Visible Space Research Articles

Value of MRI-visible perivascular spaces in predicting levodopa responsiveness of patients with Parkinson’s disease

PurposeInter-individual difference in levodopa responsiveness is a challenge for physicians to administer personalized treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Previous studies demonstrated that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible perivascular spaces (PVS) might lead to an incomplete response to levodopa. This study aimed to investigate the association between MRI-visible PVS and levodopa responsiveness in patients with PD. MethodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled a total of 327 patients with PD (median age 64.0[57.0–68.0] years, 180 male) who had undergone high-resolution T2-weighted structural MRI at our hospital between 2019 and 2023. An acute levodopa challenge test was performed to evaluate levodopa responsiveness. The patients were divided into two groups: levodopa responsive (MDS-UPDRS-III reduction ≥ 33 %, n = 274) and irresponsive groups (MDS-UPDRS-III reduction < 33 %, n = 53). We employed quantitative and semi-quantitative methods to evaluate MRI-visible PVS in patients with PD, including PVS number, volume fraction, and visual score. Additionally, the imaging features of the levodopa-responsive and irresponsive groups were compared. ResultsThere were no significant differences in PVS number, volume fraction, and visual score between the levodopa-responsive and −irresponsive groups. The indicators from quantitative and semi-quantitative analyses of PVS were not found to be independent predictors of levodopa responsiveness. None of the indicators from the quantitative or semi-quantitative analyses of PVS were significantly associated with poor responsiveness to levodopa treatment. ConclusionsMRI-visible PVS are not independently associated with levodopa responsiveness, and their value in predicting levodopa responsiveness in patients with PD is limited.

Higher Long-Term Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability Is Associated With Severe Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in the General Population.

Long-term visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability is linked to various diseases, but its impact on cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) burden, and its features remains uncertain. We analyzed 1284 participants from the Kailuan cohort (2006-2022). Visit-to-visit systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP) variability were categorized into tertiles (low, middle, high). Magnetic resonance imaging identified white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunae of presumed vascular origin (LA), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and visible perivascular spaces (PVS). Total cSVD burden was classified as none (0), mild (1), moderate (2), or severe (3-4) based on the presence of these features. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). High SBP variability was associated with moderate cSVD burden (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.09-3.29) and PVS (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.10-2.39). High DBP variability was associated with LA (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.06-2.84). High PP variability showed a significant risk for severe cSVD burden (OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.34-4.63). These associations were modified by age and hypertension status. Among young adults (age < 60 years), high PP variability was associated with severe cSVD burden (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.31-8.44), LA (OR = 3.02, 95% CI: 1.31-6.93), and PVS (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.20-2.88). The risk effects of SBP and PP variability on cSVD burden were significant only in participants with hypertension. High long-term visit-to-visit BP variability (BPV), particularly in combination with hypertension, is a significant risk factor for total cSVD. Special attention should be given to PP variability in younger adults.

Evaluating the relationship between visual privacy and work-process interactions in open-plan offices: a space syntax approach

PurposePrevious studies on privacy in offices have primarily focused on the characteristics of generic visibility, examining the entire visible space from each workspace in 360 degrees. Nevertheless, employees in their workspaces investigate the visual targets within their binocular vision at 120 degrees. Therefore, by adopting the affordances perspective, this study aims to examine deeply generic and targeted visibility in open-plan offices and their relationship to interactions.Design/methodology/approachThe study consisted of two phases utilizing space syntax techniques. Initially, work-process interactions of the employees were determined through the survey. The survey data underwent spatial analysis to calculate the number of work-process interactions. Subsequently, DepthMapX software was used for visibility analyses. A new Python script for DepthMapX was developed to analyse the targeted visibility ratio. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the number of work-process interactions with generic and targeted visibility parameters.FindingsThe findings revealed that a higher number of visible employees within the 120-degree and 360-degree fields of vision corresponded to a lower number of work-process interactions in open-plan offices. Furthermore, the study establishes a direct link between visual privacy and interaction, indicating that increased visibility leads to decreased visual privacy.Originality/valueThe current research concluded that the relationship between visual privacy and interaction in open-plan offices differs from the previous studies, as employees with low visual privacy and high visibility tend to engage in fewer interactions. Overall, this study highlights that increased employee visibility is not directly associated with increased interaction in open-plan offices unless adequate visual privacy is provided.

Effect of dietary glycerol monolaurate supplementation on gene expression, intestinal mucosa and microbiota of juvenile black sea bream (Acanthopagrus schlegelii).

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a chemical compound derived from the combination of lauric acid and glycerol, exhibiting potent antimicrobial properties. An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Glycerol Monolaurate (GML) on juvenile black sea bream. The control diet included 24% fish meal, while five additional diets were formulated with increasing GML concentrations: 0.01% (GML1), 0.02% (GML2), 0.04% (GML3), 0.08% (GML4), and 0.16% (GML5). Each diet was assigned to triplicate tanks. At the end of the experiment, serum immune and antioxidant in liver were non-significantly different among the groups. The relative gene expression of IGF-1 and GH in liver was statistically higher in the GML3 treated. The relative gene expression of IL-1, TGF, TNF-1, CCK, CLDN1, CASS-3 and GPR41 in intestine were statistically higher in the GML3 group. The photomicrographs of transmission electron microscope of the intestine were also studied. The GML supplemented groups had longer brush borders. The cells seemed to be joined by an intact junctional complex without visible intercellular spaces. The observed variations in phyla, class, and genus did not demonstrate statistical significance. Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria in the phylum, and Oxyphotobacteria, Bacteroidia, Holophagae and Negativicutes in the class, Brevundimonas, and Achromobacter in the genera were all substantially increased with higher levels of GML supplementation. Based on these results, it is suggested that glycerol monolaurate (GML) may serve as a potential dietary supplement for promoting different gene expression and intestinal health in black sea bream.

T2 MRI visible Perivascular Spaces in Parkinson`s Disease: clinical significance and association with polysomnography measured sleep.

Poor sleep quality might contribute to the risk and progression of neurodegenerative disorders via deficient cerebral waste clearance functions during sleep. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we explore the link between enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS), a putative marker of sleep-dependent glymphatic clearance, with sleep quality and motor symptoms in Parkinson`s disease (PD) patients. T2-weighted MRI images of 20 patients and 17 healthy control subjects were estimated visually for PVS in the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CSO). The patient group additionally underwent a single-night polysomnography. Readouts included polsyomnographic sleep features and slow-wave activity (SWA), a quantitative EEG marker of sleep depth. Associations between PVS counts, PD symptoms (MDS-UPDRS scores) and sleep parameters were evaluated using correlation and regression analyses. Intra- and inter-rater reproducibility was assessed with weighted Cohen`s kappa coefficient. BG and CSO PVS counts in both patients and controls did not differ significantly between groups. In patients, PVS in both brain regions were negatively associated with SWA (1-2Hz) (BG: r(15)=-0.58, padj=0.015 and CSO: r(15)=-0.6, padj=0.015). Basal ganglia PVS counts were positively associated with motor symptoms of daily living (IRR=1.05, CI [1.01, 1.09], p=0.007, padj=0.026) and antidepressant use (IRR=1.37, CI [1.05, 1.80], p=0.021, padj=0.043) after controlling for age. Centrum Semiovale PVS counts in patients were positively associated with a diagnosis of REM sleep behaviour disorder (IRR=1.39, CI [1.06 , 1.84]), p=0.018, padj=0.11). These results add evidence that sleep deterioration may play a role in impairing glymphatic clearance via altered perivascular function, potentially contributing to disease severity in PD patients.

Discourses of Hate

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the global North has seen a drastic increase in usage of platform apps’ services. Platforms such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Deliveroo have become staples that connect consumers directly to workers on standby, ready to be activated at a moment’s notice to rideshare or deliver food orders. These companies offer low barriers of entry and flexible work hours, which is the ideal situation for many migrants looking for work. The scope of this research aims to build an understanding of the intersection between the rise of the far-right and the anti-immigration rhetoric in Canada and the EU that influences the hate faced by racialized migrants working highly visible gig jobs in the platform economy. By examining academic articles, news reports, and social media communications of far-right groups a major theme is apparent. The online rhetoric of the far-right can be categorized through its usage of fear and hate against racialized migrants. Migrants have been depicted as sexual threats to women, economic threats to workers, and an overall threat to the white population through demographic replacement. This conspiracy theory, known as the ‘Great Replacement’, found its way into the discursive attempts of far-right groups and political parties (ex. Chega - Portugal; VOX - Spain) to promote anti-immigration and violence against migrants. The threat that this rhetoric poses to racialized migrant workers has yet to be fully explored, and despite passing mention in a few academic articles, the violence faced by workers in the platform economy is not common in the literature, even more so in regards to its intersection with race based hate. This gap brings further questions concerning alliances among workers, advocacy groups, and trade unions based along the lines of ethnic, racial, and gendered differences to combat the growth of support for the far-right. With reasonable speculation, this research contends that far-right rhetoric and violence will continue to be targeted at racialized migrants in visible spaces and jobs, such as those in the gig economy which requires further labour solidarity and activism to aid migrants in vulnerable situations.

A 3D visible space index for evaluating urban openness based on the digital urban model

The evaluation of urban open spaces plays an important role in landscape design, urban management and public security. However, few three-dimensional openness approaches with high accuracy and applicability to multiple data models have been developed. A method has been developed to measure the openness of an arbitrary location in an urban space accurately. This method is based mainly on the geometric subdivision of 3D space. First, a complete visual sphere was constructed with the viewpoint as the centre. The visual sphere was subsequently uniformly subdivided by multiple lines of sight at certain horizontal and vertical angle intervals, generating multiple discrete visual difference elements (VDEs). Finally, the specific visible volumes in each VDE were calculated separately to accumulate the all-visible volumes. The visible space index (VSI) was defined as the ratio of all visible space volumes to the visual sphere. The results indicate that the proposed method can accurately calculate the volume of visible space at any location, and the corresponding VSI reflects the difference of visible space in urban environments under different terrain conditions. The proposed method is expected to provide technical support for large-scale urban openness mapping, consequently contributing to the unified evaluation of urban space.

Biological sex and BMI influence the longitudinal evolution of adolescent and young adult MRI-visible perivascular spaces.

An association recently emerged between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-visible perivascular spaces (MV-PVS) with intracerebral solute clearance and neuroinflammation, in adults. However, it is unknown how MV-PVS change throughout adolescence and what factors influence MV-PVS volume and morphology. This study assesses the temporal evolution of MV-PVS volume in adolescents and young adults, and secondarily evaluates the relationship between MV-PVS, age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). This analysis included a 783 participant cohort from the longitudinal multicenter National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence study that involved up to 6 imaging visits spanning 5 years. Healthy adolescents aged 12-21 years at study entry with at least two MRI scans were included. The primary outcome was mean MV-PVS volume (mm 3 /white matter cm 3 ). On average, males had greater MV-PVS volume at all ages compared to females. A linear mixed-effect model for MV-PVS volume was performed. Mean BMI and increases in a person's BMI were associated with increases in MV-PVS volume over time. In females only, changes in BMI correlated with MV-PVS volume. One unit increase in BMI above a person's average BMI was associated with a 0.021 mm 3 /cm 3 increase in MV-PVS volume (p<0.001). This longitudinal study showed sex differences in MV-PVS features during adolescence and young adulthood. Importantly, we report that increases in BMI from a person's mean BMI are associated with increases in MV-PVS volume in females only. These findings suggest a potential link between MV-PVS, sex, and BMI that warrants future study.

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Inflammation and Biopsy-Positive Primary Angiitis of the CNS: A Comparative Study.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation (CAA-RI) and biopsy-positive primary angiitis of the CNS (BP-PACNS) have overlapping clinicoradiologic presentations. It is unknown whether clinical and radiologic features can differentiate CAA-RI from BP-PACNS and whether both diseases have different relapse rates. The objectives of this study were to compare clinicoradiologic presentations and relapse rates in patients with CAA-RI vs BP-PACNS. Patients with CAA-RI and BP-PACNS were enrolled from 2 retrospective multicenter cohorts. Patients with CAA-RI were biopsy-positive or met probable clinicoradiologic criteria. Patients with BP-PACNS had histopathologic confirmation of CNS angiitis, with no secondary etiology. A neuroradiologist read brain MRIs, blinded to the diagnosis of CAA-RI or BP-PACNS. Clinicoradiologic features were compared using univariable logistic regression models. Relapse rates were compared using a univariable Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model, with death as a competing risk. This study enrolled 104 patients with CAA-RI (mean age 73 years, 48% female sex) and 52 patients with BP-PACNS (mean age 45 years, 48% female sex). Patients with CAA-RI more often had white matter hyperintense lesions meeting the probable CAA-RI criteria (93% vs 51%, p < 0.001), acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (15% vs 2%, p = 0.02), cortical superficial siderosis (27% vs 4%, p < 0.001), ≥1 lobar microbleed (94% vs 26%, p < 0.001), past intracerebral hemorrhage (17% vs 4%, p = 0.04), ≥21 visible centrum semiovale perivascular spaces (34% vs 4%, p < 0.01), and leptomeningeal enhancement (70% vs 27%, p < 0.001). Patients with BP-PACNS more often had headaches (56% vs 31%, p < 0.01), motor deficits (56% vs 36%, p = 0.02), and nonischemic parenchymal gadolinium enhancement (82% vs 16%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of acute ischemic lesions was 18% in CAA-RI and 22% in BP-PACNS (p = 0.57). The features with the highest specificity for CAA-RI were acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (98%), cortical superficial siderosis (96%), past intracerebral hemorrhage (96%), and ≥21 visible centrum semiovale perivascular spaces (96%). The probable CAA-RI criteria had a 71% sensitivity (95% CI 44%-90%) and 91% specificity (95% CI 79%-98%) in differentiating biopsy-positive CAA-RI from BP-PACNS. The rate of relapse in the first 2 years after remission was lower in CAA-RI than in BP-PACNS (hazard ratio 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.96, p = 0.04). Clinicoradiologic features differed between patients with CAA-RI and those with BP-PACNS. Specific markers for CAA-RI were hemorrhagic signs of subarachnoid involvement, past intracerebral hemorrhage, ≥21 visible centrum semiovale perivascular spaces, and the probable CAA-RI criteria. A biopsy remains necessary for diagnosis in some cases of CAA-RI. The rate of relapse in the first 2 years after disease remission was lower in CAA-RI than in BP-PACNS.

Inner walls or vortices? Crescent-shaped asymmetries in ALMA observations of protoplanetary discs

ABSTRACT Crescent-shaped asymmetries are common in millimetre observations of protoplanetary discs and are usually attributed to vortices or dust overdensities. However, they often appear on a single side of the major axis and roughly symmetric about the minor axis, suggesting a geometric origin. In this work, we interpret such asymmetries as emission from the exposed inner cavity walls of inclined discs and use them to characterize their vertical extent. Here we focus on the discs around CIDA 9 and RY Tau, first modelling their observations in visibility space with a simple geometric prescription for the walls, and then exploring more detailed radiative transfer models. Accounting for the wall emission yields significantly better residuals than purely axisymmetric models, and we estimate the dust scale height of these systems to be 0.4 au at 37 au for CIDA 9 and 0.2 au at 12 au for RY Tau. Finally, we identify crescent-shaped asymmetries in twelve discs, nine of which have constraints on their orientation – in all cases, the asymmetry appears on the far-side of the disc, lending support to the hypothesis that they are due to their inner rims. Modelling this effect in larger samples of discs will help to build a statistical view of their vertical structure.

Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) reduced phoenixin expression, induced abnormal sperm and testis morphology in male rats

Chronic stress caused by prolonged emotional pressure can lead to various physiological issues, including reproductive dysfunction. Although reproductive problems can also induce chronic stress, the impact of chronic stress-induced reproductive dysfunction remains contentious. This study investigates the effects of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) on reproductive neuropeptides, sperm quality, and testicular morphology. Sixteen twelve-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were divided into two groups: a non-stress control group and a CUS-induced group. The CUS regimen involved various stressors over 28 days, with both groups undergoing behavioural assessments through sucrose-preference and forced-swim tests. Hypothalamic gene expression levels of CRH, PNX, GPR173, kisspeptin, GnRH, GnIH, and spexin neuropeptides were measured via qPCR, while plasma cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone concentrations were quantified using ELISA. Seminal fluid and testis samples were collected for sperm analysis and histopathological evaluation, respectively. Results showed altered behaviours in CUS-induced rats, reflecting stress impacts. Hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) expression and plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher in CUS-induced rats compared to controls (p < 0.05). Conversely, phoenixin (PNX) expression decreased in the CUS group (p < 0.05), while kisspeptin, spexin, and gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) levels showed no significant differences between groups. Despite a significant increase in GnRH expression (p < 0.05), plasma LH and testosterone concentrations were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in CUS-induced rats. Histopathological analysis revealed abnormal testis morphology in CUS-induced rats, including disrupted architecture, visible interstitial spaces between seminiferous tubules, and absence of spermatogenesis. In conclusion, CUS affects reproductive function by modulating PNX and GnRH expression, influencing cortisol levels, and subsequently reducing plasma LH and testosterone concentrations. This study highlights the complex interplay between chronic stress and reproductive health, emphasizing the significant impact of stress on reproductive functions.

Searching for planet-driven dust spirals in ALMA visibilities

ABSTRACT Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) observations of the thermal emission from protoplanetary disc dust have revealed a wealth of substructures that could evidence embedded planets, but planet-driven spirals, one of the more compelling lines of evidence, remain relatively rare. Existing works have focused on detecting these spirals using methods that operate in image space. Here, we explore the planet detection capabilities of fitting planet-driven spirals to disc observations directly in visibility space. We test our method on synthetic ALMA observations of planet-containing model discs for a range of disc/observational parameters, finding it significantly outperforms image residuals in identifying spirals in these observations and is able to identify spirals in regions of the parameter space in which no gaps are detected. These tests suggest that a visibility-space fitting approach warrants further investigation and may be able to find planet-driven spirals in observations that have not yet been found with existing approaches. We also test our method on six discs in the Taurus molecular cloud observed with ALMA at 1.33 mm, but find no evidence for planet-driven spirals. We find that the minimum planet masses necessary to drive detectable spirals range from ≈0.03 to $0.5 \, M_{\text{Jup}}$ over orbital radii of 10–100 au, with planet masses below these thresholds potentially hiding in such disc observations. Conversely, we suggest that planets ≳0.5–1 MJup can likely be ruled out over orbital radii of ≈20–$60 \, \text{au}$ on the grounds that we would have detected them if they were present.

Indoor view-based visibility analysis using UAV and TLS point clouds with Line-of-Sight correction

Visibility analysis is a crucial geographic information processing method, used to assess the observable spatial range from a particular location under specific conditions. It has broad applications, such as urban planning, landscape design and environmental research. Laser scanning provides detailed and accurate 3D data for visibility analysis, called point cloud. However, certain deficiencies still exist in current point cloud-based visibility analysis methods. Few methods are developed from indoor perspective and the influence of point cloud void is rarely considered. Firstly, indoor viewpoints are generated based on the windows extracted from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point cloud and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) point cloud is used to provide 3D representation of the environment around the viewpoint. Then, a half-sphere viewshed is created for each indoor viewpoint to analyze the visible spatial range. In this step, a novel line-of-sight correction method is proposed based on the semantic information from UAV point cloud, to correct the biased observation distance resulted from point cloud voids. Lastly, the volume of visible space is calculated based on the corrected viewshed image, to evaluate the visibility of each indoor viewpoint. Our method is validated on two datasets. The results indicate that our method enables more accurate simulation of visible space compared with previous studies by considering the effect of point cloud void. The proposed method can support the urban design from the perspective of indoor visual perception and accurate calculation of other visual factors in visual quality evaluation.

Distinction of Chaos from Randomness Is Not Possible from the Degree Distribution of the Visibility and Phase Space Reconstruction Graphs.

We investigate whether it is possible to distinguish chaotic time series from random time series using network theory. In this perspective, we selected four methods to generate graphs from time series: the natural, the horizontal, the limited penetrable horizontal visibility graph, and the phase space reconstruction method. These methods claim that the distinction of chaos from randomness is possible by studying the degree distribution of the generated graphs. We evaluated these methods by computing the results for chaotic time series from the 2D Torus Automorphisms, the chaotic Lorenz system, and a random sequence derived from the normal distribution. Although the results confirm previous studies, we found that the distinction of chaos from randomness is not generally possible in the context of the above methodologies.

The Impacts of Visible Green Spaces on the Mental well-being of University Students

The benefits of green spaces on individuals’ health have been widely acknowledged due to their inherent natural qualities. Currently, university students are experiencing significantly higher levels of mental health problems than other social groups. There is a scarcity of studies examining the association between built environment factors and mental health issues among university students, particularly in the Chinese context. University campuses in China are physically isolated, secluded communities, and in this respect, they differ markedly from the spatial organisation patterns of Western universities. Therefore, this study focuses on the correlation between the extent of green space exposure within closed university campuses and the occurrence of mental health issues among resident students. A deep-learning methodology incorporating streetscape images, remote sensing data, and multilevel linear modelling is employed in order to facilitate a comprehensive analysis. The results demonstrate a negative correlation between green space exposure on campus and the level of mental health issues among university students. Individual socio-demographic characteristics, such as whether a person has a partner, are also found to influence the level of mental health issues that they experience. In addition, a significant relationship is found between travel patterns and mental health issues, with students who walked regularly having a lower incidence of mental health issues than those who drove. Our research indicates that, in order to foster healthier communities and enhance social inclusion, urban planners should prioritise the development of greener campuses and urban transport services to improve accessibility to green spaces.

Visibility, Precarity and Public Spaces: Reading Matthew Arnold’s “West London” in an Indian Classroom

This essay is an account of my experience of teaching Matthew Arnold's "West London" in an Indian classroom through the conceptual prism of vulnerability. The essay argues that the configuration of public space in Arnold's poem in terms of differential class relations in Victorian society offers a literary mode of visualizing vulnerablity and prompts an ethical recognition of the humanness of marginalized characters. It further demonstrates how the peadgogic exercise of 'reading' such poetry in the contemporary urban Indian context can alert students to the politics of occupying and negotiating public spaces in terms of (the lack of) class position and privilege across diverse cultural and historical contexts.

How to study the stability of interstitial spaces: an analysis based on the case of the visibility of French intellectuals

This article reports on an investigation into the channels through which intellectuals have gained public recognition since the 1970s (quality press, intellectual journals, think tanks, conference venues, cultural radio and TV programs, publishing houses, etc.). Through the prism of field theory, we explored a space – that of the visibility of ideas – situated at the crossroads of several institutionally established fields (academic, intellectual, media, political, and economic). While the number of studies devoted to this type of interstitial space has multiplied since the 2000s, the focus has mainly been on their heteronomy through comparisons with autonomous fields. This approach tends to lose sight of the fact that they could neither emerge nor endure in the absence of stability. Based on the notion of the space of visibility of ideas, the present paper attempts to show that it is possible to apprehend the stability of these labile spaces by adopting an ethnographic approach, conducive to the articulation of micro/meso/macro levels and the mixing of methods. In so doing, we put forward the idea that interstitial spaces can ultimately be analyzed in terms of perimeters and capital, in other words, as fields.

Sensitivity of the Boston criteria version 2.0 in Dutch-type hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

The revised Boston criteria v2.0 for cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) add two radiological markers to the existing criteria: severe visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semiovale and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in a multispot pattern. This study aims to determine the sensitivity of the updated criteria in mutation carriers with Dutch-type hereditary CAA (D-CAA) in an early and later disease stage. In this cross-sectional study, we included presymptomatic and symptomatic D-CAA mutation carriers from our prospective natural history study (AURORA) at the Leiden University Medical Center between 2018 and 2021. 3-Tesla scans were assessed for CAA-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers. We compared the sensitivity of the Boston criteria v2.0 to the previously used modified Boston criteria v1.5. We included 64 D-CAA mutation carriers (mean age 49 years, 55% women, 55% presymptomatic). At least one white matter (WM) feature was seen in 55/64 mutation carriers (86%: 74% presymptomatic, 100% symptomatic). Fifteen (23%) mutation carriers, all presymptomatic, showed only WM features and no hemorrhagic markers. The sensitivity for probable CAA was similar between the new and the previous criteria: 11/35 (31%) in presymptomatic mutation carriers and 29/29 (100%) in symptomatic mutation carriers. The sensitivity for possible CAA in presymptomatic mutation carriers increased from 0/35 (0%) to 15/35 (43%) with the new criteria. The Boston criteria v2.0 increase the sensitivity for detecting possible CAA in presymptomatic D-CAA mutation carriers and, therefore, improve the detection of the early phase of CAA.

The effect of visibility on green space recovery, perception and preference

Urban green space serves as an important restorative environment for alleviating the physiological and psychological stress of residents, results which are primarily achieved through visual perception. However, air pollution results in decreased visibility, affects visual perception, and thus redues the positive effects of the experience of using the green space environment.There is a limited number of related studies. Therefore, based on the Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), this study constructed 12 groups of green space environments with different degrees of visibility and compared the physiological (SCL, α-EEG / β-EEG) and psychological (TMD) restorative effects of the participants in different environments by using photo elicitation. Combined with the perception and preference of green space, the impact of air pollution on the restoration received from the environment was explored. The results show that: (1) Visibility and green space type can affect the level of green space recovery. When the visibility is poor, the semi-open and semi-closed green spaces resulted in the best recovery; (2) When the visibility is reduced, the participants' perception of the eight types of Perceived Sensory Dimensions (PSDs) is generally reduced, and the type of green space is related to the perception of air quality; (3) As visibility decreased, participants' preference for green spaces significantly decreased; and (4) Visibility will affect green space perception and preference, thus affecting its recovery. This study provides a basis and reference for the design and construction of a higher quality restorative green space environment to effectively account for air pollution problems.

Aid from the Elf-Ruler: Line 1314a and the Pre-Christian Antecedents of Beowulf

Abstract: Line 1314b of Beowulf is regularly emended to “alwalda” (Ruler of All) from the manuscript form “alf walda” (Ruler of Elves). But the other instances of “alwalda” in Beowulf do not have visible space between the l and the w , and no plausible motivation for the addition of an f and a space has been proposed if the exemplar read “alwalda.” We contend, therefore, that MS “alf walda” is correct, and that the compound refers to the pre-Christian deity Yngvi-Freyr (to use the more familiar Norse name) rather than to the Christian God. We note that in the same passage in which “alf walda” appears, the Danes are called the “Ingwine” (friends/followers of Ing) and that later in the poem Hrothgar’s daughter is named “Freawaru” (watchful care of Freyr). Connecting this material with archaeological finds at Gamle Lejre that indicate the sacrifice of pigs (Freyr’s sacred animal), the place name Hleiðra (“the place of the tent”), and the statement in line 175 that the Danes made sacrifices “æt hærgtrafum” (at the pagan tabernacles), we argue that “alf walda” is part of a larger pattern of connections between the Danes in Beowulf and pre-Christian Germanic practices that appear to have been understood by one of Beowulf’ s sources (and perhaps by the Beowulf -poet) but which were opaque to later scribes.