bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bridging mapping and simulation modelling in the ecosystem service assessments of boreal forests: effects of bioenergy production on carbon dynamics
Authors: Akujärvi Anu , Repo Anna , Akujärvi Altti M. , Liski Jari
Published: January 2021

Background

Increasing the use of forest harvest residues for bioenergy production reduces greenhouse emissions from the use of fossil fuels. However, it may also reduce carbon stocks and habitats for deadwood dependent species. Consequently, simple tools for assessing the trade-offs of alternative management practices on forest dynamics and their services to people are needed. The objectives of this study were to combine mapping and simulation modelling to investigate the effects of forest management on ecosystem services related to carbon cycle in the case of bioenergy production; and to evaluate the suitability of this approach for assessing ecosystem services at the landscape level. Stand level simulations of forest growth and carbon budget were combined with extensive multi-source forest inventory data across a southern boreal landscape in Finland. Stochastic changes in the stand age class distribution over the study region were simulated to mimic variation in management regimes.

Results

The mapping framework produced reasonable estimates of the effects of forest management on a set of key ecosystem service indicators: the annual carbon stocks and fluxes of forest biomass and soil, timber and energy-wood production and the coarse woody litter production over a simulation period 2012–2100. Regular harvesting, affecting the stand age class distribution, was a key driver of the carbon stock changes at a landscape level. Extracting forest harvest residues in the final felling caused carbon loss from litter and soil, particularly with combined aboveground residue and stump harvesting. It also reduced the annual coarse woody litter production, demonstrating negative impacts on deadwood abundance and, consequently, forest biodiversity.

Conclusions

The refined mapping framework was suitable for assessing ecosystem services at the landscape level. The procedure contributes to bridging the gap between ecosystem service mapping and detailed simulation modelling in boreal forests. It allows for visualizing ecosystem services as fine resolution maps to support sustainable land use planning. In the future, more detailed models and a wider variety of ecosystem service indicators could be added to develop the method.
A practical approach to imaging characteristics and standardized reporting of COVID-19: a radiologic review
Authors: Sanli Deniz Esin Tekcan , Yildirim Duzgun , Sanli Ahmet Necati , Turkmen Suha , Erozan Neval , Husmen Guray , Altundag Aytug , Tuzuner Filiz
Published: January 2021

Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a pathogen that has caused a rapidly spreading pandemic all over the world. The primary mean of transmission is inhalation with a predilection for respiratory system involvement, especially in the distal airways. The disease that arises from this novel coronavirus is named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 may have a rapid and devastating course in some cases leading to severe complications and death. Radiological imaging methods have an invaluable role in diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment. In this review, radiological imaging findings of COVID-19 have been systematically reviewed based on the published literature so far. Radiologic reporting templates are also emphasized from a different point of view, considering specific distinctive patterns of involvement.
The effect of reduced scan time on response assessment FDG-PET/CT imaging using Deauville score in patients with lymphoma
Authors: Hornnes Charlotte , Loft Annika , Højgaard Liselotte , Andersen Flemming Littrup
Published: January 2021

Purpose

[18F]Fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) is used for response assessment during therapy in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Clinicians report the scans visually using Deauville criteria. Improved performance in modern PET/CT scanners could allow for a reduction in scan time without compromising diagnostic image quality. Additionally, patient throughput can be increased with increasing cost-effectiveness. We investigated the effects of reducing scan time of response assessment FDG-PET/CT in HL and NHL patients on Deauville score (DS) and image quality.

Methods

Twenty patients diagnosed with HL/NHL referred to a response assessment FDG-PET/CT were included. PET scans were performed in list-mode with an acquisition time of 120 s per bed position(s/bp). From PET list-mode data images with full acquisition time of 120 s/bp and shorter acquisition times (90, 60, 45, and 30 s/bp) were reconstructed. All images were assessed by two specialists and assigned a DS. We estimated the possible savings when reducing scan time using a simplified model based on assumed values/costs for our hospital.

Results

There were no significant changes in the visually assessed DS when reducing scan time to 90 s/bp, 60 s/bp, 45 s/bp, and 30 s/bp. Image quality of 90 s/bp images were rated equal to 120 s/bp images. Coefficient of variance values for 120 s/bp and 90 s/bp images was significantly < 15%. The estimated annual savings to the hospital when reducing scan time was 8000-16,000 €/scanner.

Conclusion

Acquisition time can be reduced to 90 s/bp in response assessment FDG-PET/CT without compromising Deauville score or image quality. Reducing acquisition time can reduce costs to the clinic.
CONTENT OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS IN ONTOGENESIS OF WILD AND CULTURAL PEA
Authors: Bobkov Sergey , Bychkov Ivan
Published: January 2021

The objective consisted in study of wild pea representatives on chlorophyll and carotenoid content for use in producing new varieties with high photosynthetic efficiency and optimal assimilate distribution. The research was conducted in 2016‑2017 in Federal Scientific Center of Legumes and Groat Crops (Orel). Plants were grown on experimental field with density 1.2 million plants/ha on triplicated plots 1 m2. Wild pea accessions k-5322 (asiaticum), k-3370 (elatius), k-4014 (elatius) from VIR collection and varieties Temp and Stabil were used. Wild accessions k-3370 and k-5322 had more chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids then leafy Temp variety on 24.5 %, 28.2 %, 41.5 % and 13.3 %, 2.7 %, 18.7 % respectively. Unlike the cultivated pea, accessions k-3370 and k-5322 retain high level of chlorophylls a and b in ontogenesis longer time. After transition from bud formation to the beginning of seed filling content of chlorophylls a and b in accession k-3370 was at the same level (11.71 mg/g и 11.1 mg/g respectively), in accession k-5322 it decreased insignificantly from 11.31 mg/g to 9.72 mg/g. Nevertheless, in variety Temp content of chlorophylls a and b significantly decreased on 34.1 % after transition from bud formation to the seed filling. Wild accession k-3370 like pea varieties had low chlorophyll a/b ratio (2.92), but accession k-5322 had the highest value (3.26) of the ratio. In wild accession k-3370 and k-5322 the chlorophyll a/b ratio was changed in ontogenesis that is no-typical for Temp variety. Pea wild accessions can be considered as sources of valuable alleles determining the high level of chlorophylls and carotenoids
Decolonizando Tarteso en el estudio de la Protohistoria mediterránea.
Authors: González-Zambrano Pablo
Published: January 2021

Tartessus has been one of the most controversial subjects in Spanish historiography for the last five centuries, although its mentions date back to the 7th century BC. In this work we analyze how the concept of Tartessus has been extrapolated to each context of historiographic production, and the different uses that have been made of it. To do this, we examine works that deal with the theme and context of Tartessus and analyze the discourse to understand how the historical narrative of the present has been colonizing the past of the southern peninsula. Such analysis has led us to discern that Tartessus, with its colonial connotations, has functioned as a hinge between the north and the south of the peninsula and as the scene of the struggle between east and west within the Mediterranean framework. Hence, Andalusian protohistory has served as a legitimizing basis for claims of the north over the south.
THE INFLUENCE OF PRINCIPAL’S ROLE AND WORK MOTIVATION TO TEACHERS JOB SATISFACTION
Authors: Dekawati Ipong , Pujiati Wresni , Sitoresmi Siwi
Published: January 2021

Job satisfaction as a support for the implementation of teacher’s functional tasks is still lacking. Based on preliminary observations, it is thought that this was caused by the lack of the principal’s role and work motivation. Therefore, this study aims to uncover the influence of the principal's role and work motivation on the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers. The hypotheses of this study are: (1) The principal's role influence the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers, (2) The work motivation influence the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers, (3) Principal's role and work motivation together influence the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers. This study uses a survey method with a quantitative approach, correlational and regression techniques—data collection techniques through a Likert scale questionnaire of 59 respondents who are teachers of public middle school. The results of data analysis show that (1) the principal's role influences the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers, (2) Work motivation influences the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers, (3) Principal's role and work motivation together influences the job satisfaction of public middle school teachers. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that some improvement efforts can be made, especially in increasing teacher job satisfaction, including involving teachers in further education and providing encouragement to start creatively and achieving, mobilizing the learning outcome evaluation team, and following the development of science. , technology, and the arts, exemplify good models of learning and counselling.
Pemetaan Risiko Penyakit Tuberkulosis (TBC) di Kota Surakarta dengan Spatial Empirical Bayes
Authors: Khoirunissa Husna Afanyn
Published: January 2021

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that can attack human with a poor immune system. In 2017, there were 723 residents of Surakarta tested positive for tuberculosis. The spatial empirical Bayes method is a good method for mapping the risk of tuberculosis because this method includes spatial dependency information and can overcome small area problems. This method can help the prevention of tuberculosis in Surakarta. In the analysis, it was found that the number of cases of tuberculosis in Surakarta has a spatial dependency that has an impact of the spread of tuberculosis. Sub-district classification with the highest risk value is Jebres, Tegalharjo, Jajar, Laweyan, Sondakan, Purwosari, Mangkubumen, Keratonan, Timuran, and Punggawan.

Keywords : tuberculosis, mapping, spatial empirical Bayes, Surakarta
Estimator Nadaraya-Watson dengan Pendekatan Cross Validation dan Generalized Cross Validation untuk Mengestimasi Produksi Jagung
Authors: Lamusu Febriolah , Machmud Tedy , Resmawan Resmawan
Published: January 2021

Nadaraya-Watson Estimator with kernel approach depends on two-parameter, those are kernel function and bandwidth choice. However, between the two of them, bandwidth choice gave a huge impact on the result of the estimation. By minimizing the value of Mean Square Error (MSE), Cross-Validation (CV) and Generalized Cross-Validation (GCV) gave the optimal bandwidth value. In this research, corn production was considered as the dependent variable, while the planted area, harvested area, and the fertilizer as the independent variable. The result of this research showed that Nadaraya-Watson Estimator with Generalized Cross-Validation gives a better corn production estimation with optimal bandwidth value 742392,2, with and  with MSE 202583,9.

Keywords: kernel, estimator Nadaraya-Watson, cross validation, generalized cross validation.
Implementasi Text Mining Pada Analisis Sentimen Pengguna Twitter Terhadap Marketplace di Indonesia Menggunakan Algoritma Support Vector Machine
Authors: Agustina Dyah Auliya , Subanti Sri , Zukhronah Etik
Published: January 2021

In this digital era, technology development has changed the behavior of society from buy offline to online. One of this behavioral changes is marked by the growth of global marketplace including in Indonesia. The big marketplaces in Indonesia that have received a lot of public response on social media are Tokopedia, Shopee, and Bukalapak. This research determines the public sentiment toward both the service and issues surrounding these three marketplaces on media social especially Twitter. Public opinion is classified into a positive or negative sentiment. The data used in this study is obtained from Twitter API (Application Programming Interface) using keyword Shopee, Tokopedia, and Bukalapak. Preprocessing texts are divided into five steps: cleansing, case folding, stemming, stopwords, and tokenizing. Training and testing data are divided using k-fold cross validation method, while visualization the characteristic of text is using word cloud. Research shows that public are posting tweet more positive sentiment than negative one. The perfomance of classification shows that the best G-mean and AUC value for Bukalapak testing data are 0.85 and 0.86 in the first fold. While the best G-mean and AUC value for Shopee testing data are 0.76 and 0.77 in the seventh fold and the best G-mean and AUC value for Tokopedia testing data are 0.82 and 0.83 in the sixth fold.

Keywords : sentiment analysis, marketplace, support vector machine, twitter
Decomposition of product graphs into sunlet graphs of order eight
Authors: SOWNDHARİYA Kaliappan , MUTHUSAMY Appu
Published: January 2021

For any integer $k\geq 3$ , we define sunlet graph of order $2k$, denoted by $L_{2k}$, as the graph consisting of a cycle of length $k$ together with $k$ pendant vertices, each adjacent to exactly one vertex of the cycle. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of $L_{8}$-decomposition of tensor product and wreath product of complete graphs.
Two families of graphs that are Cayley on nonisomorphic groups
Authors: MORRİS Joy , SMOLCİC Josip
Published: January 2021

A number of authors have studied the question of when a graph can be represented as a Cayley graph on more than one nonisomorphic group. The work to date has focussed on a few special situations: when the groups are $p$-groups; when the groups have order $pq$; when the Cayley graphs are normal; or when the groups are both abelian. In this paper, we construct two infinite families of graphs, each of which is Cayley on an abelian group and a nonabelian group. These families include the smallest examples of such graphs that had not appeared in other results.
Short-wave infrared real-time high dynamic range imaging and display based on correlated double sampling
Authors: Fei Cheng , Liu Junliang , Li Yongfu , Gu Yi , Liu Zhaojun , Zhao Xian , Fang Jiaxiong
Published: January 2021

A real-time high dynamic range (HDR) imaging and display method based on correlated double sampling is proposed for short-wave infrared (SWIR) cameras in order to effectively improve its range of brightness and contrast, as well as to obtain more image details. The method utilizes the correlated double sampling technique of the SWIR detector to extend the 14-bit raw image into a 16-bit HDR image and achieve 4 times the HDR imaging. Subsequently, a dynamic range compression process, including logarithmic mapping and histogram equalization, is performed for the 16-bit HDR image to be mapped to an 8-bit display. Finally, the experimental results show that the method can enrich the details of SWIR images under the premise of ensuring real-time imaging.
Functional photoacoustic calcium imaging using chlorophosphonazo III in a 3D tumor cell culture
Authors: Liu Wei-Wen , Chen Sheng-Hong , Li Pai-Chi
Published: January 2021

This study demonstrates that chlorophosphonazo III (CPZ III) can be used as a contrast agent for photoacoustic calcium imaging. CPZ III can pass across the plasma membrane for labeling intracellular Ca2+ without cytotoxicity. In optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM), the photoacoustic (PA) signal intensity was strongly correlated with the presence of CPZ III and Ca2+ at various concentrations. The sensitivity of PA signal reception was enhanced by using an 8 MHz single-element focused ultrasound detector due to their matched frequency characteristics. Differences in the PA signal intensity were successfully found between the core and margin areas of tumorspheres in three-dimensional cell cultures. These findings indicate that CPZ III can serve as a novel PA contrast agent for functional Ca2+ imaging using OR-PAM.
Dimensionality reduced plug and play priors for improving photoacoustic tomographic imaging with limited noisy data
Authors: Awasthi Navchetan , Kumar Kalva Sandeep , Pramanik Manojit , Yalavarthy Phaneendra K.
Published: January 2021

The reconstruction methods for solving the ill-posed inverse problem of photoacoustic tomography with limited noisy data are iterative in nature to provide accurate solutions. These methods performance is highly affected by the noise level in the photoacoustic data. A singular value decomposition (SVD) based plug and play priors method for solving photoacoustic inverse problem was proposed in this work to provide robustness to noise in the data. The method was shown to be superior as compared to total variation regularization, basis pursuit deconvolution and Lanczos Tikhonov based regularization and provided improved performance in case of noisy data. The numerical and experimental cases show that the improvement can be as high as 8.1 dB in signal to noise ratio of the reconstructed image and 67.98% in root mean square error in comparison to the state of the art methods.
Balanced-detection interferometric cavity-assisted photothermal spectroscopy employing an all-fiber-coupled probe laser configuration
Authors: Waclawek Johannes P. , Moser Harald , Lendl Bernhard
Published: January 2021

The interferometric cavity-assisted photothermal spectroscopy (ICAPS) method has been proven highly suitable for sensitive and compact gas detection by application of an optical cavity as transducer for photothermal spectroscopy. This work reports on the implementation of an overall fiber-coupled probe laser configuration detecting the reflectance of the individual interferometers in a balanced-detection ICAPS system. The layout greatly improves the overall sensor system robustness. Two identical 1 mm path length cavities were used for balanced detection, enabling sensor operation close to the fundamental limit of shot noise by efficiently cancelling excess noise. A quantum cascade laser served as a mid-infrared excitation source to induce refractive index changes in the sample, and a near-infrared fiber laser served as probe source to monitor the photo-induced refractive index variations. The metrological figures of merit for the sensor were investigated by SO2 detection. For the targeted absorption band centered at 1380.93 cm−1, a 3 ppbv minimum detection limit was achieved with a 1 s integration time, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption of 4.5 × 10−9 cm−1 W Hz−1/2.
Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic-photothermal spectroscopy for trace gas sensing
Authors: Hu Yinqiu , Qiao Shunda , He Ying , Lang Ziting , Ma Yufei
Published: January 2021

A trace gas detection technique of quartz-enhanced photoacoustic-photothermal spectroscopy (QEPA-PTS) is demonstrated. Different from quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) or quartz-enhanced photothermal spectroscopy (QEPTS), which detected only one single kind of signal, QEPA-PTS was realized by adding the photoacoustic and photothermal signals generated from two quartz tuning forks (QTFs), respectively. Water vapor (H2O) with a volume concentration of 1.01% was selected as the analyte gas to investigate the QEPA-PTS sensor performance. Compared to QEPAS and QEPTS, an enhanced signal level was achieved for this QEPA-PTS system. Further improvement of such a technique was proposed.
Robust phase unwrapping algorithm based on enhanced denoising and fringe quality improvement routines
Authors: Alcaraz Pedro Enrique , Ketchum Remington Spencer , Blanche Pierre-Alexandre
Published: January 2021

Phase unwrapping algorithms have widely been studied and implemented with efforts aimed at unwrapping wrapped phase signals. However, the presence of noise and unreliable fringe quality poses a major obstacle for the retrieval of reliable phase signals. While many techniques have been implemented to deal with the aforementioned issues, most algorithms are application dependent or difficult to implement. Here we present a simple yet effective global phase unwrapping algorithm, that does not resort to Least-Squares Minimization, making use of Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT) based spectral differentiation, Signal Dependent Rank Ordered Mean (SD-ROM) filtering, and Fuzzy Logic Edge Detection (FLED). The proposed algorithm was tested using simulated, noisy, wrapped phaseograms and has shown to improve image and fringe quality, as well as overall retrieved phase reliability.
Generation of long-distance stably propagating Bessel beams
Authors: Zhang Na , Ye Jia-Sheng , Feng Sheng-Fei , Wang Xin-Ke , Han Peng , Sun Wen-Feng , Zhang Yan , Zhang Xi-Cheng
Published: January 2021

We put forward a new optical system, which is composed of an existing axicon doublet and a newly proposed amplitude filter. The axicon doublet consists of a positive axicon and a negative axicon with high and low refractive indices, respectively. The Bessel beam generated by the axicon doublet propagates as far as more than 200 meters, owing to a small refractive index difference between the double axicons. The newly proposed amplitude filter is used to flatten the axial intensity distribution. Numerical results calculated by the complete Rayleigh-Sommerfeld method demonstrate that the generated Bessel beam propagates stably within a very long axial range. The proposed optical system is expected to have practical applications in tracking far-distance moving targets.
Transcriptional and immunological analysis of the putative outer membrane protein and vaccine candidate TprL of Treponema pallidum
Authors: Haynes Austin M. , Fernandez Mark , Romeis Emily , Mitjà Oriol , Konda Kelika A. , Vargas Silver K. , Eguiluz Maria , Caceres Carlos F. , Klausner Jeffrey D. , Giacani Lorenzo
Published: January 2021

Background

An effective syphilis vaccine should elicit antibodies toTreponema pallidumsubsp.pallidum(T.p.pallidum) surface antigens to induce pathogen clearance through opsonophagocytosis. Although the combination of bioinformatics, structural, and functional analyses ofT.p.pallidumgenes to identify putative outer membrane proteins (OMPs) resulted in a list of potential vaccine candidates, still very little is known about whether and how transcription of these genes is regulated during infection. This knowledge gap is a limitation to vaccine design, as immunity generated to an antigen that can be down-regulated or even silenced at the transcriptional level without affecting virulence would not induce clearance of the pathogen, hence allowing disease progression.

Principal findings

We report here thattp1031, theT.p.pallidumgene encoding the putative OMP and vaccine candidate TprL is differentially expressed in severalT.p.pallidumstrains, suggesting transcriptional regulation. Experimental identification of thetprLtranscriptional start site revealed that a homopolymeric G sequence of varying length resides within thetprLpromoter and that its length affects promoter activity compatible with phase variation. Conversely, in the closely related pathogenT.p. subsp.pertenue, the agent of yaws, where a naturally-occurring deletion has eliminated thetprLpromoter region, elements necessary for protein synthesis, and part of the gene ORF,tprLtranscription level are negligible compared toT.p.pallidumstrains. Accordingly, the humoral response to TprL is absent in yaws-infected laboratory animals and patients compared to syphilis-infected subjects.

Conclusion

The ability ofT.p.pallidumto stochastically varytprLexpression should be considered in any vaccine development effort that includes this antigen. The role of phase variation in contributing toT.p.pallidumantigenic diversity should be further studied.
Mediating artificial intelligence developments through negative and positive incentives
Authors: Han The Anh , Pereira Luís Moniz , Lenaerts Tom , Santos Francisco C.
Published: January 2021

The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going through a period of great expectations, introducing a certain level of anxiety in research, business and also policy. This anxiety is further energised by an AI race narrative that makes people believe they might be missing out. Whether real or not, a belief in this narrative may be detrimental as some stake-holders will feel obliged to cut corners on safety precautions, or ignore societal consequences just to “win”. Starting from a baseline model that describes a broad class of technology races where winners draw a significant benefit compared to others (such as AI advances, patent race, pharmaceutical technologies), we investigate here how positive (rewards) and negative (punishments) incentives may beneficially influence the outcomes. We uncover conditions in which punishment is either capable of reducing the development speed of unsafe participants or has the capacity to reduce innovation through over-regulation. Alternatively, we show that, in several scenarios, rewarding those that follow safety measures may increase the development speed while ensuring safe choices. Moreover, in the latter regimes, rewards do not suffer from the issue of over-regulation as is the case for punishment. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the nature and kinds of regulatory actions most suitable to improve safety compliance in the contexts of both smooth and sudden technological shifts.
Gut microbiota profile of Indonesian stunted children and children with normal nutritional status
Authors: Surono Ingrid S. , Widiyanti Dian , Kusumo Pratiwi D. , Venema Koen
Published: January 2021

The gut microbiota has been shown to play a role in energy metabolism of the host. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota may predispose to obesity on the one hand, and stunting on the other. The aim of the study was to study the difference in gut microbiota composition of stunted Indonesian children and children of normal nutritional status between 3 and 5 years. Fecal samples and anthropometric measurements, in addition to economic and hygiene status were collected from 78 stunted children and 53 children with normal nutritional status in two regions in Banten and West Java provinces: Pandeglang and Sumedang, respectively. The gut microbiota composition was determined by sequencing amplicons of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The composition was correlated to nutritional status and anthropometric parameters. Macronutrient intake was on average lower in stunted children, while energy-loss in the form of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) appeared to be higher in stunted children. In stunted children, at the phylum level the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes (44.4%) was significantly lower than in normal children (51.3%; p-value 2.55*10−4), while Firmicutes was significantly higher (45.7% vs. 39.8%; p-value 5.89*10−4). At the genus level, overall Prevotella 9 was the most abundant genus (average of 27%), and it was significantly lower in stunted children than in normal children (23.5% vs. 30.5%, respectively; q-value 0.059). Thirteen other genera were significantly different between stunted and normal children (q-value < 0.1), some of which were at low relative abundance and present in only a few children. Prevotella 9 positively correlated with height (in line with its higher relative abundance in normal children) and weight. In conclusion, Prevotella 9, which was the most abundant genus in the children, was significantly lower in stunted children. The abundance of Prevotella has been correlated with dietary fibre intake, which was lower in these stunted children. Since fibres are fermented by the gut microbiota into SCFA, and these SCFA are a source of energy for the host, increasing the proportion of Prevotella in stunted children may be of benefit. Whether this would prevent the occurrence of stunting or even has the potential to revert it, remains to be seen in follow up research.
Effectiveness of interventions to promote pesticide safety and reduce pesticide exposure in agricultural health studies: A systematic review
Authors: Afshari Maryam , Karimi-Shahanjarini Akram , Khoshravesh Sahar , Besharati Fereshteh
Published: January 2021

Objective

There is a relationship between pesticide exposure and farmworkers’ health. Well-conducted evaluations can provide an insight into how to develop and implement more effective interventions to prevent farmers and farmworkers’ exposure to pesticides. This review aimed to summarize the literature on the effectiveness of interventions to promote pesticide safety and reduce pesticide exposure among farmers and farmworkers.

Methods

A comprehensive search on PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Agricola, NIOSHTIC, and Agris databases was performed to identify relevant studies published from 2000 to 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies assessing the effectiveness of interventions on a variety of outcomes related to pesticide exposure were considered. The searches were restricted to articles written in English. The methodological quality of included reviews was appraised using the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool (EPHPP).

Results

The initial search led to 47912 records, 31 studies of which including nine RCTs and twenty-two quasi-experimental studies met the criteria. The majority of the included studies focused on the educational/ behavioral approach. The studies that applied this approach were effective in improving the participants’ knowledge and attitude; however, these interventions were less effective in terms of making changes in participants’ behaviors and their risk of exposure to toxic pesticides. Multifaceted interventions were moderately effective in terms of improving farmers’ and farmworkers’ behaviors and reduction in exposure to toxic pesticides. We did not find any studies that had evaluated the effectiveness of engineering/technological, and legislation/enforcement interventions.

Conclusions

Although the majority of studies were based on an educational/behavioral approach and did not assess the effect of interventions on objective measures, the results of this review highlight the significant effectiveness of educational programs and some potential key elements of these interventions. These findings may inform policymakers to develop interventions to reduce pesticide exposure among farmers and farmworkers.
Circulating exosomal microRNA expression patterns distinguish cardiac sarcoidosis from myocardial ischemia
Authors: Crouser Elliott D. , Julian Mark W. , Bicer Sabahattin , Ghai Vikas , Kim Taek-Kyun , Maier Lisa A. , Gillespie May , Hamzeh Nabeel Y. , Wang Kai
Published: January 2021

Objective

Cardiac sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnose, often requiring expensive and inconvenient advanced imaging techniques. Circulating exosomes contain genetic material, such as microRNA (miRNA), that are derived from diseased tissues and may serve as potential disease-specific biomarkers. We thus sought to determine whether circulating exosome-derived miRNA expression patterns would distinguish cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) from acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods

Plasma and serum samples conforming to CS, AMI or disease-free controls were procured from the Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center repository and National Jewish Health. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on exosome-derived total RNA (n = 10 for each group), and miRNA expression levels were compared after normalization using housekeeping miRNA. Quality assurance measures excluded poor quality RNA samples. Differentially expressed (DE) miRNA patterns, based upon >2-fold change (p< 0.01), were established in CS compared to controls, and in CS compared to AMI. Relative expression of several DE-miRNA were validated by qRT-PCR.

Results

Despite the advanced age of the stored samples (~5–30 years), the quality of the exosome-derived miRNA was intact in ~88% of samples. Comparing plasma exosomal miRNA in CS versus controls, NGS yielded 18 DE transcripts (12 up-regulated, 6 down-regulated), including miRNA previously implicated in mechanisms of myocardial injury (miR-92, miR-21) and immune responses (miR-618, miR-27a). NGS further yielded 52 DE miRNA in serum exosomes from CS versus AMI: 5 up-regulated in CS; 47 up-regulated in AMI, including transcripts previously detected in AMI patients (miR-1-1, miR-133a, miR-208b, miR-423, miR-499). Five miRNAs with increased DE in CS included two isoforms of miR-624 and miR-144, previously reported as markers of cardiomyopathy.

Conclusions

MiRNA patterns of exosomes derived from CS and AMI patients are distinct, suggesting that circulating exosomal miRNA patterns could serve as disease biomarkers. Further studies are required to establish their specificity relative to other cardiac disorders.
Validation of the OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0—3D accuracy assessment tool for bimaxillary surgery and genioplasty
Authors: Baan Frank , Sabelis Juliana F. , Schreurs Ruud , van de Steeg Gert , Xi Tong , van Riet Tom C. T. , Becking Alfred G. , Maal Thomas J. J.
Published: January 2021

Orthognathic surgery is a widely performed procedure to correct dentofacial deformities. Virtual treatment planning is an important preparation step. One advantage of the use of virtual treatment planning is the possibility to assess the accuracy of orthognathic surgery. In this study, a tool (OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0), which allows for quantification of the accuracy of orthognathic surgery, is presented and validated. In the OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0 the accuracy of the osseous chin can now be assessed which was not possible in the earlier version of the OrthoGnathicAnalyser. 30 patients who underwent bimaxillary surgery in combination with a genioplasty were selected from three different centers in the Netherlands. A pre-operative (CB)CT scan, virtual treatment planning and postoperative (CB)CT scan were required for assessing the accuracy of bimaxillary surgery. The preoperative and postoperative (CB)CT scans were aligned using voxel-based matching. Furthermore, voxel-based matching was used to align the pre-operative maxilla, mandible and rami towards their postoperative position whereas surface-based matching was used for aligning the pre-operative chin towards the postoperative position. The alignment resulted in a transformation matrix which contained the achieved translations and rotations. The achieved translations and rotations can be compared to planning values of the virtual treatment plan. To study the reproducibility, two independent observers processed all 30 patients to assess the inter-observer variability. One observer processed the patients twice to assess the intra-observer variability. Both the intra- and inter-observer variability showed high ICC values (> 0.92) and low measurement variations (< 0.673±0.684mm and < 0.654±0.824°). The results of this study show that the OrthoGnathicAnalyser 2.0 has an excellent reproducibility for quantification of skeletal movements between two (CB)CT scans.
El decrecimiento no es ninguna solución
Authors: Nieto Maxi
Published: January 2021

El artículo propone una crítica desde el marxismo a la teoría eco-socialista del decrecimiento basada en tres ejes principales: 1) por un lado, argumentamos que esta corriente se basa de un planteamiento fundamentalmente errado que confunde la causa última de los problemas de extralimitación ambiental, que no es el "crecimiento" en abstracto sino la lógica económica capitalista que lo gobierna, una lógica ciega que impide la regulación consciente y democrática de la economía; 2) en segundo lugar, consideramos que propone una solución socialmente injusta y reaccionaria, pues reparte responsabilidades por igual, hace recaer el coste de la reconversión ecológica sobre la clase trabajadora e impide aprovechar las enormes capacidades científico-técnicas acumuladas por la humanidad; 3) en tercer lugar, consideramos que constituye un proyecto esencialmente utópico por dos motivos: no establece unos fundamentos institucionales y económicos verdaderamente alternativos al capitalismo; y es inviable porque acaba aceptando la misma producción mercantil que está detrás de la degradación ambiental. Como conclusión, se reivindican las posibilidades de la planificación económica socialista en las condiciones tecnológicas actuales como verdadera alternativa a la crisis eco-social global.
Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017). Globalització, cultura i educació: una qüestió de desigualtat
Authors: Mulet Trobat Bartomeu , Oliver Cardell Catalina , Lorenzana Álvarez Liniana
Published: January 2021

Zygmunt Bauman fa una interpretació de la modernitat en el context de la globalització que ens interessa per la seva pertinença i coherència. Tot i que el concepte de globalització, caracteritzat des del poder hegemònic, esdevé opac i contradictori. Alhora, el concepte de modernitat es vincula al progrés, emperò també és marginador i provocador de mestissatges asimètrics de cultures en un context multicultural. Es tracta d’un estudi teòric d’anàlisi i interpretació sociològica reflexiva a través d'un repàs bibliogràfic bàsic de la seva obra. Cal entendre l'anomenada societat del canvi i líquida que explica Z. Bauman, en la pretensió de mostrar el que ell entenia que succeïa en la societat líquida que camina cap a un futur incert, com a societat moderna inacabada, també anomenada modernitat tardana. En aquest article procuram esbrinar el que entenem de la Modernitat líquida i altres aportacions de Z. Bauman des de la sociologia. Volem entendre la societat del canvi en el marc de les relacions socials segons l’estructura social jerarquitzada, la globalització asimètrica, desigualtat sociocultural i d’inseguretat generalitzada.
La atribución política de valores al Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial: los tribunales consuetudinarios
Authors: Aldeguer Cerdà Bernabé , Cañizares Vicente José
Published: January 2021

En el año 2009 la UNESCO incluyó el Tribunal de las Aguas de Valencia y el de Hombres Buenos de Murcia en la Lista Representativa del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad. Ambas instituciones de derecho consuetudinario fueron reconocidas a través de la más elevada categoría de protección inmaterial a nivel internacional. A lo largo de las últimas décadas se han emitido resoluciones consultivas (culturales, jurídicas) y desarrollado una agenda de investigación que suscitan el interés por el análisis de los valores atribuidos o atribuibles a ciertas manifestaciones culturales (materiales o inmateriales) cuya apelación serviría a los actores sociales y políticos para justificar su reconocimiento y protección como patrimonio inmaterial (García, 1999; Riegl, 1999; Maxon, 2000; Szmelte, 2013; Cejudo, 2014). La conceptualización del patrimonio cultural inmaterial se entendería como una construcción social que se realiza a través de la atribución de significado y puesta en valor de una manifestación cultural concreta del pasado que sigue viva y disponga de vocación de futuro. De esta forma, la investigación lleva a cabo el análisis de los valores (histórico, jurídico, medioambiental, de consenso, democrático e identitario) susceptibles de ser apelados y atribuidos a las instituciones de derecho consuetudinario como Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial (PCI).
Conflictos armados y perspectiva de género: Representación mediática de las niñas soldado
Authors: Patiño-Gass Laura-Yvonne , González-Aldea Patricia
Published: January 2021

Naciones Unidas estima que globalmente hay 300.000 niños y niñas soldados en conflictos. Según dicha organización en 2018 el reclutamiento de niños y niñas aumentó en varios países como en la República Centroafricana y República Democrática de Congo, y alcanzó cifras alarmantes en Sudán del Sur y Somalia. Sin embargo, ni la literatura académica ni la cobertura mediática han dedicado espacio suficiente a esta grave problemática, en especial cuando se trata de representar en los medios la realidad de las niñas soldado desde el enfoque de género. Esta investigación aborda el estudio de caso de la representación de las niñas soldado en dos conflictos africanos: Sudán del Sur y República Centroafricana. Para ello hace un análisis cualitativo de la cobertura de dichos conflictos en dos diarios considerados quality press: The Guardian y Le Monde, entre 2011-2017. Los resultados mostraron que la presencia discursiva de niñas soldado en los artículos analizados es muy limitada en comparación a los niños soldados, con un encuadre predominante de víctimas de abusos sexuales, y no en el rol de combatientes supuestamente masculino, y sin apenas cobertura de noticias positivas como los procesos de rehabilitación de estas niñas.
Estrategia exitosa de información sobre alimentación dirigida a 'millennials': el caso de Carlos Ríos en Instagram
Authors: Marauri-Castillo Iñigo , Rodríguez-González María-del-Mar , Armentia-Vizuete Ignacio , Marín-Murillo Flora
Published: January 2021

Instagram ha experimentado en los cinco últimos años un notable crecimiento en todo el mundo. El éxito de esta red social se cimenta entre los grupos de edad más jóvenes, los bautizados como millennials. Entre sus inquietudes, la propia imagen y el cuidado de su cuerpo, asociadas ambas con la salud, la alimentación y la nutrición. En el caso español, hay un especialista en nutrición, Carlos Ríos, que ha logrado sobresalir gracias al éxito en Instagram de su cuenta y del movimiento que ha bautizado como Realfooding. El objetivo del estudio que se presenta en esta investigación es identificar las claves de creación de contenido y de gestión de la red que ayuden a explicar los resultados obtenidos por este influencer. Por medio del análisis de contenido de los 164 mensajes publicados en el primer semestre de 2019 en su cuenta, se constata que la adecuación del lenguaje a los códigos de la red, la visualización de la información a través de infografías y vídeos, el humor, el uso de referentes de la cultura popular y la construcción de un relato con buenos y malos son algunas de las características que definen el exitoso estilo de Ríos.
Bebidas energéticas en los cibermedios: fuentes, encuadres y falacias en la construcción de un discurso indulgente
Authors: Argiñano José-Luis
Published: January 2021

Frente al interés manifiesto de los medios por la alimentación y sus consecuencias, la presencia de las bebidas energéticas no ha sido apenas analizada. En esta investigación se aborda su tratamiento en los ciberdiarios elpais.com y el mundo.es, entre 2012 y 2019, mediante el estudio de las fuentes, los marcos y la interacción con los lectores. Existe una amplia literatura científica que alerta de las consecuencias negativas que tiene el consumo de las energy drinks, sin embargo, este trabajo muestra que el discurso periodístico es indulgente con este producto, a partir de informaciones en las que se recurre a argumentos falaces y con enfoques de consecuencias hedonistas o deportivas que subrayan aspectos positivos de estas bebidas. No obstante, la tendencia en los últimos años se inclina hacia un periodismo más vigilante y con un mayor predominio de los marcos de consecuencias sanitarias. El análisis del feed-back con el lector demuestra que las informaciones críticas con este tipo de consumo obtienen un mayor número de comentarios.
Aquelarre. La emancipación de las mujeres en la cultura de masas [Reseña]
Authors: Manzano-Zambruno Laura
Published: January 2021

Aquelarre. La emancipación de las mujeres en la cultura de masas es una obra coral compuesta por diez capítulos que analizan diez ámbitos de la llamada cultura de masas desde una perspectiva crítica. Marca un objetivo y una pregunta de investigación en su introducción que se concreta en otros específicos en cada capítulo, lo que convierte este libro en una propuesta compacta y solvente. En sus páginas procuran catalogar, y lo hacen con éxito, estos sectores en función de la ayuda o el obstáculo que prestan a la consecución de la liberación de las mujeres y la igualdad entre sexos.
Blockchain y periodismo. Cómo la cadena de bloques cambiará los media [Reseña]
Authors: Salvador-Mata Bertran
Published: January 2021

Blockchain y periodismo expone la relación embrionaria entre la tecnología de cadena de bloques y el periodismo. Los autores realizan una revisión de la crisis periodística contemporánea y analizan las posibilidades de la tecnología blockchain para dar respuesta a las nuevas necesidades periodísticas. Se describe el caso de algunos ecosistemas periodísticos basados en las cadenas de bloques y se abre la puerta a futuras investigaciones a medida que estas iniciativas vayan consolidándose.
Refugiados sin puerto. Análisis de estrategias y discursos en la información televisiva del caso Open Arms
Authors: Pomares-Pastor Ricardo-Ángel , Israel-Garzón Estrella
Published: January 2021

La investigación se centra en analizar las estrategias mediáticas y los discursos políticos en el tratamiento informativo en las cadenas de televisión en España del caso Open Arms, el barco de la ONG española que tras rescatar a 124 personas el 1 de agosto de 2019 y a otras 39, diez días después permaneció durante casi tres semanas en el mar, reclamando un puerto seguro. La metodología consiste en un análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de 175 noticias de las cadenas de televisión generalistas en su segunda edición de la noche: TVE 1, Antena 3, Tele 5 y La Sexta, en el periodo del 1 al 31 de agosto de 2019. Los parámetros examinados son: el formato de cada información, la duración, los actores que intervienen, sus declaraciones, el estilo de presentación, las fuentes utilizadas, la jerarquización así como los valores-noticia predominantes, y la utilización de redes sociales. Entre los resultados y las conclusiones destaca: la amplitud del tratamiento informativo de la televisión pública en comparación con los medios privados, los conflictos entre los portavoces del Open Arms y la clase política, el uso de los mensajes en redes sociales y la visibilidad que le confiere al caso la presencia de un actor famoso.
El cine negro español: del spanish noir al policiaco actual [Reseña]
Authors: Maldonado-Casas Daniel
Published: January 2021

The Spanish black cinema: from the Spanish noir to the present police one. It proposes a trip from the background of the Spanish black cinema - 1940s - to the present. The play, broken into 6 chapters - actually 8, although the last two are considered annexes with encyclopedic functions - goes chronologically through the evolution of the gender, making notes about his most relevant feature films and directors. The author guides us through comments and personal opinions, that are based in both critics from professionals of the time - Méndez Leite or Fernandez Santos - and declarations from the filmmakers themselves - from Rovira Beleta to Enrique Urbizu.