Context.
Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar particles with energies greater than tens of MeV penetrate spacecraft and instruments hosted aboard space missions. The Solar Orbiter Metis coronagraph ...is aimed at observing the solar corona in both visible (VL) and ultraviolet (UV) light. Particle tracks are observed in the Metis images of the corona. An algorithm has been implemented in the Metis processing electronics to detect the VL image pixels crossed by cosmic rays. This algorithm was initially enabled for the VL instrument only, since the process of separating the particle tracks in the UV images has proven to be very challenging.
Aims.
We study the impact of the overall bulk of particles of galactic and solar origin on the Metis coronagraph images. We discuss the effects of the increasing solar activity after the Solar Orbiter mission launch on the secondary particle production in the spacecraft.
Methods.
We compared Monte Carlo simulations of GCRs crossing or interacting in the Metis VL CMOS sensor to observations gathered in 2020 and 2022. We also evaluated the impact of solar energetic particle events of different intensities on the Metis images.
Results.
The study of the role of abundant and rare cosmic rays in firing pixels in the Metis VL images of the corona allows us to estimate the efficiency of the algorithm applied for cosmic-ray track removal from the images and to demonstrate that the instrument performance had remained unchanged during the first two years of the Solar Orbiter operations. The outcome of this work can be used to estimate the Solar Orbiter instrument’s deep charging and the order of magnitude for energetic particles crossing the images of Metis and other instruments such as STIX and EUI.
Context. The Solar Orbiter Metis coronagraph captures images of the solar corona in both visible (VL) and ultraviolet (UV) light. Tracks ascribable to the passage of galactic and solar particles ...appear in the Metis images. An algorithm implemented in the Metis processing electronics allows us to separate the pixels fired by VL photons from those crossed by high-energy particles. These spurious pixels are stored in cosmic-ray matrices that can be visually analyzed for particle monitoring deep into the spacecraft’s interior. This algorithm has been enabled for the VL instrument only, since the process of separating the particle tracks from pixels fired by photons in the UV images was shown to be quite challenging with respect to a quantitative analysis. Aims. This work is aimed at studying galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) with the Metis cosmic-ray matrices in February 2023. Methods. We compared a visual analysis of Metis cosmic-ray matrices gathered on February 22, 2023, with GCRs only, and on February 25, 2023 with both GCRs and SEPs, to Monte Carlo simulations of the VL instrument during the same days. Results. We estimated the solar modulation parameter associated with the GCR proton energy spectrum in February 2023. We show that Metis plays the role of monitoring galactic and solar protons. The Metis particle observations are used for the diagnostics of the VL instrument performance and to study the spacecraft inner charging from solar minimum towards the next solar maximum. These achievements have been attained with the benefit of the joint observations of Metis, the Energetic Particle Detector/High Energy Telescope, and near-Earth and Earth-based instruments.
Context.
The Metis coronagraph is one of the remote sensing instruments hosted on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. Metis is devoted to carry out the first simultaneous imaging of the solar ...corona in both visible light (VL) and ultraviolet (UV). High-energy particles can penetrate spacecraft materials and may limit the performance of the on-board instruments. A study of the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) tracks observed in the first VL images gathered by Metis during the commissioning phase is presented here. A similar analysis is planned for the UV channel.
Aims.
We aim to formulate a prediction of the GCR flux up to hundreds of GeV for the first part of the Solar Orbiter mission to study the performance of the Metis coronagraph.
Methods.
The GCR model predictions are compared to observations gathered on board Solar Orbiter by the High-Energy Telescope in the range between 10 MeV and 100 MeV in the summer of 2020 as well as with the previous measurements. Estimated cosmic-ray fluxes above 70 MeV n
−1
have been also parameterized and used for Monte Carlo simulations aimed at reproducing the cosmic-ray track observations in the Metis coronagraph VL images. The same parameterizations can also be used to study the performance of other detectors.
Results.
By comparing observations of cosmic-ray tracks in the Metis VL images with FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations of cosmic-ray interactions in the VL detector, we find that cosmic rays fire only a fraction, on the order of 10
−4
, of the whole image pixel sample. We also find that the overall efficiency for cosmic-ray identification in the Metis VL images is approximately equal to the contribution of
Z
≥ 2 GCR particles. A similar study will be carried out during the whole of the Solar Orbiter’s mission duration for the purposes of instrument diagnostics and to verify whether the Metis data and Monte Carlo simulations would allow for a long-term monitoring of the GCR proton flux.
The Metis coronagraph is one of the remote sensing instruments hosted on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission. Metis is devoted to carry out the first simultaneous imaging of the solar corona in ...both visible light (VL) and ultraviolet (UV). High-energy particles penetrate spacecraft materials and may limit the performance of on-board instruments. A study of galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) tracks observed in the first VL images gathered by Metis during the commissioning phase for a total of 60 seconds of exposure time is presented here. A similar analysis is planned for the UV channel. A prediction of the GCR flux up to hundreds of GeV is made here for the first part of the Solar Orbiter mission to study the Metis coronagraph performance. GCR model predictions are compared to observations gathered on board Solar Orbiter by the EPD/HET experiment in the range 10 MeV-100 MeV in the summer 2020 and with previous measurements. Estimated cosmic-ray fluxes above 70 MeV n\(^{-1}\) have been also parameterized and used for Monte Carlo simulations aiming at reproducing the cosmic-ray track observations in the Metis coronagraph VL images. The same parameterizations can also be used to study the performance of other detectors. By comparing observations of cosmic-ray tracks in the Metis VL images with FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations of cosmic-ray interactions in the VL detector, it is found that cosmic rays fire a fraction of the order of 10\(^{-4}\) of the whole image pixel sample. Therefore, cosmic rays do not affect sensibly the quality of Metis VL images. It is also found that the overall efficiency for cosmic-ray identification in the Metis VL images is approximately equal to the contribution of Z\(>\)2 particles. As a result, the Metis coronagraph may play the role of a proton monitor for long-term GCR variations during the overall mission duration.
Although a growing literature points to substantial variation in speech/language abilities related to individual differences in musical abilities, mainstream models of communication sciences and ...disorders have not yet incorporated these individual differences into childhood speech/language development. This article reviews three sources of evidence in a comprehensive body of research aligning with three main themes: (a) associations between musical rhythm and speech/language processing, (b) musical rhythm in children with developmental speech/language disorders and common comorbid attentional and motor disorders, and (c) individual differences in mechanisms underlying rhythm processing in infants and their relationship with later speech/language development. In light of converging evidence on associations between musical rhythm and speech/language processing, we propose the Atypical Rhythm Risk Hypothesis, which posits that individuals with atypical rhythm are at higher risk for developmental speech/language disorders. The hypothesis is framed within the larger epidemiological literature in which recent methodological advances allow for large‐scale testing of shared underlying biology across clinically distinct disorders. A series of predictions for future work testing the Atypical Rhythm Risk Hypothesis are outlined. We suggest that if a significant body of evidence is found to support this hypothesis, we can envision new risk factor models that incorporate atypical rhythm to predict the risk of developing speech/language disorders. Given the high prevalence of speech/language disorders in the population and the negative long‐term social and economic consequences of gaps in identifying children at‐risk, these new lines of research could potentially positively impact access to early identification and treatment.
This article is categorized under:
Linguistics > Language in Mind and Brain
Neuroscience > Development
Linguistics > Language Acquisition
The article proposes the Atypical Rhythm Risk Hypothesis, which posits that individuals with poor rhythm are at higher risk for developmental speech/language disorders. If a significant body of evidence is found to support this hypothesis, we can envision new risk factor models that incorporate atypical rhythm to predict risk of developing speech/language disorders.
Abstract Background Variability in the vocabulary outcomes of children with cochlear implants (CIs) is partially explained by child‐directed speech (CDS) characteristics. Yet, relatively little is ...known about whether and how mothers adapt their lexical and prosodic characteristics to the child's hearing status (before and after implantation, and compared with groups with normal hearing (NH)) and how important they are in affecting vocabulary development in the first 12 months of hearing experience. Aims To investigate whether mothers of children with CIs produce CDS with similar lexical and prosodic characteristics compared with mothers of age‐matched children with NH, and whether they modify these characteristics after implantation. In addition, to investigate whether mothers’ CDS characteristics predict children's early vocabulary skills before and after implantation. Methods & Procedures A total of 34 dyads (17 with NH, 17 with children with CIs; ages = 9–32 months), all acquiring Italian, were involved in the study. Mothers’ and children's lexical quantity (tokens) and variety (types), mothers’ prosodic characteristics (pitch range and variability), and children's vocabulary skills were assessed at two time points, corresponding to before and 1 year post‐CI activation for children with CIs. Children's vocabulary skills were assessed using parent reports; lexical and prosodic characteristics were observed in semi‐structured mother–child interactions. Outcomes & Results Results showed that mothers of children with CIs produced speech with similar lexical quantity but lower lexical variety, and with increased pitch range and variability, than mothers of children with NH. Mothers generally increased their lexical quantity and variety and their pitch range between sessions. Children with CIs showed reduced expressive vocabulary and lower lexical quantity and variety than their peers 12 months post‐CI activation. Mothers’ prosodic characteristics did not explain variance in children's vocabulary skills; their lexical characteristics predicted children's early vocabulary and lexical outcomes, especially in the NH group, but were not related to later language development. Conclusions & Implications Our findings confirm previous studies on other languages and support the idea that the lexical characteristics of mothers’ CDS have a positive effect on children's early measures of vocabulary development across hearing groups, whereas prosodic cues play a minor role. Greater input quantity and quality may assist children in the building of basic language model representations, whereas pitch cues may mainly serve attentional and emotional processes. Results emphasize the need for additional longitudinal studies investigating the input received from other figures surrounding the child and its role for children's language development. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject Mothers’ CDS is thought to facilitate and support language acquisition in children with various language developmental trajectories, including children with CIs. Because children with CIs are at risk for language delays and have acoustic processing limitations, their mothers may have to produce a lexically simpler but prosodically richer input, compared to mothers of children with NH. Yet, the literature reports mixed findings and no study to our knowledge has concurrently addressed the role of mothers’ lexical and prosodic characteristics for children's vocabulary development before implantation and in the first 12 months of hearing experience. What this study adds to the existing knowledge The study shows that mothers of children with CIs produce input of similar quantity but reduced variety, and with heightened pitch characteristics, compared to mothers of children with NH. There was also a general increase in mothers’ lexical quantity and variety, and in their pitch range, between sessions. Only their lexical characteristics predicted children's early vocabulary skills. Their lexical variety predicted children's expressive vocabulary and lexical variety only in the NH group. What are the practical and clinical implications of this work? These findings expand our knowledge about the effects of maternal input and may contribute to the improvement of early family‐centred intervention programmes for supporting language development in children with CIs.
Numa situação de emergência sanitária, o grau de cumprimento público das ordens governamentais das autoridades de saúde pode afetar grandemente o curso da pandemia. Partindo do pressuposto que o ...(in)cumprimento das recomendações das autoridades está diretamente ligado à confiança nas fontes de informação, neste artigo, discutimos o caso concreto da comunicação governamental de Portugal durante o início da segunda vaga da doença. No contexto de uma investigação internacional da rede European Public Relations Education and Research Association Com-Covid, foi aplicado um inquérito online a 460 cidadãos portugueses entre 7 de outubro e 11 de novembro de 2020. Para este trabalho analisamos uma secção do inquérito com questões relativas às fontes de informação que inspiram maior confiança junto da população portuguesa e à opinião dos portugueses sobre a gestão da comunicação do governo. Os inquéritos foram codificados e inseridos no software estatístico SPSS. O estudo concluiu que sobressai uma perceção positiva sobre a comunicação governamental entre os inquiridos, mas que os portugueses consideram os atores do campo da saúde fontes de informação mais confiáveis do que os media ou as autoridades governamentais. Em relação à questão de género, concluiu-se que as mulheres confiam mais no governo e que têm também melhor opinião sobre a comunicação das autoridades. No que concerne à idade, verificou-se serem os jovens quem mais confia nas autoridades e nos media, ao mesmo tempo que são os mais críticos do desempenho do governo na gestão comunicacional da crise. De maneira geral, os inquiridos demonstraram pouca confiança nas redes sociais digitais e nos influenciadores digitais como fonte de informação sobre a covid-19, sendo que quanto maior é o grau académico menor é a confiança dos inquiridos nos influencers e nas redes sociais digitais.
Abstract
Background and Aims
The approved therapeutic indication for immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are rapidly expanding; however the immune-related toxicities associated with CPIs can limit ...its efficacy.
Case Report.
A 52 year-old female diagnosed with left ocular melanoma and treated for 14 months with nivolumab developed non-oliguric, stage 3 (KDIGO), Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and mixed proteinuria (0.6 g/day), then was transferred in our Unit. As known causes of AKI were excluded, kidney biopsy was performed. By Optical Microscopy, there were 33 normal glomeruli; arteries and arterioles were normal. The main damage was interstitial and characterized by tubulitis, tubular necrosis, non-isometric citoplasmatic vacuolization and diffuse, acute and chronic, CD4+,
inflammatory infiltrate (Figure 1, 2). By Immunofluorescence, 27 glomeruli were negative for all eight tested antibodies (IgA, IgM, IgG, F, C3, C1q, kappa and lambda light chains). On the basis of these histological findings, Nivolumab-induced Acute Tubulo-Interstitial Nephritis was diagnosed. Nivolumab was discontinuated. Patient was treated by steroids and she achieved almost complete renal function recovery (Figure 3).
Conclusions.
CPIs can induce a long-term Acute Kidney Injury. Histological features are characterized by Acute Tubulo-Interstitial Nephritis. Steroids can improve renal outcome. In patients treated with CPIs a multidisciplinary management between oncologists and nephrologists is desirable for monitoring renal function at basal, after drug administration and in the long-term follow-up.
•Balance of lexical knowledge affects processing efficiency in each language.•Between age 6–9 processing efficiency improves more for unbalanced bilinguals.•Bilingual proficiency affects responses to ...words similar in form but not meaning.•Cross-language similarity affects the course of bilingual lexical development.
Using a picture–auditory word recognition task, we examined how early child bilinguals access their languages and how the languages affect one another. Accuracy and response times in “false friends” (i.e., words with similar form but unrelated meanings) and semantically related words were compared with control conditions within and across languages and grades. Study 1 tested the performance of school-age children with balanced versus unbalanced knowledge of first-language (L1) Italian and second-language (L2) German. Study 2 compared unbalanced bilingual children with L1 Italian and L2 French or German to investigate the effect of lexical similarity in the children’s languages. Children were found to activate both languages on receiving an auditory stimulus; performance in each language was affected by proficiency in the other language, degree of between-language similarity, and length of experience with each language. The BLINCS (Bilingual Language Interactive Network for Comprehension of Speech) model was invoked as a plausible framework for conceptualizing the nature of bilingual phonolexical representation and its effect on word recognition.
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