bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different Perspectives of Homeopathic Research Seal the Year 2021
Authors: Bonamin Leoni
Published: December 2021

In this last 2021 issue, five articles are published concerning different aspects of homeopathic research, from a review of clinical studies on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and the therapeutic potential of homeopathy to treat these cases (Dewan et al., 2021) to a detailed systematic analysis of nanoparticles suspended in homeopathic preparations (Van Wassenhoven et al., 2021). In between, some interesting reports can also be found, as a case report about the successful treatment of a rectum prolapse in a kitten in a period of a few days with no need of surgery (Makker and Arora, 2021); an opinion article (update article) reported the necessity to develop clinical studies on homeoprofilaxy of Covid-19 in which the key aspects of immunocompetence could be evaluated, such as the serum levels of cytokines, mainly those related to the systemic inflammatory syndrome such as IL-6, and of neutralizing IgG and IgM (Patil, 2021); and an original article about the physicochemical properties of a Covid-19 nosode, in which different patterns were described using spectrophotometric methods, resulting in an electronic signature of each potency (Kumar Singh et al., 2021).

 

Enjoy the reading and happy 2022 for us all!

 

IJHDR Editorial Team
Perceptions and Anxiety Level of Students during Administration of Local Anesthesia
Authors: Abbas Beenish , Abbas Sana , Umair Muhammad , Azam Ramesha , Rahim Majida , Zara Batool
Published: December 2021

Objective: To assess perceptions and anxiety levels of dental students during administration of local anesthesia Study Design & Setting: This comparative cross sectional study was conceived in Foundation University Dental College and conducted in multiple institutes after endorsement from the ethical committee of the university from August – October 2021. Methodology: The questionnaire comprised of three sections which included demographic profile section, perceptions, and experience of administration of mandibular, maxillary, or inferior alveolar nerve block on the 5-point Likert’s scale and comparative anxiety analysis before, during or after local anesthetic administration with interval scale of anxiety response. Results: It was found that 311 (81.8%) dental students/professionals were anxious (cumulative response of “little nervous” and above) before administrating local anesthesia injection. It was found that students were significantly more anxious during and after local anesthesia administration as compared to clinical practitioners (p<0.001). About 89% of the responders agreed to the usefulness of video demonstration while 98% agreed to the usefulness of hands-on practice of local anesthesia administration techniques Conclusion: Students were significantly more anxious during and after local anesthesia administration as compared to clinical practitioners. Video demonstration and hands-on practice are useful adjuvants in the reduction of local anesthesia administration anxiety
THE METHOD OF THEATRICALIZATION IN TEACHING YOUNGER STUDENTS TO SOLVE COMPOSITE TASKS
Authors: Grebennikova N.L. , Kostsova S.A. , Khabibullina A.N.
Published: December 2021

The method of theatricalization is described, which is used in solving textual mathematical problems in mathematics lessons in elementary grades at all stages of working with a composite problem. This improves students’ understanding of the structure of the task, its semantic parts, increases the likelihood that the task will be solved correctly, and there will be a versatile development of students.
АНАЛИЗ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ОСОБЕННОСТЕЙ ПЕРЕДЕЛА ФОСФОРИСТЫХ ЧУГУНОВ В ТОМАСОВСКОМ КОНВЕРТЕРЕ
Authors: Дида Н.И. , Раковский В.С. , Лопатина А.О. , Галич А.А. , Сафонов С.О.
Published: December 2021

Статья посвящена анализу конструктивных особенностей Томасовского конвертера и технологических особенностей выплавки в данном сталеплавильном агрегате, физико-химическим процессам, происходящим в конвертерной ванне, теплового баланса плавки. Приведена характеристика процесса продувки воздухом через пористые блоки в днище агрегата, описано влияние азота на качество стали. Описана конструкция и материалы, применяемые в футеровке Томасовского конвертера.
ACHIEVING CARBON NEUTRALITY THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF TAXATION TOOLS
Authors: Alexandrova Zh. P. , Kat S.A.
Published: December 2021

The ESG-agenda is becoming more significant, the authorities and large corporations are paying more attention to the greening of business. The issue of decarbonization of the economy has become acute at the international level after the entry into force of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. The purpose of the work: to study the proposed initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality and to study the impact of carbon regulation mechanisms on the development of industry in Russia, in accordance with it, the following tasks are formed: to describe the mechanism of cross-border carbon regulation (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM), to give an economic assessment of the impact of industrial sectors in Russia, as well as to consider domestic initiatives to create carbon regulation.
A WAY TO REDUCE THE COST OF ENERGY RESOURCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PRODUCTS ON THE EXAMPLE OF JSC «INVERTER», ORENBURG
Authors: Danysh A.V. , Dedeeva S.A.
Published: December 2021

This article sets the goal of reducing the cost of energy resources for the production of products, describes in detail the proposed technology, and also conducts an economic calculation of the effectiveness of this proposal. This work presents an opportunity to introduce technology to reduce energy costs for industrial production.
DEVELOPING INTEREST IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH INCLUDING A REGIONAL COMPONENT OUT OF LESSON WORK
Authors: Grebennikova N.L. , Kostsova S.A. , Nikitina V.R.
Published: December 2021

The article is devoted to the activation of interest in mathematics among primary school students. The article shows that the development of interest in mathematics among younger schoolchildren can be carried out by composing text tasks of a regional nature in extracurricular classes. The authors give examples of the organization of such work.
TEXT poetry and prose April 2018
Authors: O’Brien Damen , Sherwood Barrie , Grills Eloise , M Loydell Rupert , Stadnicka Maria , Presto Susan , Meekings Sam , Everall Gabrielle , Nash Peter
Published: December 2021

New poems and stories about the processes of writing.
Creative Writing as Research IV Part 1
Authors: Bacon Eugen , Batty Craig , Beckton Denise , Brialey Leonie , Brien Donna Lee , Brooks Barbara , Campbell Marion May , Cosgrove Shady , Costello Moya , Gandolfo Enza , Hamlyn-Harris Thomas , Haywood Ashley , Krauth Nigel
Published: December 2021

This special issue of TEXT responds to the current challenge faced by writers in the

academy to identify with greater precision what it is about their work which is genuinely

an original contribution to knowledge across the field of creative writing (or, more rarely,

in another field). It follows from the acclaim with which the first three _Creative Writing

as Research_ special issues, published in TEXT in 2010, 2012 and 2014, have been met. In

those landmark collections, creative writing pieces from writers based in universities

around Australia and New Zealand were published under refereed circumstances with

statements regarding their status as research attached. Not only – as reader feedback told

us – did TEXT’s readership enjoy consuming a range of creative work from creative

writing academic researchers, they also found the research statements useful as models

for their own practice and others in their universities.
Writers, writing and writing programs in the information age: Code, collaboration and interdisciplinary connection
Authors: Gibbs Anna
Published: December 2021

This paper argues that writing programs need to consider forging more active alliance with the visual arts, on the grounds that the digital revolution is beginning to bring about changes that will see writers and artists (and technicians of different kinds) working together in collaboration more frequently than at present, and that new practices in creative research mean that we may have more in common with the visual arts than with other, traditional, disciplines when it comes to arguing politically for the value of what we do. This case is made by examining in detail selected instances of the work being written on ‘complex surfaces’ (Cayley 2005), new kinds of work being made with code, and the reconvergence of text with the visual in new media work.
‘Oranges and Lemons’: Art, therapy, subjectivity
Authors: Hecq Dominique
Published: December 2021

Recent developments in the theory and practice of psychoanalysis have identified Creative Writing as a means of understanding subjectivity through what the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan has called suppléance, a stand-in which helps the ego cohere and in some cases prevents subjective dissolution, as may have been the case with Joyce. Following on from my own previous theoretical and creative research in this area, the story ‘Oranges and Lemons’ addresses the question of the mechanism of suppléance from the concept of art therapy by contrasting the symbolic dimension of language with the imaginary dimension of art making. In doing so, it confirms that suppléance arises out of the need to overcome an anxiety which veils the shadow of Das Ding, hence also the threat of subjective dissolution. Further, ‘Oranges and Lemons’ suggests that there may be different structural types of suppléance and that as an organising principle suppléance may be both a temporary or permanent device.
Writing Across/Between Borders: A Transnational Approach to Creative Writing in the Asia Pacific
Authors: Boey Kim Cheng
Published: December 2021

When postcolonial studies made its debut in Western academes, it was, to use Stuart

Hall’s words, ’the bearer of such powerful unconscious investments—a sign of desire

for some, and equally for others, a sign of danger’. It is a similar reaction of

apprehension and excitement that Creative Writing generates in the Asian Pacific

academes and cultures, especially in countries with a colonial history. This essay

explores some of the difficulties facing the introduction of Creative Writing in the

region, namely how it may be perceived as another form of Western cultural

imperialism. It proposes a corollary study of transnational writers as a mediating

influence and suggests that what Jahan Ramazani calls ‘transnational poetics’ may

help resolve the binaries of colonial/postcolonial, east/west, local/global, and uncover

new ways of looking at borders for writers/readers in the region.
Introduction: The creative screen production sector in Australia now
Authors: Gillian Leahy Mick Broderick,
Published: December 2021

Image: MDRX, ‘University of Technology, Sydney, Australia’ (2020)
Australian universities approaches to Occupational Risk Management for screen production
Authors: Jill Holt, Nicholas Oughton Susan Kerrigan, Pieter Aquilia,
Published: December 2021

Australian screen production programs, offering both undergraduate and post-graduate

degrees, continue to face challenges in upholding professional levels of Occupational

Risk Management (ORM) within a student environment. These programs must address

the confines of rigid ORM criteria within their university, which are largely designed

for science-based academic research, and also adhere to standards of industrial health

and safety codes set by state and federal governments. To date, academic literature in

the area has been minimal, and many screen production programs have looked to

industry and professional bodies for student guidelines. However, Oughton (2010)

argues that even the existing ORM model for the creative arts requires revision. In an

attempt to understand the current profile of ORM education and practices within screen

production programs, the Australian Screen Production Education and Research

Association (ASPERA) conducted a study amongst its 20 member institutions. A

survey was administered and a case study was sought from one of the leading academic

institutions in screen production in Australia. The goal of the study is a preliminary

recommendation, which suggests a plan for a ORM Best Practice Model that will

address the management of ORM issues across a range of screen production education

programs on offer within Australia.
Managing occupational risk in the creative industries: a new perspective—or has OHS reached its use-by date?
Authors: Oughton Nicholas
Published: December 2021

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) was designed in the mid nineteen-seventies to

enforce compliance with workplace safety legislation and improve industrial working

conditions for all workers. This initiative led to improved safety performance across most

Australian industries. Thirty-five years on, industrial contexts have changed dramatically

with the result that OHS, as originally conceived and currently practiced requires reform.

In setting about this task, consideration should be given to the rise of ‘New’ or ‘Creative’

industries (film, television and entertainment software; writing, publishing and print media;

performing arts; visual art and design; music composition and production), and a

commensurate decline in traditional industry. Creative industry thrives on risk opportunity

and flexibility, and is constrained by risk avoidance. An obsession with loss-control and

systems methodology that permeates traditional OHS practice is antipathetic to creative

enterprise. This paper discusses the contemporary context of OHS in Australia and its

failure to accommodate creative enterprise. It concludes by proposing the adoption of a

new model to be called Occupational Risk Management and Wellbeing (ORMW).
Towards defining degree standards: creative writing and the performing arts
Authors: Freiman Marcelle
Published: December 2021

In 2010 the Australian Learning and Teaching Council funded the substantial Learning

and Teaching Academic Standards Project as a feasibility study to develop and define

tertiary level program and course learning outcome standards in a selected group of

disciplines, of which the creative and performing arts was one. The Academic

Standards Project was designed to work towards agreed discipline and qualification

standards in preparation for the Australian Government’s higher education quality and

regulatory framework, including the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality

and Standards Agency, which oversees regulation and quality assurance from 2011.

The Creative and Performing Arts project’s scope included creative writing as a

creative arts discipline, and this became an opportunity for tertiary creative writing to

contribute to the project via the participation of the Australasian Association of Writing

Programs alongside other practice-based creative arts. The processes of this project

were framed by international best practice in establishing standards as well as a process

of wide consultation, and achieved national discipline endorsement. Participation in the

project created a pathway for creative writing to articulate benchmarking standards for

bachelor and coursework masters degree levels aligned with both the Australian

Qualifications Framework for degree standards and threshold learning outcomes for

practice-led learning in tertiary programs. Although creative writing has historically,

institutionally and pedagogically resided in close proximity to, or within, other

disciplines such a literary studies, and media, communication and cultural studies, the

participation and contribution of creative writing to the project positions and confirms

the practice-led learning and research at its core and its relationship and commonality

of language and process with other practice-led creative arts disciplines.
Leadership and the case of TEXT: a discussion
Authors: Krauth Nigel
Published: December 2021

In this paper I discuss aspects of leadership in relation to co-editing an academic

journal. Because I had no formal training in leadership—not unusual for leaders in

academia—I gather from memory experiences where I learnt about leadership, and

combine these with reference to research by Karl Lewin and others, in a personal

analysis of principles and practices which stood me in good stead for the task of editing

TEXT.
Road trip to the past: finding a setting through photography
Authors: Bowman Christopher
Published: December 2021

Writers regularly use photography for their research, but this fact is rarely talked about. They go to locations to take their own pictures, or they find them in books and archives; the use of photography is a visceral form of notetaking. While theorists such as Sontag, Foucault and Rose consider why the picture is worth much more than a thousand words, writers exploit the fact. But what if that picture was taken 130 years ago? The writer may have to take into consideration the distances, both chronological and cultural, that have developed since. As research for a novel that takes place in 1880, I have compiled an archive of historical photographs that help me visualize my story. If I go on a search for the places these pictures were taken 130 years ago, what will I find?
We slowly arrive safely: poetry at home and away
Authors: Brophy Kevin , Magee Paul
Published: December 2021

Paul Magee: I interviewed fourteen leading Australian poets over the year 2007 as part of an ongoing research project entitled Poetry /Knowledge (Magee 2008 and 2009; Magee and Polain 2009). The interviews were funded by a University of Canberra Early career researcher grant and they sought to cast light on 1) the research that went into those poets’ work and 2)the epistemological properties of poetry more generally. To this end, I asked the fourteen a series of questions that basically presumed they were researchers. I left it to the poets to work out what in their practice answered to such a presumption and what did not. Did they perform fieldwork? Did they conduct literature reviews prior to approaching a topic? Did they ever have a research question? The most controversial of these questions concerned what kind of knowledge the poets were purveying. Would any of them be happy for a poem of theirs to be read as an academic thesis? If not, why not?
The story in my foot: writing and the body
Authors: Krauth Nigel
Published: December 2021

Where do stories reside? Where do we find them to tell them from? Where should the writer focus the search for stories to fuel an output of poetry or fiction? Traditionally, the creative writing process is thought to involve reading the world as a text, reading actual texts, and ‘reading’ the memory or the imagination. But, following Merleau-Ponty (1945), recent studies of experience and the body by Yuasa (1987), Varela et al (1991), Grosz (1994), Clark (1998) and Gallagher (2006) suggest there may be another repository for story: the body itself beyond the brain. Surprising anecdotal evidence suggests that in some human-parts transplants, memories are transplanted too. This paper investigates aspects of the idea that stories are lodged in our whole bodies, and reviews some classroom exercises employing the concept of cellular memory.
Netherlandish Proverbs and Girl with a Pearl Earring :Using images to spark creativity in a first year introduction to creative writing module
Authors: O'Rourke Susan , Ellis Josephine
Published: December 2021

This paper provides a brief overview of creative writing programs in New Zealand before discussing definitions of creativity and creative writing. These definitions are then related to a teaching strategy for developing storytelling skills within a first year paper in a Bachelor of Communication Studies (BCS). These skills are seen as an essential element of the academic/professional ‘toolbox’ for all media practitioners and are implicit in the writing required to achieve the graduate profile of this particular degree. Photoshop® and visual framing theory along with Girl with a Pearl Earring and Netherlandish Proverbs are used to help spark students’ creativity and to isolate and clarify the processes of structuring and developing an effective short story. The uses of narrative writing in the media are briefly discussed and the writing paper is linked into the wider structure of the students’ degree program.
Detección de errores de prescripción, falta de adherencia e inercia terapéutica. Estrategias de mejora
Authors: Casado Pradas Nùria
Published: December 2021

La diabetes mellitus tipo 2 es una de las enfermedades más prevalentes y complejas en lo que a patología crónica se refiere. Requiere de muchos cuidados y controles con el fin de evitar complicaciones. Durante este último año dicho control se ha visto interferido y se han podido producir errores de prescripción, mal uso de medicación, tratamientos
inadecuados, falta de adherencia e inercia terapéutica. En este capítulo analizaremos en qué consisten cada uno de ellos y daremos estrategias para la mejora de dichos acontecimientos con el objetivo de volver a retomar el control y manejo de dicha patología adaptada a los nuevos tiempos de la atención primaria.
Seismicity of Turkey and Real-Time Seismology Applications in Determining Earthquake Hazard
Authors: KALAFAT Dogan , ZÜLFİKAR A. Can , OKUYAN AKCAN Seyhan
Published: December 2021

Turkey is between three major tectonic plates, is the most active area of the Mediterranean region in terms of earthquake activity. Relative motions between the African, Arabian and Eurasian plates account for most of the tectonic activity in the region. As a result, the Anatolian plate has a high danger for seismicity. This consists of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), East Anatolian Fault Zone (EAFZ) and SE Anatolian Thrust Zone which form the borders of the Anatolian Plate and important active fault segments throughout Western Anatolia. All these active faults cause a short time intervals intensive damages in Turkey earthquakes. In order to investigate and to real-time monitor the seismic activity and seismotectonic of Turkey and its vicinity, The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI) of Bogaziçi University and AFAD operates seismic stations countrywide. Observatory has been supplying mainly 3 kind of seismological data: phase readings, waveform and catalogue to the earth scientists in Turkey. Earth science studies have an important contribution to the emergence of earthquake hazard. The evaluation of the data receiving from the seismic stations contributes to the determination of earthquake hazard in detail, and to contribute to the minimization of the risks of the earthquake by developing earthquake catalogues. Also, all of the earthquake parameters after the earthquake, automatically distributed and mapped. After an important earthquake, KOERI and AFAD is quickly sent information from the smartphones to the society and the decision-making institutions carrying out disaster studies.
Bank Capital Structure Dynamics and Covid-19: Evidence from South Asia
Authors: Mohammad Khalil Ullah , Khan Mohsin Raza
Published: December 2021

The severity in terms of economic activity of the Covid-19 crisis was higher than the global financial crisis. Covid-19 has not only challenged the economic activity across the world but has put to test how the bank operates under the global crises. The objective of this paper is to identify the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the South Asian banking sector. We investigate if South Asian banks have target leverage and how the Covid-19 crisis impacted their capital structure dynamics. To fulfill the objective, past data on all banks of South Asian countries listed in the Thomson Reuter Refinitiv were considered. The sample ended up including quarterly data of banks from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan Nepal and Afghanistan. Engle-Granger's two-step procedure for error correction and two-step GMM estimation was employed to measure the speed of adjustment and the impact of Covid-19 on bank capital. The study found that the capital structure determinants favor the static trade-off theory for South Asian banks. It is also observed that South Asian banks’ capital was negatively impacted by Covid-19. The analysis supports the view of leverage convergence for the capital structure. This study improves our understanding of the capital structure dynamics of banks in response to exogenous shocks in South Asia.
Indigenous Semiotics in “The Transistor” by Shahnaz Bashir: Application of Roland Barthes’ Codes to Kashmiri Narrative
Authors: Abbas Mazhar , Nadeem Farrukh , Kharal Ali Ahmad
Published: December 2021

The research focuses on the indigenous critical perspective when applied through semiotics of Barthes’ codes to the Kashmiri narratives. The study briefly reviews indigenous perspective as explained by Professor Jody Byrd and Aileen Moreton-Robinson after giving reference to Heather Harris about indigenous epistemology. This follows linking it to semiotics through Barthes’ codes with their review and association to cultural indigenousness. The research also reviews the Kashmiri narrative tradition and analyses the short story “The Transistor” in the light of this theoretical perspective to show that Kashmiri indigenousness as presented through signs and symbols when interpreted as indigenous semiotics show the specific Kashmiri resistance, conflictual cultural practices, and indigenous sovereignty under paracolonialism. The research, however, falls short of proving how the Kashmiri cultural paradigm shifts under paracolonial presence which requires separate inquiry from another angle.
Los alumnos de Periodismo de la Universidad de Zaragoza y la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (España): impulso vocacional, referencias mediáticas y perspectivas profesionales
Authors: Peinado y Miguel Fernando , Marta Lazo Carmen , Ortiz Sobrino Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2021

Según los datos suministrados por la Asociación de la Prensa de Madrid, en 2014, había un total de veintiún mil cuatrocientos treinta y ocho alumnos matriculados en los Grados y Licenciaturas de Periodismo de las diferentes Facultades españolas  de Comunicación. En los últimos años, algunos investigadores han publicado diferentes contribuciones científicas sobre la implantación en España de este título universitario en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) y el perfil de sus estudiantes. Una de las últimas investigaciones realizadas en este sentido se ha centrado en los alumnos del Grado de Periodismo de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y de la Universidad de Zaragoza (España). A lo largo del artículo que presentamos se exponen y analizan sus principales resultados focalizados, sobre todo, en aspectos relacionados con la vocación profesional, las perspectivas laborales, los referentes profesionales y la influencia de los medios de comunicación entre los estudiantes de esta titulación en las dos universidades objeto de estudio. La metodología se ha basado en un cuestionario que contiene veintisiete preguntas multirespuesta. El trabajo de campo ha sido realizado durante el curso académico 2013/2014. La investigación es el resultado de un trabajo conjunto de carácter comparativo llevado a cabo por el Grupo de Investigación Mediacom de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y el Grupo de Investigación en Comunicación e Información Digital (GICID) de la Universidad de Zaragoza (España).
Comunicación en valores y educación ambiental
Authors: Barroso María Belén
Published: December 2021

La Educación Ambiental se propone como una estrategia significativa para dotar a las personas de las competencias necesarias para actuar de manera sostenible en un contexto socio-ambiental complejo y en peligroso deterioro. Para ello, enfocándose en la necesidad de recuperar el papel central de las emociones para el afianzamiento de ciertos valores, actitudes y comportamientos responsables; las organizaciones del tercer sector dedicadas a la educación ambiental, procuran desarrollar intervenciones eficaces e innovadoras a través de los medios de comunicación desde un enfoque educativo y participativo. La presente investigación surge con el objetivo de conocer los valores que la cooperativa Aula del Mar (Málaga) comunica o proyecta desde los medios gráficos de comunicación de España. En este sentido, se determinaron categorías de análisis textual para 140 noticias publicadas (2012-2015) a partir de los principios expuestos en la Carta de la Tierra (ONU, 2000). Los resultados permiten resaltar el perfil educativo en valores pro-ambientales del Aula del Mar tales como: conservación, cooperación, educación, divulgación, recuperación, responsabilidad, concienciación, investigación, prevención, solidaridad, sostenibilidad y participación; al tiempo que han permitido contribuir a generar conocimiento en torno a la vinculación entre la educación ambiental y los enfoques de comunicación en valores.
Propaganda image of Christianity in Polish history textbooks from the Stalinist period
Authors: Sołga Przemysław
Published: December 2021

After taking power in Poland in 1944/1945 the communists started a gradual process of turning Poland into a totalitarian state that aimed at eradicating religion from social life. The construction of an atheist state was one of the main goals of the government, and increased in importance during the largest period of repression of the Stalinist period, i.e. 1948 - 1956. Atheistic propaganda combined with open hostility towards religious education in schools, also found its way into historical education. History textbooks of the period tried to picture the church and the history of Christianity in an immensly bad light, by omitting and twisting facts, or even by blatantly lying. Christianity and various historical figures associated with it were introduced as myths or false stories resulting from peoples’ backwardness and superstition. The church was considered responsible for civilizational stagnation, while the clergy was considered as the most morally abhorrent social class. However, convincing Polish society to detest the Catholic Church was a difficult task, as most Poles continued religious participation and practices. After the end of the Stalinist period atheistic propaganda was subdued, although in some form it continued till the end of the existence of the People’s Republic of Poland.
CFTR deficiency aggravates Ang II induced vasoconstriction and hypertension by regulating Ca𝟐+ influx and RhoA/Rock pathway in VSMCs
Authors: Zhao Liyan , Yuan Feng , Pan Ni , Yu Yun , Yang Hanyan , Liu Yaosheng , Wang Ruomei , Zhang Bin , Wang Guanlei
Published: December 2021

Background: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been associated with vascular tone and blood pressure (BP), however, its role in the genesis of hypertension remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated the regulating effect of CFTR on angiotensin II (Ang II) -induced hypertension and defined the molecular role of CFTR in vasoconstriction. Results: We found that CFTR mRNA and protein expression were markedly down-regulated in the arteries from Ang II induced hypertensive animals. During the development of hypertension, BP of Cftr-⁣/- mice was significantly higher than that of Cftr+⁣/+ mice. Arteries from Cftr-⁣/- mice or pre-incubated with CFTR specific inhibitor CFTR(inh)-172 exhibited a greater contractile response to Ang II. In vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC), which is the core of VSMCs contraction, was negatively modulated by CFTR. Furthermore, intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) rise in response to Ang II was negatively modulated by CFTR, while no alteration was observed in resting VSMCs. Ras homolog family member A/Rho-associated protein kinase (RhoA/Rock) mediated phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1), a regulator of MLC phosphorylation, was negatively modulated by CFTR in both resting and Ang II-stimulated VSMCs. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that CFTR is a negative regulator of vasoconstriction and hypertension, and the underlying mechanism contains two possible pathways: (1) in resting VSMCs, CFTR altered MLC phosphorylation through RhoA/Rock pathway; (2) in Ang II stimulated VSMCs, the regulating effect was mediated by both Ca2+ influx and RhoA/Rock mediated pathway.
Estrous cycle phase affects myocardial infarction through reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide
Authors: Ramírez-Hernández Diana , López-Sanchez Pedro , Rosales-Hernández Martha C. , Fonseca-Coronado Salvador , Flores-Monroy Jazmín
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death in women worldwide. Several studies have shown that estrogens play a cardioprotective role in women by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increasing nitric oxide (NO). The aim of this work was to determine whether the evolution of myocardial infarction depends on the phase of the estrous cycle. Methods: Female Wistar rats were randomized into the following groups with an (n = 7 per group): (1) ovariectomized (OVX-sham); (2) OVX-48 h coronary occlusion (CO); (3) OVX-2 w CO; (4) proestrus-sham; (5) proestrus-48 h CO; (6) proestrus-2 w CO; (7) estrus-sham; (8) estrus-48 h CO; and (9) estrus-2 w CO. We measured the percentage of myocardial necrosis, cardiac hypertrophy, hemodynamic parameters, and the production of NO and ROS, after acute and chronic myocardial infarction was induced in proestrus or estrus or ovariectomized female rats. Results: The infarct area was reduced in the proestrus groups, while it was increased in the estrus and OVX groups. The left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and ± dP/dt were reduced, but left ventricular diastolic pressure (LVDP) was increased in the OVX groups. NO was increased in the OVX + CO and estrus + CO groups. Production of ROS was increased in OVX rats after myocardial infarction but remained unchanged in proestrus and estrus. Conclusion: The phase of the estrous cycle in which the myocardial infarction occurs is important. When the coronary occlusion occurs during the proestrus phase, it prevents changes in cardiac function, the development of hypertrophy, oxidative stress and changes in NO levels, and reduces the extent of infarction.
Differential associations of statin treatment and polymorphism in genes coding for HMGCR and PCSK9 to risk for insomnia
Authors: Alsehli Ahmed M. , Rukh Gull , Clemensson Laura E. , Ciuculete Diana-Maria , Tan Xiao , Al-Sabri Mohamed H. , Williams Michael J. , Benedict Christian , Schiöth Helgi B.
Published: December 2021

Importance: Statins have been linked to an increased risk for insomnia, but the literature is controversial. Moreover, it is unknown, if the potential effects are directly related to the inhibition of the statin target HMGCR, the subsequently lowered cholesterol levels, or other off-target effects of statins. Aims: To investigate the association of statin treatment and genetic proxies of cholesterol lowering drugs with the risk for insomnia and chronotype in a large population-based cohort. Methods: A cross-sectional cohort study based on baseline data collected between 2006–2010 in UK biobank cohort was conducted. European participants without any history of psychiatric/neurological disorders or of stroke and with available genetic data as well as information on statin use were included in the present study. Self-reported measures of insomnia and chronotype were analysed (a) in statin users versus control subjects, (b) subjects carrying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HMGCR gene, which are associated with reduced enzymatic function and lower cholesterol levels (rs17238484 and rs12916) and (c) subjects carrying a SNP in the PCSK9 gene (rs1159147), which leads to lower cholesterol levels independent of HMGCR. The main analysis were performed using multivariable regression models. Statin treatment and SNPs in HMGCR and PCSK9 genes were used as exposures and main outcomes were insomnia and chronotype. Results: A total of 206,801participants (mean [SD] age, 57.5 [7.9] years; 56% women; 20% statin users) were included in the present study. Statin users had an increased risk of insomnia compared to controls (odds ratio [95% CI], 1.07 [1.03 to 1.11]; p = 1.42 × 10-4). A similar effect was observed for PCSK9 rs11591147-T allele (1.07 [1.01–1.14]; 0.014), while the two gene variants of HMGCR were associated with a reduced risk for insomnia (rs17238484-G: 0.97 [0.95 to 0.99]; 0.014 and rs12916-T: 0.97 [0.96 to 0.99]; 0.002). In regard to chronotype, there was no effect of either statin treatment or HMGCR SNPs, but the PCSK9 rs11591147-T allele was associated with a higher evening preference (1.17 [1.06 to 1.29]; 0.001). Conclusion: Our data suggests that statin treatment can pose an increased risk for insomnia in in the European population. Interestingly, there was no agreement between the effects of statins and the effects of reduced HMGCR activity based on genetic variants, suggesting that the observed unfavourable effect of statins on sleep is conveyed through other targets. This further explains why the literature on statin effects on sleep is not conclusive. Finally our data encourage further investigations into the molecular processes linking statins, HMGCR and PCSK9 to sleep behaviour.
Phospho-Smad3 signaling is predictive biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma risk assessment in primary biliary cholangitis patients
Authors: Nakamura Naohiro , Yoshida Katsunori , Tsuda Rinako , Murata Miki , Yamaguchi Takashi , Suwa Kanehiko , Ichimura Mayuko , Tsuneyama Koichi , Matsuzaki Koichi , Nakano Toshiaki , Hirohara Junko , Seki Toshihito , Okazaki Kazuichi , Gershwin M. Eric , Naganuma Makoto
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are at increased risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly in the presence of comorbidities such as excessive alcohol consumption. Although liver fibrosis is an important risk factor for HCC development, earlier predictors of future HCC development in livers with little fibrosis are needed but not well defined. The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad signaling pathway participates importantly in hepatic carcinogenesis. Phosphorylated forms (phospho-isoforms) in Smad-related pathways can transmit opposing signals: cytostatic C-terminally-phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3C) and carcinogenic linker-phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3L) signals. Methods and results: To assess the balance between Smad signals as a biomarker of risk, we immunohistochemically compared Smad domain-specific Smad3 phosphorylation patterns among 52 PBC patients with various stages of fibrosis and 25 non-PBC patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. HCC developed in 7 of 11 PBC patients showing high pSmad3L immunoreactivity, but in only 2 of 41 PBC patients with low pSmad3L. In contrast, 9 of 20 PBC patients with minimal Smad3C phosphorylation developed HCC, while HCC did not occur during follow-up in 32 patients who retained hepatic tumor-suppressive pSmad3C. Further, PBC patients whose liver specimens showed high pSmad3L positivity were relatively likely to develop HCC even when little fibrosis was evident. Conclusion: In this study, Smad phospho-isoform status showed promise as a biomarker predicting likelihood of HCC occurrence in PBC. Eventually, therapies to shift favorably Smad phospho-isoforms might decrease likelihood of PBC-related HCC.
Machine learning–based prediction of heat pain sensitivity by using resting-state EEG
Authors: Hsiao Fu-Jung , Chen Wei-Ta , Pan Li-Ling Hope , Liu Hung-Yu , Wang Yen-Feng , Chen Shih-Pin , Lai Kuan-Lin , Wang Shuu-Jiun
Published: December 2021

Introduction: The development of quantitative, objective signatures or predictors to evaluate pain sensitivity is crucial in the clinical management of pain and in precision medicine. This study combined multimodal (neurophysiology and psychometrics) signatures to classify the training dataset and predict the testing dataset on individual heat pain sensitivity. Methods: Healthy individuals were recruited in this study. Individual heat pain sensitivity and psychometric scores, as well as the resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) data, were obtained from each participant. Participants were divided into low-sensitivity and high-sensitivity subgroups according to their heat pain sensitivity. Psychometric data obtained from psychometric measurements and power spectral density (PSD) and functional connectivity (FC) derived from resting-state EEG analysis were subjected to feature selection with an independent t test and were then trained and predicted using machine learning models, including support vector machine (SVM) and k-nearest neighbor. Results: In total, 85 participants were recruited in this study, and their data were divided into training (n = 65) and testing (n = 20) datasets. We identified the resting-state PSD and FC, which can serve as brain signatures to classify heat pain as high-sensitive or low-sensitive. Using machine learning algorithms of SVM with different kernels, we obtained an accuracy of 86.2%–93.8% in classifying the participants into thermal pain high-sensitivity and low-sensitivity groups; moreover, using the trained model of cubic SVM, an accuracy of 80% was achieved in predicting the pain sensitivity of an independent dataset of combined PSD and FC features of resting-state EEG data. Conclusion: Acceptable accuracy in classification and prediction by using the SVM model indicated that pain sensitivity could be achieved, leading to considerable possibilities of the use of objective evaluation of pain perception in clinical practice. However, the predictive model presented in this study requires further validation by studies with a larger dataset.
Role of misfolding in rare enzymatic deficits and use of pharmacological chaperones as therapeutic approach
Authors: Pampalone Gioena , Grottelli Silvia , Gatticchi Leonardo , Lombardi Emilia Maria , Bellezza Ilaria , Cellini Barbara
Published: December 2021

Cells have evolved sophisticated molecular control systems to maximize the efficiency of the folding process. However, any subtle alteration of the environment or the protein can lead to misfolding or affect the conformational plasticity of the native states. It has been widely demonstrated that misfolding and/or conformational instability are the underlying mechanisms of several rare disorders caused by enzymatic deficits. In fact, disease-causing mutations often lead to the substitution of amino acids that are crucial for the achievement of a folded conformation, or play a role on the equilibrium between native-state conformers. One of the promising approaches to treat conformational disorders is the use of pharmacological chaperones (PCs), small molecules that specifically bind a target protein and stabilize a functional fold, thus increasing the amount of functionally active enzyme. Molecules acting as PCs are usually coenzymes, substrate analogues behaving as competitive inhibitors, or allosteric modulators. In this review, the general features of PCs are described, along with three examples of diseases (Gaucher disease, Phenylketonuria, and Primary Hyperoxaluria) in which this approach is currently under study at preclinical and/or clinical level.
‘Empfindsamer Stil’ And Its Literary Connections: A Cue To Music Instruction
Authors: Agbenyo Samuel
Published: December 2021

Empfindsamer Stil is a German expression whose meaning has historically been debated as either a “human emotional disposition” or “a musical style”. This descriptive bibliographic study seeks to investigate the historical development of Empfindsamer Stil, its application in musical contexts, as well as its nexus with literacy works, to inform music instruction. Given the COVID-19 pandemic research environment, most of the data were collected virtually and reported thematically. Findings indicate that Empfindsamer Stil is characterized by an emphasis on the expression of a variety of deeply felt emotions within a musical work, with Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach being the principal exponent. The study also reveals that historians of philosophy across time failed to agree on the meaning of the term Empfindsamer Stil. It was therefore concluded that language is dynamic and evolving. Music educators must ensure to explore the history-contextual significance of musical terminologies, especially those that may be alien within the specific musico-cultural milieu of the learner. Also, in teaching, applying, and assessing lessons involving terminologies, music teachers must take a cue from specific historical epochs and cultures to maximize relevance and fairness. Future studies in music history, in correlation with modern psychology and literary works, will therefore help clarify further whether the term Empfindsamer Stil is best explained as a phenomenon of human emotional disposition or a musical style. Also, more research will better explain the interdependent coexistence of music and various literary works.
ANALISA SISTEM PERSEDIAAN BAHAN BAKU PADA INDUSTRI BINTANG PRIMA ACEH BESAR
Authors: Amni Chairul , Zulfadli Teuku
Published: December 2021

Perencanaan persediaan bahan baku merupakan salah satu peranan yang sangat penting dalam dunia industri untuk meningkatkan permintaan pasar. Sebuah perencanaan produksi akan berjalan dengan baik jika di dukung dengan adanya persediaan bahan baku yang memadai. Persediaan bahan baku juga memberikan kontribusi biaya yang cukup besar sehingga komponen biaya ini juga perlu untuk dikendalikan. Melihat pentingnya fungsi perencanaan produksi dan pengendalian persediaan bahan baku, maka perlu adanya usaha untuk mengelolanya secara efisien untuk mendapatkan hasil yang optimal. Perencanaan bahan baku merupakan hal yang sangat penting dilakukan untuk mendukung proses produksi, sehingga tidak terjadi masalah seperti keterlambatan pengiriman barang kepada konsumen, dan pemborosan biaya bahan baku. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui sistem pengendalian bahan baku yang diterapkan serta untuk mengetahui jumlah ekonomis bahan baku pada setiap kali pemesanan yang di analisis dengan menggunakan metode EOQ (Economic Order Quantity). Dari penelitian ini mendapatkan hasil yang menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan metode EOQ dalam pemesanan bahan baku jauh lebih optimal dan efisien dibanding metode yang selama ini diterapkan, terlihat dari selisih total biaya pemesanan bahan baku pada tepung mencapai 1,21% (404.950 rupiah) selisih pada bahan baku gula 0,02% (4.450 rupiah) dan selisih biaya pada pemesanan ragi dan garam sebesar 14,31% yaitu sebesar Rp. 82.500 untuk Ragi dan Rp. 8.250 untuk selisih pemesanan garam. dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa penggunaan metode EOQ mempuanyai hasil baik dalam melakukan pemesanan bahan baku sehingga bahan baku untuk produksi tidak mengalami penumpukan dan tidak mengalami kekosongan dalam gudang
SISTEM HUKUM DI ACEH DAN KAITANNYA DENGAN PLURALISME HUKUM
Authors: Maulana Ridha
Published: December 2021

Aceh merupakan salah satu provinsi di Indonesia yang memilki beberapa sistem hukum. Provinsi Aceh dipandang sebagai provinsi yang memiliki status otonomi khusus bercorak multikultural, karena kemajemukan sistem hukum dalam masyarakatnya. Kemajemukan (Pluralisme) sistem hukum di Aceh disebabkan karena adanya keberagaman suku dan penerapan nilai-nilai Agama Islam dalam setiap sendi kehidupan masyarakat Aceh, terutama di bidang penegakan hukum. Keberagaman (Pluralisme) sistem hukum yang hidup dan berlaku di Aceh mendapat kekuatan hukum dan pengakuan dari pemerintah Indonesia dengan disahkannya Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2006 Tentang Pemerintahan Aceh, Sehingga selain berlakunya sistem hukum negara (state law), secara de facto di Aceh juga berlaku sistem hukum adat (adat law), dan sistem hukum agama/hukum Islam (religious law/ Islamic law).