260851 research outputs found
Sort by
Supporting and understanding autistic children’s non-verbal interactions through OSMoSIS, a motion-based sonic system
No full textMusic therapy for autistic children focuses on supporting motor and social interaction through creative movement and musical activities. Previous research suggests it can further support the development of underlying skills related to non-verbal communication, namely social motor synchrony and imitation. Motion-sensing technology in this context has the potential to both support children’s engagement in therapy and help researchers understand its impact. We describe and evaluate a system, OSMoSIS, which aims to provide support by generating sounds based on children’s movements. An evaluation through two empirical studies shows (1) higher levels of imitation and interactional synchrony when using the system compared with motor-only activities and (2) that children found the interaction enjoyable, showing more instances of positive affect when the system was activated with the sounds on. We discuss how the findings highlight new directions for further research on technology for music therapy and have the potential to support practitioners and families.</p
Evaluation of policies for disability and social inclusion in Colombian higher education
No full textThe proportion of people with disabilities in higher education is growing worldwide. However, they continue to face inadequate conditions and discriminatory attitudes that hinder their academic careers. This study evaluates the policy for disability and social inclusion in the Colombian higher education system using the scores and socioeconomic information of students who presented the Saber Pro exam from 2013 to 2016 and 2019, available from the Colombian Institute for the Evaluation of Education (ICFES). During this period, the number of students with disabilities has increased almost five times. In general, they have lower prior academic achievement and inferior socioeconomic conditions (parents’ education and neighborhood's socioeconomic level) compared to students without disabilities. The policy evaluation assesses the academic achievement gap between students with and without disabilities and its reduction over time. The methodological design implements exact matching with propensity score matching and regression adjustment. Results show that, over the years, there has been a reduction in the performance gap, and in 2019, there were no significant differences in scores between students with and without disabilities, except in the quantitative reasoning test. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of policy and institutional improvements for these students and point out routes to improve their academic success.</p
Between patriarchy and feminism: the representation of women in Turkish caricature magazines
No full textEMBARGOED – expected end date 21.02.2027</p
A continuous approach to backed /r/ realizations in Puerto Rican Spanish
No full textTrill realizations present a wide range of cross-dialectal variation in Spanish, especially in Puerto Rican Spanish (PRS). The backed /r/ in, e.g., [ká.xo] for carro, is not an exception. Since analysis with continuous variables has advanced the research on fricative variation among other Spanish varieties, the present study considers center of gravity values to provide an acoustic analysis of the backed /r/ realizations in Puerto Rican Spanish, both on the island of Puerto Rico and within the Puerto Rican diasporic community in Holyoke, Massachusetts (United States). Three experimental production tasks were designed and employed: a picture description task, a map task and a reading task. Forty-five participants performed the experimental tasks: 21 were recorded on the island and 24 in Holyoke. Findings show that the distribution of center of gravity values fall on a continuum which can be affected by linguistic and sociolinguistic variables, in line with previous research on fricatives.</p
Interrelations between security and the zero‑carbon energy transition in the Finnish and Norwegian Arctic
No full textThe Arctic faces major energy-related changes: its production, consumption and transportation must be decarbonised. Furthermore, geopolitical interests in the area are growing, with tensions around land use expected to increase. In this paper, we investigate energy transition processes in the Finnish and Norwegian Arctic from the niche development and regime decline viewpoints. We mirror these processes onto concepts of positive and negative security to analyse the security environment affecting the transitions. We hypothesise that notions of security can explain delays in transitions. We analysed recent Finnish and Norwegian Arctic strategies and expert interviews to examine how energy transitions are discussed in the security context. Although energy and defence policies are national rather than regional, the analysis revealed interesting Arctic-wide issues. While strategies mainly concentrated on justifying support for fossil fuel production for socio-economic and national security purposes, the interviewees discussed more nuanced approaches to developing the energy transition. Notions of justice during the transition received attention in both countries in relation to security, with the local population gaining a deeper sense of responsibility for the areas they inhabit. We call for positive security to support sustainable energy transitions, where uncertainty and responses to changes are dynamic and based on multi-actor processes.</p
Hepatitis B virus resistance to nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy: WHO consultation on questions, challenges, and a roadmap for the field
No full textIn this Review, we summarise outputs from a multidisciplinary consultation convened by WHO between July 11 and 13, 2023, to discuss hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug resistance (HBVDR). Treatment of chronic HBV infection with highly effective nucleos(t)ide analogue agents, tenofovir and entecavir, is a crucial intervention that supports the global goal of elimination of HBV infection as a public health threat. The risk of HBVDR as a threat to treatment outcomes is currently considered low from a public health perspective; however, drug resistance can influence individual outcomes, particularly among those who are treatment-experienced. We highlight the need to develop appropriate prevention, monitoring, and surveillance approaches for HBVDR, to support investment in the global scale-up of HBV diagnosis and treatment. Recommendations for the HBVDR field will ultimately be incorporated into a WHO integrated Global Action Plan for drug-resistant HIV, viral hepatitis, and priority sexually transmitted infections.</p
Gustatory sensitivity to amino acids in bumblebee mouthparts
No full textBees rely on amino acids from nectar and pollen for essential physiological functions. While nectar typically contains low (less than 1 mM) amino acid concentrations, levels in pollen are higher but variable (10-200 mM). Behavioural studies suggest bumblebees have preferences for specific amino acids but whether such preferences are mediated via gustatory mechanisms remains unclear. This study explores bumblebees' (Bombus terrestris) gustatory sensitivity to two essential amino acids found in nectar and pollen, valine and lysine, using electrophysiological recordings from gustatory sensilla on their mouthparts. Valine elicited a concentration-dependent response from 0.1 mM, indicating that bumblebees could perceive valine at concentrations found naturally in nectar and pollen. By contrast, lysine failed to evoke a response across tested concentrations (0.1-500 mM). The absence of lysine detection raises questions about the specificity and diversity of amino acid-sensitive receptors in bumblebees. Bees responded to valine at lower concentrations than sucrose, suggesting comparatively higher sensitivity (EC 50: 0.7 mM versus 3.91 mM for sucrose). Our findings indicate that bumblebees can evaluate the amino acid content of pollen and nectar using pre-ingestive cues, rather than relying on post-ingestive cues or feedback from their nestmates. Such sensory capabilities probably impact foraging strategies, with implications for plant-bee interactions and pollination.</p
Guideline-directed medical therapy in sepsis survivors with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: an observational study
No full textBackground: Sepsis survivors can develop left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and heart failure. These patients are often treated with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) known to be effective in patients with non-sepsis-related heart failure. This study sought to assess the use of GDMT on sepsis survivors with LVSD. Methods: Sepsis survivors with suspected myocardial injury and/or heart failure diagnosed with LVSD in a UK cardiac centre were retrospectively studied. Clinical and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) data were recorded and analysed. Results: Of the 25 sepsis survivors (age 56 ± 11 years; 52% males), 11 (44%) had LVSD (LVEF 5% LVEF increase; mean LVEF improvement 16 ± 11%) after GDMT. Reductions were seen in LVIDd (5.3 ± 0.8 cm to 5.0 ± 0.7 cm) and LVIDs (4.1 ± 1.2 cm to 3.7 ± 0.8 cm) after GDMT, though these changes did not reach statistical significance (both p > 0.05). Conclusions: GDMT appears beneficial in sepsis survivors with LV dysfunction. This finding should be validated on a larger and multi-centre basis to further affirm the value of medical therapy in post-sepsis heart failure.</p
Global progress in abortion law reform: a comparative legal analysis since the International Conference on Population and Development (1994-2023)
No full textAs 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, which recognised unsafe abortion as a human rights and public health imperative, it is an apt time to assess global progress on abortion law reform. By mapping changes to abortion laws for 199 nations and semi-autonomous territories from 1994 to 2023 and coupling this with population data, this article demonstrates that the past three decades have been marked by an overwhelming trend towards the liberalisation of abortion laws across all regions, resulting in over 825 million women of reproductive age living under expanded grounds for legal abortion. Notably, a potential sea change has occurred in abortion law reform in the past five years, with countries increasingly liberalising their laws to permit abortion on request instead of adopting more incremental approaches. More countries have reformed their laws to permit abortion on request in the past five years than in the 25 preceding years. Yet, significant disparities continue to exist across regions. Countries banning abortion altogether or narrowly permitting abortion when the pregnant person's life is at risk are concentrated in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, including in resource-scarce contexts where abortion seekers are doubly disadvantaged by restrictive laws and limited access to healthcare, including post-abortion care. It is critical that law and policymakers and public health authorities recognise that restrictive abortion laws are out of step with global norms and support progress towards the liberalisation of abortion laws, particularly towards permitting abortion on request.</p
Wireless localization with space-time coded reconfigurable intelligent surfaces
No full textIn this paper, a novel approach for wireless localization is proposed and experimentally validated that leverages space-time coded reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS). It is demonstrated that applying proper single-bit codes to each RIS element enables accurate determination of the direction of arrival (DOA) at the receiver. Moreover, we introduce different scenarios for which such technique can be used for localization. By incorporating RIS, a passive component, the method significantly reduces the complexity found in previous localization techniques. In addition, the use of 1-bit codes minimizes hardware requirements, offering a reliable and low-cost solution for localization in advanced telecommunications networks.</p