lines. Eighty-four percent of the 58,322 pairwise kinship coefficients among the inbred lines were near zero (0.00–0.05), with only 0.3% of them above 0.50. These results revealed that many of the inbred lines were distantly related, but none were redundant, suggesting each inbred line had a unique genetic makeup with great potential to provide novel alleles for maize improvement. The admixture-based structure analysis, principal coordinate analysis, and neighbour-joining clustering were concordant in dividing the 242 inbred lines into three subgroups based on the pedigree and selection history of the inbred lines. These findings could guide the effective use of the newly developed inbred lines and their evaluation in quantitative genetics and molecular studies to identify candidate lines for breeding locally adapted fall armyworm tolerant varieties in Ghana and other countries in West and Central Africa.
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in multiple sclerosis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yaghoobpoor Shirin , Fathi Mobina , Vakili Kimia , Sayehmiri Fatemeh , Alipour Milad , Miriran Zahra sadat , Ghayyem Hani , Tutunchian Zohreh , Hajibeygi Ramtin , Batool Zehra , Mirzadeh Moein , Aghazadeh Mohammad Hossein , Hajiesmaeili Mohammadreza
Published: April 2024

Background and objective

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) that can cause inflammation, demyelination, and axon degeneration. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a single-chain polypeptide mainly synthesized in the liver and brain. IGF-1 causes neuronal and non-neuronal cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Therefore, it can be used in treating neuro-demyelinating diseases such as MS. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the levels of IGF-1 in MS patients and healthy controls and also investigates IGF binding proteins (IGF-BP) and growth hormone (GH) levels between MS patients and healthy controls.

Methods

In this study, we systematically searched electronic databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), and Google Scholar, up to December 2022. Studies that measured IGF-1, GH, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, or IGFBP-3 in MS patients and healthy controls in either blood or cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were identified. We calculated Standardized mean differences (SMD) to compare levels of IGF-1, GH, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, or IGFBP-3 in MS patients and controls.

Results

Finally, we included 11 eligible studies from 1998 to 2018. The sample size of included studies varied from 20 to 200 resulting in a total sample size of 1067 individuals, 531 MS patients, and 536 healthy controls. The mean age of the patient and control groups were 38.96 and 39.38, respectively. The average EDSS among patients was 4.56. We found that blood levels of IGF-1 (SMD = 0.20, 95% CI = -0.20 to 0.59, I2 = 82.4%, K = 8, n = 692), CSF level of IGF-1 (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI = -0.06 to 0.56, I2 = 0.0%, K = 3 n = 164) and blood levels of GH were not significantly higher in MS patients than controls (SMD = 0.08, 95% CI = -0.33 to 0.49, I2 = 77.0% K = 3, n = 421). Moreover, the blood levels of IGFBP-1 (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.01 to 1.40, I2 = 77%, K = 4, n = 255) were significantly higher in MS cases than in controls. However, the blood levels of IGFBP-2 (SMD = 0.43, 95% CI = -0.34 to 1.21, I2 = 64.2%, K = 3, n = 78) and blood levels of IGFBP-3 (SMD = 1.04, 95% CI = -0.09 to 2.17, I2 = 95.6%, K = 6, n = 443) were not significantly higher in patients than controls.

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in serum levels of IGF-1, GH, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3 between the MS group and healthy controls, except for IGFBP1. However, our systematic review showed that the studies were controversial for IGFBP-3 serum levels. Some studies found an increase in serum level of IGFBP-3 in MS patients compared to the healthy group, while others showed a decrease.
Coupling dynamic response of saturated soil with anisotropic thermal conductivity under fractional order thermoelastic theory
Authors: Guo Ying , Xiong Chunbao , Yu Wen , Li Jie , Ma Jianjun , Du Cui
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a two-dimensional (2D) thermo-hydro-mechanical dynamic (THMD) coupling analysis in the presence of a half-space medium is studied using Ezzat’s fractional order generalized theory of thermoelasticity. Using normal mode analysis (NMA), the influence of the anisotropy of the thermal conduction coefficient, fractional derivatives, and frequency on the THMD response of anisotropy, fully saturated, and poroelastic subgrade is then analyzed with a time-harmonic load including mechanical load and thermal source subjected to the surface. The general relationships among the dimensionless physical variables such as the vertical displacement, excess pore water pressure, vertical stress, and temperature distribution are graphically illustrated. The NMA method does not require the integration and inverse transformation, increases the decoupling speed, and eliminates the limitation of numerical inverse transformation. The obtained results can guide the geotechnical engineering construction according to different values of load frequency, fractional order coefficient, and anisotropy of thermal conduction coefficient. This improves the subgrade stability and enriches the theoretical studies on thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling.
First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Stewart Mathew , Andrieux Eric , Blinkhorn James , Guagnin Maria , Fernandes Ricardo , Vanwezer Nils , Hatton Amy , Alqahtani Mesfer , Zalmout Iyad , Clark-Wilson Richard , Al-Mufarreh Yahya S. A. , Al-Shanti Mahmoud , Zahrani Badr , Al Omari Abdulaziz , Al-Jibreen Faisal , Alsharekh Abdullah M. , Scerri Eleanor M. L. , Boivin Nicole , Petraglia Michael D. , Groucutt Huw S.
Published: April 2024

Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes.
Efficacy of Shu-yi-ning-chang decoction on IBS-D: Modulating Nr4a3 pathway to reduce visceral hypersensitivity
Authors: Guo Yajing , Lu Qiongqiong , Yang Xiao-Jun , He Yuxi , Wu Yue , Qin Baijun , Li Ting , Duan Min , Liu Nvping , Wu Xin , He Yuanjun
Published: April 2024

Aim of the study

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of SYNC in diarrhea irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) and explore its underlying mechanism through transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-Seq).

Materials and methods

A rat model of IBS-D was constructed to elucidate the effects of SYNC. Abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR), fecal water content (FWC), and recording body weight were calculated to assess visceral sensitivity in rats. Histopathological changes in the colon and alterations in mast cell (MC) count were determined. Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess mast cell tryptase (MCT) expression in rat colons. Serum levels of corticotropin-releasing Hormone (CRH), interleukin-6 (IL-6), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were quantified using ELISA. RNA-Seq of colon tissue was performed, followed by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression levels of key proteins in the Nr4a3 pathway in the colon and hypothalamus tissues of rats.

Results

SYNC alleviated visceral hypersensitivity and mood disorders in rats with IBS-D. Moreover, it was positively correlated with its dosage and the observed effects, such as the enhancement of the colon’s mucosal lining condition and reduction in the number and activation of MCs within the model group. SYNC reduced the expression levels of factors related to the brain-gut axis and inflammatory markers in the bloodstream. RNA-Seq analysis indicated that SYNC down-regulated the expression of Nr4a3 and PI3K. These SYNC-targeted genes primarily played roles in immune regulation and inflammatory responses, correlating with the modulation of Nr4a3 and the PI3K/AKT pathway. Western blot analysis further confirmed SYNC’s influence on inflammation-related MC activation by downregulating key proteins in the Nr4a3/PI3K pathway.

Conclusions

SYNC inhibited mast cell activation and attenuated visceral hypersensitivity in the colon tissues of IBS-D rats. These effects were mediated by the Nr4a3/PI3K signaling pathway.
Hope for vascular cognitive impairment: Ac-YVAD-cmk as a novel treatment against white matter rarefaction
Authors: Lim Yun-An , Tan Li Si , Lee Wei Thye , Sim Wei Liang , Lv Yang , Takakuni Maki , Saito Satoshi , Ihara Masafumi , Arumugam Thiruma Valavan , Chen Christopher , Wong Fred Wai-Shiu , Dawe Gavin Stewart
Published: April 2024

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is the second leading cause of dementia with limited treatment options, characterised by cerebral hypoperfusion-induced white matter rarefaction (WMR). Subcortical VCI is the most common form of VCI, but the underlying reasons for region susceptibility remain elusive. Recent studies employing the bilateral cortical artery stenosis (BCAS) method demonstrate that various inflammasomes regulate white matter injury and blood-brain barrier dysfunction but whether caspase-1 inhibition will be beneficial remains unclear. To address this, we performed BCAS on C57/BL6 mice to study the effects of Ac-YVAD-cmk, a caspase-1 inhibitor, on the subcortical and cortical regions. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), WMR, neuroinflammation and the expression of tight junction-related proteins associated with blood-brain barrier integrity were assessed 15 days post BCAS. We observed that Ac-YVAD-cmk restored CBF, attenuated BCAS-induced WMR and restored subcortical myelin expression. Within the subcortical region, BCAS activated the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin-1beta axis only within the subcortical region, which was attenuated by Ac-YVAD-cmk. Although we observed that BCAS induced significant increases in VCAM-1 expression in both brain regions that were attenuated with Ac-YVAD-cmk, only ZO-1 and occludin were observed to be significantly altered in the subcortical region. Here we show that caspase-1 may contribute to subcortical regional susceptibility in a mouse model of VCI. In addition, our results support further investigations into the potential of Ac-YVAD-cmk as a novel treatment strategy against subcortical VCI and other conditions exhibiting cerebral hypoperfusion-induced WMR.