bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chimeric human opsins as optogenetic light sensitisers
Authors: Hickey Doron G. , Davies Wayne I. L. , Hughes Steven , Rodgers Jessica , Thavanesan Navamayooran , MacLaren Robert E. , Hankins Mark W.
Published: June 2021

Human opsin-based photopigments have great potential as light-sensitisers, but their requirement for phototransduction cascade-specific second messenger proteins may restrict their functionality in non-native cell types. In this study, eight chimeric human opsins were generated consisting of a backbone of either a rhodopsin (RHO) or long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin and intracellular domains from Gq/11-coupled human melanopsin. Rhodopsin/melanopsin chimeric opsins coupled to both Gi and Gq/11 pathways. Greater substitution of the intracellular surface with corresponding melanopsin domains generally showed greater Gq/11 activity with a decrease in Gi activation. Unlike melanopsin, rhodopsin and rhodopsin/melanopsin chimeras were dependent upon exogenous chromophore to function. By contrast, wild-type LWS opsin and LWS opsin/melanopsin chimeras showed only weak Gi activation in response to light, whilst Gq/11 pathway activation was not detected. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) demonstrated that chimeric opsins with more intracellular domains of melanopsin were less likely to be trafficked to the plasma membrane. This study demonstrates the importance of Gα coupling efficiency to the speed of cellular responses and created human opsins with a unique combination of properties to expand the range of customised optogenetic biotools for basic research and translational therapies.
99Taxis: inovação em mobilidade e geração de valor
Authors: Gama Marina Amado Bahia , Prado Junior Servio Tulio , Calixto Cyntia Vilasboas
Published: June 2021

O CEO da 99Taxis tem dois grandes desafios pela frente. O primeiro diz respeito a como crescer de modo perene para gerar lucratividade em longo prazo. O segundo, a como lidar com todos os problemas regulatórios enfrentados pelo setor desde 2016. Em meio a diversos problemas de mobilidade urbana nas grandes metrópoles, ele entende que a empresa é agente importante para enfrentar essas questões e inovar, mas precisa de mais tempo e informações para traçar um plano. Ele está em reunião com os diretores da empresa, e essas questões não saem de sua mente.
Interactive exploratory data analysis of Integrative Human Microbiome Project data using Metaviz
Authors: Wagner Justin , Kancherla Jayaram , Braccia Domenick , Matsumara James , Felix Victor , Crabtree Jonathan , Mahurkar Anup , Corrada Bravo Héctor
Published: June 2021

The rich data produced by the second phase of the Human Microbiome Project (iHMP) offers a unique opportunity to test hypotheses that interactions between microbial communities and a human host might impact an individual’s health or disease status. In this work we describe infrastructure that integrates Metaviz, an interactive microbiome data analysis and visualization tool, with the iHMP Data Coordination Center web portal and the HMP2Data R/Bioconductor package. We describe integrative statistical and visual analyses of two datasets from iHMP using Metaviz along with the metagenomeSeq R/Bioconductor package for statistical analysis of differential abundance analysis. These use cases demonstrate the utility of a combined approach to access and analyze data from this resource.
Nauki o bezpieczeństwie: Budowanie szkoły naukowej
Authors: Pawłuszko Tomasz
Published: June 2021

This book explains the development of security studies from the perspective of philosophy of science. The author identifies the basic standards of science as understood by Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, Ludwik Fleck and Imre Lakatos, and then checks their implementation in two case studies: the American school and (emerging) Polish school. This publication is a dissertation on the theory of security and portrays key scientific institutions in the process of their mutual interaction. In the following chapters, the author considers how security has become a key issue in social sciences. It turns out that it was possible thanks to the state patronage and the growing information needs of the army and politics. In the USA, the Cold War turned out to be a key issue, leading to the creation of strategic studies, and with the broadening of the “security” category, modern global security studies emerged. In Poland, security has been the subject of research made by the military, civil security services and social sciences. In 2011, a separate discipline was established, which was called “security sciences”. It combines the achievements of the military, police, intelligence, as well as lawyers and political scientists. This discipline is a phenomenon on the OECD scale. Finally, the author tries to reconstruct its development model on the example of good practices from the world science.
Pollen Morphology in Various Life-form of Aquatic Macrophytes
Authors: Sangsuk Ratchaneekorn , Baslev Henrik , Jampeetong Arunothai
Published: June 2021

Ability of angiosperms to produce flowers and seeds for the sexual reproduction is important also in aquatic plants. Pollination in aquatic plants is facilitated by insects, wind, and water, however, pollen morphology related to the plant’s life forms and pollen dispersal are not well described. This study investigates pollen morphology of selected aquatic macrophytes. Plants were collected and preserved as dried specimens. Mature pollen grains of each species were separated from the anthers and then placed on glass slides and mounted with distilled water. Pollen shape and size were observed under a light microscope (LM). Number of apertures and exine ornamentation were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Closely related plant species had similar pollen morphology. Among the 28 species studied, pollen size varied from small to very large (range 10–200 µm) and their shapes were prolate-spheroidal, prolate, oblate, suboblate, and oblate-spheroidal. Some species had inaperturate pollen grains; the remainders were monoaperture, triaperture or polyaperture. Both colpate and porate apertures were found. The pollen surfaces were echinate, fovelate, granulate, lophate, plicate, regulate, regulate-fovelate, reticulate, striate, and verrucate, respectively.

Keywords: Aquatic plants, Palynology, Pollen ornamentation, Pollination, SEM
Beyond Canonicity: The Future(s) of Early Modern Women Writers
Authors: Goodrich Jaime , McQuade Paula
Published: June 2021

Abstract: This introduction to a special issue on "The Future(s) of Early Modern Women Writers" provides a thumbnail sketch of this subfield's history in order to pinpoint its successes and failures. While scholars have located, edited, and analyzed a robust corpus of works by early modern women writers, these texts have yet to be fully integrated into the canon of early modern literature. A genre of "marginalization lit" has consequently arisen in which feminist critics seek to identify and remedy the factors behind this exclusion. Arguing that pervasive structural issues are actually to blame, this essay notes that the anti-hierarchical, idiosyncratic canon of early modern women writers offers a glimpse of a more egalitarian model for literary study. From that vantagepoint, the future of early modern women writers is the future of early modern literature itself.
The Renaissance Women's Canon, Past, Present, and Future
Authors: May Steven W.
Published: June 2021

Abstract: Despite significant contributions to Renaissance literary studies in general by a host of twentieth-century women scholars, the discipline showed scant interest in the writings of Renaissance women until the women's movement of the 1960s was well underway. Since then, the works of Renaissance women have garnered sound editions, biographies, and intensive volumes of criticism. Women are well represented in undergraduate as well as graduate curricula, with a wide selection of readily available authors and texts. It is at last possible, indeed advisable, that we discriminate in the works of these writers that we choose to introduce to our students at different stages in their careers.
A Small Room with Large Windows
Authors: Ross Sarah C. E.
Published: June 2021

Abstract: Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (1929) has fed almost a century of work on the material conditions of early modern women's lives and their modes of expression. But as Diane Purkiss's essay in the Times Literary Supplement in February 2019 makes all too clear, there are collateral dangers in the tenacity of Woolf's essay as the enduring narrative for early modern women's writing, with its implications of isolation and quietude, and separate spheres, interests, and influences. This essay offers an alternative metaphor, one of "a small room with large windows," for the global scholarly field that is early modern women's writing. It questions narratives of critical backwardness and belatedness, and looks instead to the positive achievements and influences of feminist scholarship in the last several decades. It argues that the metaphors we use to describe our scholarship matter: they contest and construct "which world we want: the one that already exists, or the one that might," to borrow the words of Amia Srinivasan. It suggests the need to keep building on what has already been achieved and to keep shifting our standpoints and our perspectives, seeking "to recognize / The whole three hundred and sixty degrees" of early modern experience and expression.
Digital Editions of Early Modern Women's Writing
Authors: van Elk Martine
Published: June 2021

Abstract: Martine van Elk on Mary Wroth's Poetry: An Electronic Edition, The Pulter Project: Poet in the Making, and Margaret Cavendish's Poems and Fancies: A Digital Critical Edition
Impact of optical noises on unipolar-coded Brillouin optical time-domain analyzers
Authors: Gao Xia , Yang Zhisheng , Wang Sheng , Hong Xiaobin , Sun Xizi , Soto Marcelo A. , Wu Jian , Thévenaz Luc
Published: June 2021

Noise models for both single-pulse and coded Brillouin optical time-domain analyzers (BOTDA) are established to quantify the actual signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement provided by pulse coding at any fiber position and in any operating condition. Simulation and experimental results show that the polarization noise and spontaneous Brillouin scattering (SpBS) to signal beating noise could highly penalize the performance of coded-BOTDA, depending on the code type and the interrogated fiber position. The models also serve as a useful tool to optimize the SNR improvement by trading off the accumulated Brillouin gain and optical noises.
Ultra-high sensitivity SPR temperature sensor based on a helical-core fiber
Authors: Wang Xianbin , Deng Hongchang , Yuan Libo
Published: June 2021

A novel compact ultra-high sensitivity optical fiber temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor is fabricated by employing a helical-core fiber (HCF), which is polished as a D-type fiber on the helical-core region and coated with a layer of Au-film and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The theoretical and experimental results show that the resonant wavelength and sensitivity of the proposed sensor can be effectively adjusted by changing the twisting pitch of HCF. Due to the high refractive index sensitivity of the sensor and the high thermo-optic coefficient of PDMS, the maximum sensitivity can reach -19.56 nm/°C at room temperature when the twist pitch of HCF is 2.1 mm. It is worth noting that the sensitivity can be further improved by using a shorter pitch of HCF. The proposed SPR temperature sensor has adjustable sensitivity, is easy to realize distributed sensing, and has potential application prospects in biomedical, healthcare, and other fields.
Leakage channels enabled multi-resonant all-solid photonic bandgap fiber for effective single-mode propagation
Authors: Chen Xiao , Huang Liangjin , Xi Xiaoming , Yang Huan , An Yi , Yan Zhiping , Pan Zhiyong , Zhou Pu
Published: June 2021

All-solid photonic bandgap fiber (AS-PBGF) has been fully demonstrated to be a promising candidate of large-mode-area fiber for its mode-dependent selectivity and spectral filtering mechanism. In the present work, the concepts of multiple-resonant coupling and leakage channels are taken into consideration simultaneously for mode area scaling of AS-PBGF. The single-mode performance and bending resistance of a modified structure, called leakage channels enabled multi-resonant AS-PBGF (LC-PBGF), are evaluated numerically. Robust single-mode transmission is guaranteed by a specially designed microstructure cladding with only four layers of germanium-doped rods. Multi-resonant cores in the inner layers and leakage channels in the outermost layer, resulting from missing rods in the microstructure cladding, are employed to generate modal dissipation of high-order modes under bent configuration. The missing germanium-doped rods in each layer are properly designed to eliminate the dependence on bending direction, leading to differential bending loss between fundamental mode and high-order-modes with high loss ratio. In addition, some typical derivative structures based on the LC-PBGF concept have also been proved to have great potential for effective single-mode operation.
Study on traceability and suppression method of medium-frequency error for ultra-precision machining optical crystals
Authors: Li Jiasheng , Huang Ming , Wei Wei , Yang Hong , Yuan Jinchun , Liu Pinkuan
Published: June 2021

The medium-frequency error on the surface of ultraprecision flycutting has an important effect on the performance of the optical crystal. In this paper, firstly, the characteristic phenomenon of “knife-like grain” in the medium frequency surface of the square and circular optical crystal machined by ultraprecision fly-cutting is revealed. Besides, the error traceability is realized and the results show that the periodic low-frequency fluctuation of 0.3 Hz between the tool tip and the workpiece is the cause of the medium frequency error of “knife-like grain”. Secondly, through the frequency domain waterfall diagram of vibration signal and the analysis of spindle speed signal, it is proved that the surface shape characteristic is caused by the fluctuation of spindle speed during the cutting process. Then, the variation rule of the cutting amount caused by the fluctuation of spindle speed is explored theoretically and experimentally, and the formation mechanism of medium frequency error in flycutting is revealed. Finally, in order to reduce the medium frequency error of “knife-like grain”, the control parameters of the aerostatic spindle are reasonably optimized based on the analysis of the mechanical and electrical coupling control performance of the spindle, so that the RMS values in the medium frequency band of the workpiece are greatly improved after machining.
Enhancement of underwater vision by fully exploiting the polarization information from the Stokes vector
Authors: Wei Yi , Han Pingli , Liu Fei , Shao Xiaopeng
Published: June 2021

Underwater imaging method based on polarization information is extremely popular due to its ability to effectively remove the backscattered light. The Stokes vector contains the information of both the degree and angle of polarization of the light wave. However, this aspect has been rarely utilized in image reconstruction. In this study, an underwater polarimetric imaging model is established by fully exploiting this feature of Stokes vectors. The transmission of light wave is described in terms of the polarization information derived from the Stokes vector. Then, an optimization function is designed based on the independent characteristics of target light and backscattered light to estimate the target and backscattered field information. The real-world experiments and mean squared error analysis verify that the proposed method can remove the backscattered light and recover the target information accurately.
Frequency-scanned microresonator soliton comb with tracking of the frequency of all comb modes
Authors: Kuse Naoya , Navickaite Gabriele , Geiselmann Michael , Yasui Takeshi , Minoshima Kaoru
Published: June 2021

Rapid and large scanning of a dissipative Kerr-microresonator soliton comb with characterization of all comb modes along with the separation of the comb modes is imperative for the emerging applications of frequency-scanned soliton combs. However, the scan speed is limited by the gain of feedback systems, and measurement of the frequency shift of all comb modes has not been demonstrated. To overcome the limitation of the feedback, we incorporate feedback with feedforward. With an additional gain of

>

40

d
B

by a feedforward signal, a dissipative Kerr-microresonator soliton comb is scanned by 70 GHz in

500

µ

s

, 50 GHz in

125

µ

s

, and 25 GHz in

50

µ

s

(= 500 THz/s). Furthermore, we propose and demonstrate a method to measure the frequency shift of all comb modes, in which an imbalanced Mach–Zehnder interferometer with two outputs with different wavelengths is used. Because of the two degrees of freedom of optical frequency combs, the measurement at two different wavelengths enables estimation of the frequency shift of all comb modes.
Optical modulator based on a silicon-ITO grating embedded rib structure with a tunable group delay
Authors: Rajput Swati , Kaushik Vishal , Singh Lalit , Srivastava Sulabh , Kumar Mukesh
Published: June 2021

An optical modulator based on an engineered silicon-indium tin oxide (Si-ITO) structure is proposed with a tunable group delay. A large group delay is reported by slowing down the light in a Si-ITO grating embedded rib structure. Optical modulation and a tunable group delay are realized by utilizing the electrically tunable permittivity of ITO in the engineered waveguide. The extinction ratio over 8 dB for a 10 µm long device and the modulation efficiency around 12 V-µm are reported for a wide wavelength from 1530 to 1570 nm. The resulting modulation efficiency and the extinction ratio show a significant improvement as compared to conventional modulators based on rib waveguides. We also report around 82 psec electrical tuning in the group delay for a wide wavelength range. This concept is promising in view of realizing tunable delay lines, along with slow light modulators with a reduced device footprint and low energy dissipation.
Examining the dynamics of Epstein-Barr virus shedding in the tonsils and the impact of HIV-1 coinfection on daily saliva viral loads
Authors: Byrne Catherine M. , Johnston Christine , Orem Jackson , Okuku Fred , Huang Meei-Li , Rahman Habibur , Wald Anna , Corey Lawrence , Schiffer Joshua T. , Casper Corey , Coombs Daniel , Gantt Soren
Published: June 2021

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is transmitted by saliva and is a major cause of cancer, particularly in people living with HIV/AIDS. Here, we describe the frequency and quantity of EBV detection in the saliva of Ugandan adults with and without HIV-1 infection and use these data to develop a novel mathematical model of EBV infection in the tonsils. Eligible cohort participants were not taking antiviral medications, and those with HIV-1 infection had a CD4 count >200 cells/mm3. Over a 4-week period, participants provided daily oral swabs that we analysed for the presence and quantity of EBV. Compared with HIV-1 uninfected participants, HIV-1 coinfected participants had an increased risk of EBV detection in their saliva (IRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.10–1.47) and higher viral loads in positive samples. We used these data to develop a stochastic, mechanistic mathematical model that describes the dynamics of EBV, infected cells, and immune response within the tonsillar epithelium to analyse potential factors that may cause EBV infection to be more severe in HIV-1 coinfected participants. The model, fit using Approximate Bayesian Computation, showed high fidelity to daily oral shedding data and matched key summary statistics. When evaluating how model parameters differed among participants with and without HIV-1 coinfection, results suggest HIV-1 coinfected individuals have higher rates of B cell reactivation, which can seed new infection in the tonsils and lower rates of an EBV-specific immune response. Subsequently, both these traits may explain higher and more frequent EBV detection in the saliva of HIV-1 coinfected individuals.
High-resolution genetic mapping reveals cis-regulatory and copy number variation in loci associated with cytochrome P450-mediated detoxification in a generalist arthropod pest
Authors: Fotoukkiaii Seyedeh Masoumeh , Wybouw Nicky , Kurlovs Andre H. , Tsakireli Dimitra , Pergantis Spiros A. , Clark Richard M. , Vontas John , Van Leeuwen Thomas
Published: June 2021

Chemical control strategies are driving the evolution of pesticide resistance in pest populations. Understanding the genetic mechanisms of these evolutionary processes is of crucial importance to develop sustainable resistance management strategies. The acaricide pyflubumide is one of the most recently developed mitochondrial complex II inhibitors with a new mode of action that specifically targets spider mite pests. In this study, we characterize the molecular basis of pyflubumide resistance in a highly resistant population of the spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Classical genetic crosses indicated that pyflubumide resistance was incompletely recessive and controlled by more than one gene. To identify resistance loci, we crossed the resistant population to a highly susceptible T. urticae inbred strain and propagated resulting populations with and without pyflubumide exposure for multiple generations in an experimental evolution set-up. High-resolution genetic mapping by a bulked segregant analysis approach led to the identification of three quantitative trait loci (QTL) linked to pyflubumide resistance. Two QTLs were found on the first chromosome and centered on the cytochrome P450 CYP392A16 and a cluster of CYP392E6-8 genes. Comparative transcriptomics revealed a consistent overexpression of CYP392A16 and CYP392E8 in the experimental populations that were selected for pyflubumide resistance. We further corroborated the involvement of CYP392A16 in resistance by in vitro functional expression and metabolism studies. Collectively, these experiments uncovered that CYP392A16 N-demethylates the toxic carboxamide form of pyflubumide to a non-toxic compound. A third QTL coincided with cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), a vital component of cytochrome P450 metabolism. We show here that the resistant population harbors three gene copies of CPR and that this copy number variation is associated with higher mRNA abundance. Together, we provide evidence for detoxification of pyflubumide by cytochrome P450s that is likely synergized by gene amplification of CPR.
Spatial distribution of Culex mosquito abundance and associated risk factors in Hanoi, Vietnam
Authors: Ha Tuyen V. , Kim Wonkook , Nguyen-Tien Thang , Lindahl Johanna , Nguyen-Viet Hung , Thi Nguyen Quang , Nguyen Huy Van , Unger Fred , Lee Hu Suk
Published: June 2021

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the major cause of viral encephalitis (VE) in most Asian-Pacific countries. In Vietnam, there is no nationwide surveillance system for JE due to lack of medical facilities and diagnoses.Culex tritaeniorhynchus,Culex vishnui, andCulex quinquefasciatushave been identified as the major JE vectors in Vietnam. The main objective of this study was to forecast a risk map ofCulexmosquitoes in Hanoi, which is one of the most densely populated cities in Vietnam. A total of 10,775 female adultCulexmosquitoes were collected from 513 trapping locations. We collected temperature and precipitation information during the study period and its preceding month. In addition, the other predictor variables (e.g., normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI], land use/land cover and human population density), were collected for our analysis. The final model selected for estimating theCulexmosquito abundance included centered rainfall, quadratic term rainfall, rice cover ratio, forest cover ratio, and human population density variables. The estimated spatial distribution ofCulexmosquito abundance ranged from 0 to more than 150 mosquitoes per 900m2. Our model estimated that 87% of the Hanoi area had an abundance of mosquitoes from 0 to 50, whereas approximately 1.2% of the area showed more than 100 mosquitoes, which was mostly in the rural/peri-urban districts. Our findings provide better insight into understanding the spatial distribution ofCulexmosquitoes and its associated environmental risk factors. Such information can assist local clinicians and public health policymakers to identify potential areas of risk for JE virus. Risk maps can be an efficient way of raising public awareness about the virus and further preventive measures need to be considered in order to prevent outbreaks and onwards transmission of JE virus.
Stunting in pre-school and school-age children in the Peruvian highlands and its association with Fasciola infection and demographic factors
Authors: Webb Camille M. , Morales Maria Luisa , Lopez Martha , Baca-Turpo Benicia , Arque Eulogia , White A. Clinton , Cabada Miguel M.
Published: June 2021

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic trematode infection that is endemic in the highlands of Peru. Chronic fascioliasis can be asymptomatic and remain undiagnosed for years. Chronic malnutrition in children, as manifested by stunting, leads to delayed cognitive development and lost productivity. We hypothesized that fascioliasis is among the factors associated with stunting in children from endemic areas. We conducted a cross-sectional study among children attending pre-school and school in 26 communities in the Anta province in the Cusco region of Peru. We conducted interviews to collect information on demographic, socioeconomic, and medical history. Blood was collected and tested for complete cell count and FAS2 ELISA for Fasciola antibodies. Three stool samples per participant were tested for parasites by Kato-Katz and Lumbreras rapid sedimentation methods. Chronic fascioliasis was determined by the presence of ova in stool. Children’s height, weight, and age were recorded and used to calculate height for age Z scores (HAZ). Three thousand children participated in the study. Nine percent (264) of children had at least one positive test for Fasciola infection, 6% (164) had chronic fascioliasis, and 3% (102) had only positive antibody tests. The median HAZ was -1.41 (IQR: -2.03 to -0.81) and was similar in males and females. Twenty six percent (776) of children had stunting with HAZ < -2. Children with chronic fascioliasis had a lower median HAZ than children without Fasciola (-1.54 vs. -1.4, p = 0.014). History of treatment for malnutrition, history of treatment for anemia, having other helminths in stool, lower socioeconomic score, living at a higher elevation, and fewer years of schooling of both parents were associated with a lower HAZ score. In a multiple regression analysis, older age and a lower socioeconomic score were associated with a lower HAZ score. While fascioliasis and other helminths were associated with lower HAZ, they were not independent of the socioeconomic score.
Eigenvalue-based entropy in directed complex networks
Authors: Sun Yan , Zhao Haixing , Liang Jing , Ma Xiujuan
Published: June 2021

Entropy is an important index for describing the structure, function, and evolution of network. The existing research on entropy is primarily applied to undirected networks. Compared with an undirected network, a directed network involves a special asymmetric transfer. The research on the entropy of directed networks is very significant to effectively quantify the structural information of the whole network. Typical complex network models include nearest-neighbour coupling network, small-world network, scale-free network, and random network. These network models are abstracted as undirected graphs without considering the direction of node connection. For complex networks, modeling through the direction of network nodes is extremely challenging. In this paper, based on these typical models of complex network, a directed network model considering node connection in-direction is proposed, and the eigenvalue entropies of three matrices in the directed network is defined and studied, where the three matrices are adjacency matrix, in-degree Laplacian matrix and in-degree signless Laplacian matrix. The eigenvalue-based entropies of three matrices are calculated in directed nearest-neighbor coupling, directed small world, directed scale-free and directed random networks. Through the simulation experiment on the real directed network, the result shows that the eigenvalue entropy of the real directed network is between the eigenvalue entropy of directed scale-free network and directed small-world network.
The prevalence of depressive disorder and its association in Thai cervical cancer patients
Authors: Karawekpanyawong Nuntaporn , Kaewkitikul Kewalee , Maneeton Benchalak , Maneeton Narong , Siriaree Sitthicha
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence, associated factors and quality of life associated with depressive disorder in cervical cancer patients.

Patients and methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out in a gynecologic oncology clinic of a university hospital in Northern Thailand from October 2018 to August 2019. Two-hundred cervical cancer patients were screened for depressive disorder using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and psychiatrists interviewed eligible patients to confirm diagnoses. We measured the quality of life using questionnaires from the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer: Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Cervical Cancer Module 24 (EORTC QLQ-Cx24). Associated factors, including comorbidity, fatigue, and pain, were collected using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), the eleven-item Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ 11), and the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, respectively.

Results

Twenty-seven (13.5%) cervical cancer patients were diagnosed with depressive disorder by psychiatrists according to the DSM-5. Depressive disorder was related to a worse quality of life in these patients. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive disorder among these patients was linked with these factors: high fatigue score (aOR: 1.35; CI: 1.18–1.53), high pain score (aOR: 1.25; CI: 1.02–1.54), no perception of social support, (aOR: 3.12; CI: 1.11–8.81), and no previous surgical treatment for cervical cancer (aOR: 2.99; CI: 1.08–8.29).

Conclusion

The depressive disorder prevalence was 13.5% in Northern Thai cervical cancer patients. In this demographic, cervical cancer patients—who reported high fatigue or pain scores, did not perceive social support, or had no previous cervical cancer surgery- were more likely to have depressive disorder.
Conservation aquaculture as a tool for imperiled marine species: Evaluation of opportunities and risks for Olympia oysters, Ostrea lurida
Authors: Ridlon April D. , Wasson Kerstin , Waters Tiffany , Adams John , Donatuto Jamie , Fleener Gary , Froehlich Halley , Govender Rhona , Kornbluth Aaron , Lorda Julio , Peabody Betsy , Pinchot IV Gifford , Rumrill Steven S. , Tobin Elizabeth , Zabin Chela J. , Zacherl Danielle , Grosholz Edwin D.
Published: June 2021

Conservation aquaculture is becoming an important tool to support the recovery of declining marine species and meet human needs. However, this tool comes with risks as well as rewards, which must be assessed to guide aquaculture activities and recovery efforts. Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) provide key ecosystem functions and services along the west coast of North America, but populations have declined to the point of local extinction in some estuaries. Here, we present a species-level, range-wide approach to strategically planning the use of aquaculture to promote recovery of Olympia oysters. We identified 12 benefits of culturing Olympia oysters, including identifying climate-resilient phenotypes that add diversity to growers’ portfolios. We also identified 11 key risks, including potential negative ecological and genetic consequences associated with the transfer of hatchery-raised oysters into wild populations. Informed by these trade-offs, we identified ten priority estuaries where aquaculture is most likely to benefit Olympia oyster recovery. The two highest scoring estuaries have isolated populations with extreme recruitment limitation—issues that can be addressed via aquaculture if hatchery capacity is expanded in priority areas. By integrating social criteria, we evaluated which project types would likely meet the goals of local stakeholders in each estuary. Community restoration was most broadly suited to the priority areas, with limited commercial aquaculture and no current community harvest of the species, although this is a future stakeholder goal. The framework we developed to evaluate aquaculture as a tool to support species recovery is transferable to other systems and species globally; we provide a guide to prioritizing local knowledge and developing recommendations for implementation by using transparent criteria. Our collaborative process engaging diverse stakeholders including managers, scientists, Indigenous Tribal representatives, and shellfish growers can be used elsewhere to seek win-win opportunities to expand conservation aquaculture where benefits are maximized for both people and imperiled species.
Rheumatoid arthritis serotype and synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with periodontitis: A case-control study
Authors: Nik-Azis Nik-Madihah , Mohd Nurulhuda , Mohd Fadzilah Fazalina , Mohamed Haflah Nor Hazla , Mohamed Said Mohd Shahrir , Baharin Badiah
Published: June 2021

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience a higher prevalence of periodontitis. This study aimed to examine the variation of periodontitis experienced with different serotypes suffered by RA patients and to examine the relationship between the different medications taken for RA that may influence this relationship. Two hundred and sixty RA and control participants underwent standardized periodontal examinations. Medical, serological and radiological (Sharp/van der Heijde) records were assessed. Functional status was assessed using the administered Health Assessment Questionnaire. Moreover, disease parameters, including disease activity (DAS28-ESR) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) seropositivity were evaluated. Periodontitis was higher in RA (71.54%) compared with controls (54.62%). The stage of periodontitis experienced by ACPA-positive participants were higher than APCA-negative participants. The probing pocket depth and recession experienced by RF-positive participants were higher than those who were RF-negative. RA participants on methotrexate had lower clinical attachment loss and lower periodontal probing depth compared with participants on a combination methotrexate and other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Participants taking corticosteroids had lower gingival index scores. The association between seropositivity and the type of medications taken with periodontal health parameters in this group of patients suggests that both seropositivity and medications taken are important modifiers in the relationship between periodontitis and RA.
Changing language input following market integration in a Yucatec Mayan community
Authors: Padilla-Iglesias Cecilia , Woodward Amanda L. , Goldin-Meadow Susan , Shneidman Laura A.
Published: June 2021

Like many indigenous populations worldwide, Yucatec Maya communities are rapidly undergoing change as they become more connected with urban centers and access to formal education, wage labour, and market goods became more accessible to their inhabitants. However, little is known about how these changes affect children’s language input. Here, we provide the first systematic assessment of the quantity, type, source, and language of the input received by 29 Yucatec Maya infants born six years apart in communities where increased contact with urban centres has resulted in a greater exposure to the dominant surrounding language, Spanish. Results show that infants from the second cohort received less directed input than infants in the first and, when directly addressed, most of their input was in Spanish. To investigate the mechanisms driving the observed patterns, we interviewed 126 adults from the communities. Against common assumptions, we showed that reductions in Mayan input did not simply result from speakers devaluing the Maya language. Instead, changes in input could be attributed to changes in childcare practices, as well as caregiver ethnotheories regarding the relative acquisition difficulty of each of the languages. Our study highlights the need for understanding the drivers of individual behaviour in the face of socio-demographic and economic changes as it is key for determining the fate of linguistic diversity.
Cyber-dating abuse in young adult couples: Relations with sexist attitudes and violence justification, smartphone usage and impulsivity
Authors: Linares Rocío , Aranda María , García-Domingo Marta , Amezcua Teresa , Fuentes Virginia , Moreno-Padilla María
Published: June 2021

Technologies have become important for interaction in couples. However, in some cases, controlling and aggressive behaviors can occur in the context of virtual interactions in couples; this is known as cyber-dating abuse (CDA). Identifying factors linked to CDA, as perpetrator and victim, are relevant for its prevention; therefore, more research is needed in this novel field of study. To contribute to the literature, our first goal was to analyze the associations among certain risk factors for CDA perpetration and victimization of, i.e., sexist attitudes and violence justification, problematic smartphone usage and impulsivity; sex and age were also considered. The second goal was to study whether there were differences in direct aggression and control, from the perpetrator and victim perspectives, with consideration of the above-mentioned risk factors. Third, differences in the diverse range of control behaviors and direct aggression between women and men were explored. To this end, 697 young adults (aged between 18 and 35 years; 548 women) completed self-report questionnaires that allowed assessment of the above-mentioned variables. The results showed that, among the wide range of CDA behaviors, indirect ones such as control behaviors were the most common. The highest level of control was strongly associated with the inability to manage behaviors under certain emotional states, especially negative ones, along with problematic smartphone usage. Sex differences were also observed: men displayed more sexist attitudes and violence justification, and perceived that they were more controlled by their partners. Regarding CDA behaviors, men and women showed differences in control (e.g. men considered themselves to be more controlled in terms of location and status updates), and direct aggression (e.g. men used more insults and humiliations than women). The results were discussed in terms of the importance of better understanding these risk factors to attenuate the increasing prevalence of CDA in relationships.
Reduced neutrophil granular proteins and post-treatment modulation in tuberculous lymphadenitis
Authors: Kathamuthu Gokul Raj , Moideen Kadar , Sridhar Rathinam , Baskaran Dhanaraj , Babu Subash
Published: June 2021

Background

Neutrophils are important for host innate immune defense and mediate inflammatory responses. Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is associated with increased neutrophil granular protein (NGP) levels in the circulation. However, the systemic levels of neutrophil granular proteins were not examined in tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL) disease.

Methods

We measured the systemic levels of NGP (myeloperoxidase [MPO], elastase and proteinase 3 [PRTN3]) in TBL and compared them to latent tuberculosis (LTB) and healthy control (HC) individuals. We also measured the pre-treatment (Pre-T) and post-treatment (Post-T) systemic levels of neutrophil granular proteins in TBL individuals upon anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT) completion. In addition, we studied the correlation and discriminatory ability of NGPs using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

Our data suggests that systemic levels of NGPs (MPO, PRTN3, elastase) were significantly reduced in TBL individuals compared to LTB and HC individuals. Similarly, after ATT, the plasma levels of MPO and elastase but not PRTN3 were significantly elevated compared to pre-treatment levels. NGPs (except PRTN3) were positively correlated with absolute neutrophil count of TBL, LTB and HC individuals. Further, NGPs were able to significantly discriminate TBL from LTB and HC individuals.

Conclusion

Hence, we conclude reduced neutrophil granular protein levels might be associated with disease pathogenesis in TBL.
At a Moment’s Notice: Indonesian Maids Write on Their Lives Abroad, Jafar Suryomenggolo (ed. and trans.) (2019)
Authors: Liu Yiwen
Published: June 2021

Review of: At a Moment’s Notice: Indonesian Maids Write on Their Lives Abroad, Jafar Suryomenggolo (ed. and trans.) (2019)

Copenhagen: NIAS Press, 219 pp.,

ISBN 978-8-77694-270-0, h/bk, £65.00;

ISBN 978-8-77694-271-7, p/bk, £19.99
U.S. FDA and FTC: Opioid Addiction and Health Fraud
Authors: Sumter Jeffery , Goodrich-Doctor Adrienne
Published: June 2021

Opioid addiction is a serious health epidemic that affects millions of Americans. Opioids are a class of drugs that include: the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids (fentanyl), and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as: oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine and others. There are limited drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for opioid addition treatment. However, some marketers and distributors are illegally marketing products with unproven claims about their ability to help in the treatment of opioid addiction and withdrawal. Selling unapproved products with claims that they can treat opioid addiction and withdrawal is a violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) Act, and making unsubstantiated therapeutic claims are also a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits deceptive advertising.
Fourier transforms of convolution operators on orlicz spaces
Authors: Tabatabaie Seyyed Mohammad , Salec AliReza Bagheri
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we study convolution operators on an Orlicz spaceLΦ(G) commuting with left translations, where Φ is an N-function andGis a locally compact group. We also present some basic properties of the Fourier transform of a Φ-convolution operator in the context of locally compact abelian groups.
A nonparametric estimation of the conditional ageing intensity function in censored data: A local linear approach
Authors: Khardani Salah , Benkhaled Abdelkader
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we investigate the problem of the local linear estimation of the conditional ageing intensity function, when the variable of interest is subject to random right-censored. We establish under appropriate conditions the asymptotic normality of this estimator.
m6A‐mediated alternative splicing coupled with nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay regulates SAM synthetase homeostasis
Authors: Watabe Eichi , Togo‐Ohno Marina , Ishigami Yuma , Wani Shotaro , Hirota Keiko , Kimura‐Asami Mariko , Hasan Sharmin , Takei Satomi , Fukamizu Akiyoshi , Suzuki Yutaka , Suzuki Tsutomu , Kuroyanagi Hidehito
Published: June 2021

Alternative splicing of pre‐mRNAs can regulate gene expression levels by coupling with nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD). In order to elucidate a repertoire of mRNAs regulated by alternative splicing coupled with NMD (AS‐NMD) in an organism, we performed long‐read RNA sequencing of poly(A)+ RNAs from an NMD‐deficient mutant strain of Caenorhabditis elegans, and obtained full‐length sequences for mRNA isoforms from 259 high‐confidence AS‐NMD genes. Among them are the S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine (SAM) synthetase (sams) genes sams‐3 and sams‐4. SAM synthetase activity autoregulates sams gene expression through AS‐NMD in a negative feedback loop. We furthermore find that METT‐10, the orthologue of human U6 snRNA methyltransferase METTL16, is required for the splicing regulation in␣vivo, and specifically methylates the invariant AG dinucleotide at the distal 3′ splice site (3′SS) in␣vitro. Direct RNA sequencing coupled with machine learning confirms m6A modification of endogenous sams mRNAs. Overall, these results indicate that homeostasis of SAM synthetase in C. elegans is maintained by alternative splicing regulation through m6A modification at the 3′SS of the sams genes.
The Rule of Law as the Lodestar of the European Convention on Human Rights: The Strasbourg Court and the Independence of the Judiciary
Authors: Spano Robert
Published: June 2021

The rule of law is a principle of constitutional importance under the European Convention on Human Rights. For decades, it has guided the work of the Strasbourg Court. The article discusses the principle’s ideological core as a fundamental component of “European public order” and its three normative dimensions, as they find their expression in the case-law of the Court. The author then discusses in detail the rule of law’s most important structural principle under the Convention, the independence of the judiciary.
Poverty and food insecurity in eastern India: A disaggregated regional profile of West Bengal
Authors: Roy Arnab , Venkataramana M.N. , Raghupati R.
Published: June 2021

With the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration adopting eight major development goals on 8 September 2000, the question of reduction in poverty and food insecurity has received major policy focus in several developing countries the world over. The paper intends to study the nature of income inequalities, food security and poverty among different sub-groups of population in Eastern India. It has been found that inequalities in terms of share of total income and population exist both in case of agricultural and non-agricultural income irrespective of sub-groups. The contribution of agricultural income in the income profile is less than that of non-agricultural income which exhibits the deplorable condition of agriculture and thereby the non-agricultural sector has an immense scope for reduction of income inequality even the fact remains that about 65 per cent of the rural population engages in agriculture. The population of India increased at an exponential rate of 1.64 per cent year on year (YoY) during 2001-11 and for West Bengal it’s 1.31 per cent. On continuing with conventional production, the per capita availability of cereals would be 390 g per day in 2032 for West Bengal and 568 g per day for India. The adjusted R2 of fit is 78 per cent for West Bengal and 96 per cent for India. There is a steady decline in growth of cereal production in India and the decline is more striking in West Bengal.