bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A link between agrin signalling and Cav3.2 at the neuromuscular junction in spinal muscular atrophy
Authors: Delers Perrine , Sapaly Delphine , Salman Badih , De Waard Stephan , De Waard Michel , Lefebvre Suzie 
Published: November 2022

AbstractSMN protein deficiency causes motoneuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). SMN-based therapies improve patient motor symptoms to variable degrees. An early hallmark of SMA is the perturbation of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), a synapse between a motoneuron and muscle cell. NMJ formation depends on acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering triggered by agrin and its co-receptors lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) and transmembrane muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) signalling pathway. We have previously shown that flunarizine improves NMJs in SMA model mice, but the mechanisms remain elusive. We show here that flunarizine promotes AChR clustering in cell-autonomous, dose- and agrin-dependent manners in C2C12 myotubes. This is associated with an increase in protein levels of LRP4, integrin-beta-1 and alpha-dystroglycan, three agrin co-receptors. Furthermore, flunarizine enhances MuSK interaction with integrin-beta-1 and phosphotyrosines. Moreover, the drug acts on the expression and splicing of Agrn and Cacna1h genes in a muscle-specific manner. We reveal that the Cacna1h encoded protein Cav3.2 closely associates in vitro with the agrin co-receptor LRP4. In vivo, it is enriched nearby NMJs during neonatal development and the drug increases this immunolabelling in SMA muscles. Thus, flunarizine modulates key players of the NMJ and identifies Cav3.2 as a new protein involved in the NMJ biology.
Prevalence and associated factors of undiagnosed hypertension among adults in the Central African Republic
Authors: Pengpid Supa , Peltzer Karl 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThe study aimed to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of undiagnosed hypertension (HTN) among adults in the Central African Republic (CAR). In the cross-sectional 2017 CAR (Bangui and Ombella M'Poko) STEPS survey, 3265 persons aged 25 to 64 years (non-pregnant and with complete blood pressure measurement), responded to an interview, biomedical and physical, including blood pressure, measurements. Undiagnosed HTN was classified as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg among adults who had never been told by a doctor or other health worker that they had raised blood pressure or hypertension and had not been taking antihypertensive medication. Binary logistic regressions are used to estimate factors associated with undiagnosed HTN. Among those with HTN (N = 1373), the proportion of undiagnosed HTN was 69.8% and 30.2% diagnosed HTN. In the adjusted logistic regression analysis, male sex (AOR: 2.12, 95% CI 1.39–3.23), current tobacco use (AOR: 1.58, 95% CI 1.03–2.42), and high physical activity (AOR: 1.93, 95% CI 1.00–3.71) were positively associated, and age (AOR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.59–0.96), and underweight (AOR: 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.90) were inversely associated with undiagnosed HTN. In addition, among men, ever screened for glucose (AOR: 0.07, 95% CI 0.02–0.27) was negatively associated with undiagnosed HTN, and among women, married or cohabiting (AOR: 1.20, 95% CI 1.00–1.44), current heavy drinking (AOR: 1.41, 95% CI 1.04–1.91) were positively associated with undiagnosed HTN. Seven in ten of the adult population with HTN had undiagnosed HTN in CAR. Efforts should be reinforced to screen for HTN in the general population.
Measuring Change During Intervention Using Norm-Referenced, Standardized Measures: A Comparison of Raw Scores, Standard Scores, Age Equivalents, and Growth Scale Values From the Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition
Authors: Kwok Elaine , Feiner Hannah , Grauzer Jeffrey , Kaat Aaron , Roberts Megan Y. 
Published: November 2022

Purpose:
Norm-referenced, standardized measures are tools designed to characterize a child's abilities relative to their same-age peers, but they also have been used to measure changes in skills during intervention. This study compared the psychometric properties of four types of available scores from one commonly used standardized measure, the Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition (PLS-5), to detect changes in children's language skills during and after a language intervention.

Method:
This study included data from 110 autistic children aged 18–48 months whose mother participated in an 8-week parent-mediated language intervention. Children's language skills were measured at 3 time points using the PLS-5. Changes in children's expressive and receptive language skills were calculated using raw scores, standard scores, age equivalents, and growth scale values (GSVs).

Results:

Analysis of raw scores, age equivalents, and GSVs indicated significant improvement in the scores of autistic children in both receptive and expressive language throughout the study (i.e., during the intervention period and in the 3-month period after the intervention). Standard scores suggested improvement only in the receptive language scale during the intervention period. Standard scores showed a floor effect for children who scored at −3
SD
below the mean.

Conclusions:
Findings suggested that GSVs were not only psychometrically sound but also the most sensitive measure of direct changes in skills compared to raw, standard, and age-equivalent scores. Floor effects may limit the sensitivity of standard scores to detect changes in children's skills. Strengths, limitations, and interpretations of each of the scoring approaches in measuring changes in skills during intervention were discussed.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21498522
Bilingual Parents' Experiences Receiving Advice Regarding Language Use: A Qualitative Perspective
Authors: Blanc Camila , Castilla-Earls Anny , Bunta Ferenc , Fulcher-Rood Katrina 
Published: November 2022

Purpose:
This study examined the advice parents of bilingual children received from health care professionals and teachers regarding the language(s) their bilingual children should learn and use. There were two groups of bilingual parents: parents of children who had received speech-language pathology services (BI-SLP) and parents of children who had not received speech-language pathology services (BI-TD).

Method:
Participants included 14 parents of BI-TD and 10 parents of BI-SLP. All parents were interviewed in Spanish via phone using a semistructured interview. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine common themes regarding linguistic advice received while raising their bilingual children.

Results:
Our findings suggest that about half of the parents in each group reported never receiving any language use advice. For those parents who received advice, the advice originated from both additive and subtractive views of bilingualism. Parents reported that speech-language pathologists, teachers, physicians, family members, and friends were the sources of advice. Parents of children BI-TD who received advice discouraging bilingualism ignored the advice and continued exposing their children to two languages. In contrast, parents of children BI-SLP took the advice of restricting educational instruction to English only.

Conclusion:
Although there is no current evidence supporting the notion that bilingualism is detrimental to the speech and language development of children with and without speech-language disorders, advice discouraging bilingualism still exists, even in strong bilingual contexts.
Electrical resistivity‐temperature characteristics enhancement of insulating cross‐linked polyethylene composites by incorporating positive temperature coefficient particles with different Curie temperatures
Authors: Jiang Guimin , Zhou Yuanxiang , Teng Chenyuan , Zhang Yunxiao , Huang Xin , Xue Lei , Zhou Luming 
Published: November 2022

AbstractIncorporating positive temperature coefficient (PTC) ceramic particles into polymers provides a prospective alternative solution for suppressing severe electric field distortions caused by negative temperature coefficient (NTC) of electrical resistivity within polymer insulation in high voltage direct current cable. The effect of the Curie temperature of PTC particles on the inhibition of the NTC effect of cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) is investigated in this study. Positive temperature coefficient particles with varied Curie temperatures are surface‐modified and melt blending with XLPE. The modified particles are dispersed on averagely in the matrix. The electrical resistivity, space charge behaviour, and direct current (DC) electrical breakdown strength of the samples are investigated at different temperatures, exploring the effect of the Curie temperature of PTC particles on suppressing the NTC effect of XLPE. It is demonstrated that the reduction in Curie temperature can further suppress the NTC effect of XLPE, enhance the DC strength at elevated temperatures, and inhibit the internal space charge accumulation. The reduction in the Curie temperatures means that the initiation of the PTC effect advances, exhibiting a higher potential barrier and inhibiting the NTC effect more effectively. This work may give a reference for improving the temperature stability of DC properties for XLPE cable insulation.
The l = 2 spherical harmonic expansion coefficients of the sky brightness distribution between 0.5 and 7 MHz
Authors: Page B. , Bassett N. , Lecacheux A. , Pulupa M. , Rapetti D. , Bale S. D. 
Published: November 2022

Context. The opacity of the ionosphere prevents comprehensive Earth-based surveys of low frequency ν ≲ 10 MHz astrophysical radio emissions. The limited available data in this frequency regime show a downturn in the mean sky brightness at ν ≲ 3 MHz in a divergence from the synchrotron emission power-law that is observed at higher frequencies. The turning over of the spectrum coincides with a shift in the region of maximum brightness from the Galactic plane to the poles. This implicates free-free absorption by interstellar ionized gas, whose concentration in the plane causes radiation that propagates in this region to suffer stronger absorption than radiation from the poles.
Aims. Using observations from Parker Solar Probe (PSP), we evaluate the l = 0 and l = 2 spherical harmonic expansion coefficients of the radio brightness distribution at 56 frequencies between 0.5 and 7 MHz. These data quantify free-free absorption’s global effects on the brightness distribution, which provides new constraints on the distribution of free electrons in the Galaxy.
Methods. The auto and cross spectra of the voltages induced on crossed short dipole antennas by radiation from a nonpolarized extended brightness distribution are linear combinations of the distribution’s l = 0 and l = 2 expansion coefficients. We extracted the least squares solution to these coefficients from PSP’s measurements of the radio background. Also, we generated hypothetical low frequency brightness maps that incorporated free-free absorption and tested their compatibility with the data. The maps primarily depended on models of the Galactic emissivity and distribution of free electrons. A comparison of the maps’ expansion coefficients with the empirical coefficients provided an indication of these input models’ accuracies.
Results. An average reduced x2 ≈ 1.04 of the spherical harmonic analysis between 0.5 and 7 MHz indicates that PSP’s antennas act approximately as ideal short dipoles in this frequency band. The best-fit expansion coefficients show that, with decreasing frequency, the mean sky brightness decreases at ν < 3 MHz and the Galactic plane darkens relative to the poles. At ν > 0.6 MHz, these observations can be reproduced in synthetic brightness maps in which the Galactic emissivity maintains a power-law form and free-free absorption is modeled using free electron distributions derived from pulsar measurements. At lower frequencies, the empirical mean brightness falls below the mean in this model, possibly signifying a cutoff in the synchrotron power-law.
Acceptability and usability of ‘One Key Question’® in Australian primary health care
Authors: Fitch Jessica , Dorney Edwina , Tracy Marguerite , Black Kirsten I. 
Published: November 2022

Background Around one-third of pregnancies in women attending antenatal care are unintended. This means a substantial number of women enter pregnancy without optimising their health prior to conception. Primary care practitioners are uniquely placed to counsel women about how to plan for pregnancy and about how to avoid unintended conception. The One Key Question® (OKQ®) tool facilitates a discussion of pregnancy intention and opens up subsequent discussions regarding preconception or contraception care. This study aimed to assess the acceptability and usability of the OKQ® tool in the Australian primary care setting. Methods We undertook a pilot study consisting of quantitative and qualitative components across two general practice settings in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. We documented women’s responses to being asked the OKQ® as part of their consultation. We collected data on the characteristics of the participating GPs and their experience of using the OKQ® tool and conducted semi-structured interviews with all participating GPs. Results Fifty-six patients were asked the OKQ®, with the majority stating they were happy to be asked about their reproductive choices and felt it was relevant to their general health. The 10 participating GPs felt the OKQ® was easy to use and although 62.5% reported it extended the consultation time, the medium time taken was 2 min. GPs felt framing the OKQ® helped introduce pregnancy intention discussions into a consultation. Conclusions The OKQ® is acceptable to patients and easy for GPs to use. This tool facilitates a proactive and routine discussion to enhance the delivery of preconception care and contraceptive counselling.
Sexually transmitted infection testing among transgender and non-binary persons: results of a community-based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Lacombe-Duncan Ashley , Kattari Shanna K. , Kattari Leonardo , Scheim Ayden I. , Misiolek Brayden A. 
Published: November 2022

Background Studies show higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among transgender (trans) and non-binary (TNB) persons compared with the general population. Scant studies have examined non-HIV STI testing (henceforth referred to as STI testing); fewer inclusive of trans men and non-binary persons. We characterised the prevalence of STI testing and time since last STI test and gender-based differences in these outcomes among TNB persons. Methods Data were analysed from a 2018 community-based participatory cross-sectional survey (n = 528). Prevalence of lifetime STI testing history and time since last STI test were reported overall and compared across genders (trans men, trans women, non-binary assigned female at-birth, non-binary assigned male at-birth) using Chi-squared, then bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses to compare lifetime STI testing history (ever vs never) across sociodemographic and health care characteristics. Results Most (n = 425; 80.5%) participants reported having ever had an STI test; over half (59.8%) ever tested had tested within the past year. Bivariate analyses showed no significant gender differences in lifetime STI testing history (P = 0.298) or time since last STI test (P = 0.118). In a multivariable model, higher age, reporting multiple committed partners (vs single/divorced), known HIV status, and ever receiving information about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) were positively associated with ever having had an STI test, whereas Latinx race/ethnicity (vs white) was negatively associated. Conclusions Findings showed high rates of lifetime STI testing and recent testing, with no gender-based differences. Never testing rates were concerning considering screening recommendations. Broad based (non-gender specific) TNB-focused interventions may be warranted to increase uptake.
Tracing semantic change with distributional methods
Authors: Amaral Patrícia , Hu Hai , Kübler Sandra 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThis paper uses the tools of distributional semantics to investigate the semantic change ofalgofrom a noun meaning ‘goods, possessions’ and an indefinite pronoun ‘something’ in the Medieval/Classical period of Spanish to an indefinite pronoun and degree adverb ‘a bit’ in contemporary Spanish. We compare the results of a previous corpus-based study (Amaral 2016) on the semantic change ofalgowith an analysis using word embeddings models with two goals: (i) to show how word embeddings can help identify different synchronic values of a word, and (ii) to provide measures of change through distributional semantic methods. We discuss the challenges of a study with this methodology using limited data from older periods of a language, hence putting into focus decisions that have to be made and their implications for the analysis. In this way, we hope to contribute to a fruitful integration of more traditional studies in diachronic semantics with the methodology of word embeddings.
Effect of voltage pulse duration on electrophysical and thermal characteristics of cold atmospheric plasma jet
Authors: Schweigert I V , Zakrevsky Dm E , Gugin P P , Milakhina E V , Biryukov M M , Keidar M , Koval O A 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
The desirable properties of a cold atmospheric plasma jet (CAPJ) for medical applications are high efficiency of the treatment and low thermal effects. To meet these requirements, we propose to use the CAPJ generated with the positive pulsed (PP) voltage. In our experiments and fluid model simulations, it is shown that a change of the pulse duration allows us to control precisely the intensity of interaction of the plasma jet with the target and the heating of the contact zone. The helium CAPJ is formed with 13–30 kHz PP voltage frequencies with the pulse duration of 7–20 µs. The enhancement of plasma-target interaction is analyzed with the measured discharge current and calculated ionization rate near the target surface. The temperature measurements in the plasma-target active zone show that the heating by CAPJ excited with the PP voltage is generally less than in the case of AC voltage. The efficacy of treatment is tested on A549 cancer cells exposed to CAPJ ignited with the positively pulsed voltage with different pulse duration and with AC voltage.
Reducing the L-H transition power threshold in ITER-similar-shape DIII-D hydrogen plasmas
Authors: Schmitz L. , Wilcox R.S. , Shiraki D. , Rhodes T.L. , Yan Z. , McKee G.R. , Callahan K.J. , Chrystal C. , Haskey S.R. , Liu Y.Q. , Laggner F. , Zeng L. , Osborne T.H. , Grierson B.A. , Paz-Soldan C. , Leuthold N. , Lyons B.C. , Gohil P. , Petty C.C. 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Recent dedicated DIII-D experiments in low-torque, ITER-similar-shape (ISS) hydrogen plasmas (at a plasma current I
p ∼ 1.5 MA and ITER-similar edge safety factor q
95 ∼ 3.6) show that the L-H transition power threshold P
LH can be reduced substantially (∼30%) with L-mode helium admixtures n
He/n
e ⩽ 25%. In the ensuing H-mode, helium ion fractions n
He/n
H remain below 25%. H-mode normalized pressure and confinement quality are only slightly affected by helium seeding, and Z
eff ⩽ 2.15 (including helium and carbon content). The plasmas investigated here are electron-heat dominated, with temperatures T
e(0)/T
i(0) ⩾ 1 and edge heat flux ratio Q
e/Q
i(ρ = 0.95) ∼ 1.2–1.5. Without mitigation, P
LH is higher by a factor of 2–3 in comparison to similar ISS deuterium plasmas. ISS hydrogen plasmas with lower plasma current I
p ∼ 1 MA (increased edge safety factor q
95 ∼ 5.1) exhibit a substantially lower power threshold. This plasma current dependence, also observed previously on ASDEX-U and in JET, is not accounted for by the commonly used 2008 ITPA multi-machine threshold scaling, but could potentially allow H-mode access at marginal heating power during the initial plasma current ramp-up. Attempts to reduce P
LH with low-field- and high-field-side hydrogen pellet injection, using 1.7 mm diameter pellets, have not demonstrated a robust threshold reduction, in contrast to successful earlier experiments with larger 2.7 mm pellets. Techniques for reducing P
LH are very important for ITER, in particular for accessing H-mode in hydrogen plasmas during the Pre-Fusion Power Operation-1 (PFPO-1) campaign with marginal auxiliary heating power (20–30 MW of ECH).
Pre-production results from ATLAS ITk Strip Sensors Quality Assurance Testchip
Authors: Allport P. , Bach E. , Basso M.J. , Chisholm A. , Cindro V. , Fadeyev V. , Fernández-Tejero J. , Fleta C. , George W. , Gonella L. , Hara K. , Hirose S. , Ishii T. , Klein C. , Knight T. , Koffas T. , Kopsalis I. , Kroll J. , Kuramochi K. , Kvasnicka J. , Latonova V. , Mandic I. , Mikestikova M. , Orr R.S. , Rossi E. , Saito K. , Sánchez S. , Soldevila U. , Staats E. , Ullán M. , Unno Y. 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
The production of strip sensors within the framework of the ATLAS Inner Tracker (ITk) development is a process which requires continuous evaluation during the full production period (about 4 years). Such an evaluation is divided into two different parts: Quality Control (QC), which focuses on the final product (the actual sensors) and tries to identify possible defects once the fabrication is completed, and Quality Assurance (QA), which aims to prevent deviations in the manufacturing process and uses specifically-designed test structures. The initial sensor pre-production consists of 5% (1041 sensors) of the total number of sensors expected during production. As part of pre-production, the collaboration has measured key parameters from miniature strip sensors (minis), monitor diodes (MD8), and the ATLAS Testchip, before and after irradiation. In this contribution we focus on the analysis of the results of the MD8 and the Testchip. All parameters have been obtained from the test structures (MD8, bias resistors, interdigitated structures, field oxide capacitors, coupling capacitors, punch-through protection structures and cross-bridge resistors) measured at the different test sites (KEK/Tsukuba, Birmingham, Toronto, Ljubljana, Valencia, Carleton, Prague, CNM-Barcelona). The results are compared to predefined pre- and post-irradiation specifications for each tested parameter.