bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LUTO, NEGAÇÃO, ALUCINAÇÃO: UMA RADIOGRAFIA DO HORROR PSICOLÓGICO NA SÉRIE SERVANT, DE TONY BASGALLOP
Authors: Nestarez Oscar
Published: September 2021

O presente trabalho pretende investigar os mecanismos e os índices do que se convencionou chamar de “horror psicológico” a partir da série estadunidense Servant. Para tanto, inicialmente se procederá à conceituação do horror como efeito estético, à qual serão relacionados postulados advindos da teoria psicanalítica. Neste primeiro momento serão utilizados, como suporte teórico, excertos dos estudos Horror: A literary history, organizado por Xavier Aldana Reyes, Philosophy of horror, or Paradoxes of the heart, de Noël Carroll, e os ensaios “Horror and the Idea of Everyday Life: On Skeptical Threats in Psycho and The birds”, de Philip J. Nickel, e “O infamiliar”, de Sigmund Freud. A seguir, será verificado de que forma a série Servant apropria-se de conceitos da psicanálise, seja utilizando-os como topoi, seja incorporando-os à construção da atmosfera e à obtenção do efeito do horror. Dois textos vão balizar essa hipótese: o ensaio “Luto e melancolia”, também de Freud, e o artigo “Objetos transicionais e fenômenos transicionais”, contido em O brincar e a realidade, de Donald W. Winnicott.
O FANTÁSTICO MUNDO POSSÍVEL DO ESPAÇO MATERIAL: ALGUNS DESDOBRAMENTOS ENTRE A LITERATURA E A SÉRIE GOT
Authors: Azambuja Patrícia , Mota Leonardo
Published: September 2021

Os mundos imaginados da fantasia são, em algumas circunstâncias, efeitos decorrentes das visualidades fixadas em referências históricas e memórias visuais, convertidas em atmosfera fílmica, ou seja, percepções acerca dos comportamentos, personalidades, caracterizações formais e espaciais das representações narrativas. Com base no argumento central da série televisiva Game of Thrones - a rivalidade como protagonista - este ensaio elabora um quadro exploratório que busca descrever os principais recursos técnicos utilizados para equacionar as dimensões materiais do espaço construído para a série, assim como, seus principais efeitos psicológicos, utilizando como referência as estratégias de verossimilhança inicialmente articuladas no texto literário original. De eixos descritivo, utiliza a análise fílmica, de Francis Vanoye e Anne Golliot-Lété (1994), para decompor e analisar parte dos aspectos material/espacial e psicológicos, respectivamente.
ELEMENTOS DO GÓTICO FICCIONAL EM DESALMA
Authors: De Souza Wellington Oliveira
Published: September 2021

Este estudo objetiva analisar a série Desalma à luz do gótico, partindo de alguns elementos fundamentais na maquinaria gótica, como os loci horribiles e o passado que volta para assombrar o presente, ambos revestidos pela atmosfera negativa que caracteriza o gótico. Desalma chama atenção pela grande produção e a forte presença do terror e suspense, responsáveis pela experiência do medo no espectador, que experimenta acontecimentos originários de espaços inóspitos e imbricados ao sobrenatural.
AS REPRESENTAÇÕES DO VIRTUAL E DO NOSTÁLGICO NO EPISÓDIO SAN JUNIPERO (2016) DA ANTOLOGIA BLACK MIRROR
Authors: Parmindo Fabrício Silva
Published: September 2021

Este artigo tem por finalidade refletir sobre a forma como o sentimento de nostalgia e as tecnologias virtuais são representadas em uma produção audiovisual de ficção científica. Para compor tal análise, será utilizado o enredo do episódio San Junipero (2016), da série multiplataforma Black Mirror (2011-presente). Entendendo o gênero de ficção científica, em suas diversas formas de produção, como uma expressão da subjetividade em relação ao desenvolvimento tecnológico e o espaço-tempo (RÉGIS, 2005, p.116), pretendemos voltar nosso olhar para essa produção, buscando pontuar questões políticas presentes nas representações do passado nostálgico e do futuro tecnológico no episódio. Sendo este um produto audiovisual concebido e veiculado pela produtora de conteúdo online Netflix, esse artigo terá como interesse compreender também a aproximação de San Junipero com outras produções da plataforma que tematizam a nostalgia, entendendo o episódio como uma peça para analisar as representações políticas desse tema nas mídias digitais de conteúdo sob demanda.
QUE CIVILIZAÇÃO IMPORTA NO EXTREMO DO MUNDO: A SÉRIE THE TERROR
Authors: Duarte Daniel Soares
Published: September 2021

este artigo tem como objetivo discutir alguns valores relativos à ideia de “civilização” a partir de eventos mostrados na série The Terror, atualmente disponível na plataforma de streaming Amazon Prime Video. A série apresenta uma constante luta entre valores, sempre implícita nas ações das personagens: manutenção de hierarquia, o embate entre o que é considerado inferior e superior, a noção enganosa de superioridade frente à natureza, entre outros. A narrativa gira em torno da chamada Expedição Franklin, uma tentativa da Inglaterra, em 1845, de alcançar a China, não fazendo a volta da costa africana, mas passando pelo norte do Canadá, no círculo polar ártico. Algumas ideias aqui apresentadas dialogam com a investigação de Keith Thomas (1988) acerca da presunção ocidental de domínio da natureza para a demonstração de uma “civilização”, noção implícita em todas as cenas da série citada e que dialoga com a obra de Norbert Elias (1990). São essas questões sobre o embate entre o desejo civilizatório e as pulsões e a rudeza natural e humana que propiciam o desenvolvimento dos sentimentos de horror e terror (CAVALLARO, 2002). No presente texto, no entanto, as ideias de Elias são interpretadas por Jessé Souza (2000) sobre como os valores civilizados entram em embate com uma ideologia de perversão e subjugação, bem como com a expansão do processo civilizador.
Maria dos Canos Serrados (2013), de Ricardo Adolfo, e a recriação pulp do real
Authors: Silva Natália Ubirajara
Published: September 2021

O presente artigo analisa o romance Maria dos Canos Serrados, de Ricardo Adolfo, buscando compreender de que forma o realismo se apresenta na ficção portuguesa do século XXI. Percebe-se um deslocamento do termo realismo no escopo da literatura portuguesa, entendido como fotografia da realidade (no século XIX), questionamento engajado da realidade (com o neorrealismo, no século XX) e recurso em favor da narratividade do romance (século XXI). Caracterizada pelo ritmo dinâmico próprio da narrativa cinematográfica e valendo-se do espaço, da denominação (cf. Ernst Cassirer) e de inverossimilhanças narrativas (cf. Santo Agostinho e Tzvetan Todorov), a obra de Ricardo Adolfo apresenta as atuais mazelas da sociedade, num realismo social e numa estética pulp que se afastam das principais vertentes do romance português contemporâneo.
Narrar/Editar: faces do realismo refratado em De mim já nem se lembra (2007), de Luiz Ruffato
Authors: Sales Paulo Alberto da Silva
Published: September 2021

Este artigo propõe a leitura do romance De mim já nem se lembra, de Luiz Ruffato (2007), a partir da perspectiva do realismo refratado, por meio da qual há a possibilidade decriação e atribuição de valor aos modos de vida de sujeitos esquecidos pela história. Ao entrecruzar instâncias narrativas distintas, tanto pela narração autodiegética quanto pela editoração de supostas cartas de autoria de José Célio, irmão do narrador, Ruffato revitaliza formas distintas de representar e de problematizar o real. Nessas articulações entre diferentes estratégias de apropriação realistas, destacam-se as epístolas, cujas grafias registram a vida cotidiana de um sujeito comum, que presencia e vivencia experiências da ditadura civil-militar. Por fim, com base nos estudos da nova história, constatam-se outras dimensões dos anos de chumbo por meio de “pormenores concretos” nas epístolas, bem como a narração, que impossibilitados de representar o real per se, configuram-se refratários.
A forma é o real: Flaubert lido por Baudelaire e Maupassant
Authors: Pereira Júnior Vilarino
Published: September 2021

O romance Madame Bovary, de Gustave Flaubert, quanto à sua influência, extrapola os limites de gêneros, épocas e movimentos literários e chega à contemporaneidade na posição de obra paradigmática tanto da inconversibilidade do real pela literatura quanto da irredutibilidade do literário a realidades pré-existentes. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar que os escritores Charles Baudelaire e Guy de Maupassant ressaltam, em textos críticos sobre Madame Bovary, o formalismo e a impessoalidade da narrativa como recursos que instauram a imanência da obra e problematizam a pertença do autor à escola realista. O retorno a essas críticas pode lançar luz sobre experimentações estéticas posteriores em que a representação interroga o estatuto do documento e da referencialidade externa.
Que corpo é esse? A cidade e o real no conto "A unha encravada e o esmalte" (2016), de Allan da Rosa
Authors: Santini Juliana
Published: September 2021

Tendo como ponto de partida a discussão das formas de realização do realismo na ficção brasileira contemporânea, a reflexão aqui apresentada propõe uma análise do conto “A unha encravada e o esmalte”, de Allan da Rosa, de modo a observar como a fragmentação do corpo atua na representação da cidade e de suas desigualdades, tendo como cenário as passeatas que se realizaram em todo o Brasil em junho de 2013. A leitura parte da hipótese de que o conto assume, nos termos propostos por Tania Pellegrini (2018), uma postura realista sustentada em um posicionamento crítico que promove uma “representação em profundidade” da constituição social, fazendo uso de recursos estéticos pautados não na narração de fatos ou na descrição de espaços, mas na captura do modo como cada corpo se relaciona com o espaço e com outros corpos. Sob esse aspecto, a análise aqui realizada coloca em evidência a deformação do corpo como instrumento central na composição da narrativa, projetando-se na representação da cidade e das estruturas sociais que a compõem como corpo fragmentado e desigual.
Apresentação
Authors: Mendes Leonardo , Catharina Pedro Paulo Garcia Ferreira
Published: September 2021

Apresntação da edição
Leonardo Mendes e Pedro Paulo Catharina entrevistam João Cézar de Castro Rocha
Authors: Rocha João Cézar De Castro , Mendes Leonardo , Catharina Pedro Paulo
Published: September 2021

Entrevista
"O júri da morte" (1886), crônica de Ciro de Azevedo
Authors: Mendes Leonardo
Published: September 2021

Apresentação e notas de Leonardo Mendes
Os tais caquinhos, de Natércia Pontes
Authors: Santos Darlan Roberto dos
Published: September 2021

Resenha
AVALIAÇÃO DA COMPOSIÇÃO NUTRICIONAL, TEOR POLIFENÓLICO E ATIVIDADE ANTIOXIDANTE DE DIFERENTES ESPÉCIES DA FAMÍLIA URTICACEAE
Authors: Nascimento Michele Do , Minello Luana , Facco Elizete Maria Pesamosca , Branco Catia Santos , Sartori Valdirene Camatti , Chilanti Gabriela
Published: September 2021

O interesse pelo estudo das “Plantas Alimentícias Não Convencionais- PANC’s” vem crescendo, impulsionado, principalmente, pela tendência crescente de consumo pela população. Esse é o caso da família Urticaceae, a qual possui espécies descritas por possuírem propriedades nutritivas e que podem ser agregadas em produtos como um alimento funcional. Apesar dessas evidências, os estudos acerca da composição química e propriedades biológicas dessa família ainda são escassos. Nesse contexto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a composição nutricional, a atividade antioxidante, o teor de fenólicos totais e compostos majoritários de quatro espécies da família Urticaceae (Boehmeria caudata Sw, Urera baccifera (L.) Gaudich. ex Wedd., Urtica circularis (Hicken) Sorarú e Urtica dioica (L.) coletadas no sul do Brasil. Os resultados mostraram que a espécie U. baccifera foi a que apresentou o maior teor de umidade (11,02 %) e de fibra alimentar (43,85 %). A espécie U. circularis apresentou o maior teor de minerais totais (20,95 %) e de proteína (26,6 %), enquanto que a B. caudadta obteve maior teor de carboidrato (7,64 %). Com relação ao teor de fenólicos totais observou-se maior conteúdo para as espécies B. caudata e U. dioica (274,92 ± 6,05 e 260,84 ± 8,56 mg GAE/ g, respectivamente), sendo a hesperidina o flavonoide majoritário, detectado na espécie U. bacccifera (116,49 ± 0,94 µg/mL). Tomados em conjunto, os resultados demonstram que as espécies da família Urticacea, tipicamente conhecidas pelas suas propriedades urticantes, podem ser consideradas boas fontes de nutrientes e de compostos bioativos com capacidade antioxidante.
The Use of Active Methods of Teaching in Training of Higher Education Students in the Speciality «Hotel & Restaurant Business»
Authors:   State Institution Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Kashynska Olena
Published: September 2021

The article reveals the use of active teaching methods in the preparation of higher education students in the speciality «Hotel & Restaurant Business». The emphasis is placed on the current competencies for professions in the hotel and restaurant business, and it is noted that in the near future the technical skills will prevail, which will be complemented by strong personal, social and cooperation skills. It has been noted that these skills cannot be cultivated in a passive educational environment, and therefore, the preference should be given to active teaching methods that can improve the training of specialists in hotel and restaurant business, improve their attitude to learning and provide them with interesting learning and cognitive opportunities. The main approaches to the definition of the concept «active teaching methods» have been revealed, and it has been determined that active teaching methods are the methods that «activate» students by involving their cognitive abilities and processes, making them the active parts of the learning process, which in its turn promotes the development of critical thinking, the increase of motivation to learning, cognitive interest, the activation of creative potential, independence in obtaining knowledge, and the formation of «soft» competencies. The list of active teaching methods has been supplemented by the methods that are widely advertised and professionally substantiated in higher educational institutions today («incident method», «scribing», «reduced method», «delayed assessment method», «mind mapping», «Plus – Minus – Interesting» and others). It has been proposed to introduce such teaching methods in the training of specialists in hotel and restaurant business as: contest and business simulations. The process of their application has been described as well. The research has established that these methods have not become active yet, but they have significant results in improving the quality of training of higher education students in the speciality «Hotel & Restaurant Business».
Using graphic design to convey your brand
Authors: Ratcliffe Jason
Published: September 2021

In this article, Jason Ratcliffe discusses how a specific type of graphic design can convey a style about your brand and generate interest and attention that will encourage audiences to read articles and blogs
IDENTIFICATION OF CRITERIA FOR THIRD PARTY LOGISTICS SUPPLIERS (3PL) IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (SCM) IN INDIAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
Authors: Sawant Swapnil , Sarode Avinash
Published: September 2021

The Indian manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, and supply chain management (SCM) plays the most important role in the industry. In SCM, customer satisfaction in terms of quantity, quality and on time delivery is the most important critical factor. To satisfy this requirement, the best third-party logistics (3PL) service provider is required.  Therefore, the selection of the best third-party logistics provider is one of the basic requirements in SCM. Logistics services are the backbone of an economy, providing the efficient, cost effective flow of goods and services on which other commercial sectors depend. The logistics companies work as the outsourced or third-party service providers and support the organization's logistics functions. In this study, we identified some important criteria for 3PL implementation in SCM in Indian manufacturing industries.  With the help of this study, supply chain managers from small to medium sized manufacturing industries can simplify the selection process for 3PL vendors. This study will help in the selection of the best vendor from such a competitive group and provide justification for the selection.
AN AHP BASED OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTION MODEL AND ITS APPLICATION IN COVID-19 VACCINATION
Authors: Garg Arpan , Sharma Y D , Jain Subit Kumar
Published: September 2021

COVID-19 is causing a large number of causalities and producing tedious healthcare management problems at a global level. During a pandemic, resource availability and optimal distribution of the resources may save lives. Due to this issue, the authors have proposed an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based optimal distribution model. The proposed distribution model advances the AHP and enhances real-time model applicability by eliminating judgmental scale errors. The model development is systematically discussed. Also, the proposed model is utilized as a state-level optimal COVID-19 vaccine distribution model with limited vaccine availability. The COVID-19 vaccine distribution model used 28 Indian states and 7 union territories as the decision elements for the vaccination problem. The state-wise preference weights were calculated using the geometric mean AHP analysis method. The optimal state-level distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine was obtained using preference weights, vaccine availability and the fact that a patient requires exactly vaccine doses to complete a vaccination schedule. The optimal COVID-19 vaccine distribution along with state and union territory rank, and preference weights were compiled. The obtained results found Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and West Bengal to be the most COVID-19 affected states. In the future, the authors suggest using the proposed model to design an optimal vaccine distribution strategy at the district or country level, and to design a vaccine storage/inventory model to ensure optimal use of a vaccine storage center covering nearby territories.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND ETHICAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (EAI)
Authors: Garuti Claudio
Published: September 2021

The concept of AI is a relatively new concept that is being used with increasing frequency. The importance of this concept has to do in general with the increased capacity of what we understand as intelligence. However, it is a delicate concept and easy to misuse and / or misinterpret. This requires a good understanding of what AI is, what it is based on or should be based on and its forms of practical operation.

I would like to make a point regarding the difference between IA and IAE. AI in general is thought of as a program or machine capable of answering difficult questions by generating relationships related to the question within large relational databases. This, in general, leads to obtaining results about which it is not clear how they were obtained (what was the "reasoning" behind). This, in the long term, can bring important problems of understanding and dependency. Ultimately, we would be obeying a machine based on its eventual high predictive capacity. But, in this case, who is really the decision-maker and who is the operator?
Nests of Eufriesea aff. auriceps (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) in remnants of Atlantic Forest and reforested areas
Authors: Gobatto André Luis , Guimarães Franciscon Amanda , Uemura Natalia , Mendes Miranda Susanna , Gabriely Cesar Giovanna , Oliveira-Silva Ana Carolina , Kotelok-Diniz Thais , Sofia Silvia
Published: September 2021

In recent decades, the use of the trap-nest technique has helped to increase knowledge on the nest architecture of many orchid bee species. This study describes the nest architecture of Eufriesea aff. auriceps constructed in trap-nests made of dried bamboo internodes (canes). The nests were placed in remnants of Atlantic forest and in reforested areas next to forest remnants and monitored monthly from August 2015 to August 2016 and from August 2018 to August 2019 in southern Brazil. The bamboo internodes occupied by bees varied in internal diameter from 1.0cm to 2.0 cm (`X = 1.7; SD = 0.3; N = 12) and in length from 11.0 cm to 28.0 cm (`X = 19.5; SD = 4.8; N = 12). The total size of the nests inside the bamboo internodes ranged from 9.0 cm to 19.9 cm (`X = 14.3; SD= 3.9; N = 12). The number of brood cells constructed per nest varied from 1 to 10 (`X = 4.0; SD = 2.3; N = 15). The cells were built with small pieces of bark cemented with resin, linearly arranged along the bamboo tube. Internally, the cell wall was lined with resin. The cells measured 1.5-3.0 cm (`X = 2.3 ± 0.5; N = 48) in length and 1.4-1.7 (`X = 1.5 ± 0.1; N = 17) cm in width. The internal contour of the cells was elliptical. Females of Eufriesea aff. auriceps occupied trap-nests in both the forest remnants and in areas undergoing restoration.
Direct (3+1)D laser writing of graded-index optical elements
Authors: Porte Xavier , Dinc Niyazi Ulas , Moughames Johnny , Panusa Giulia , Juliano Caroline , Kadic Muamer , Moser Christophe , Brunner Daniel , Psaltis Demetri
Published: September 2021

We propose single-step additive fabrication of graded-index optical elements by introducing the light exposure as the additional dimension to three-dimensional (3D) laser writing, hence (3

+

1)D writing. We use a commercial printer and photoresist to realize the proposed single-step fabrication method that can be swiftly adopted for research and engineering. After presenting the characterization of the graded-index profiles via basic structures, we demonstrate two different optical devices: volume holograms that are superimposed using angular and peristrophic multiplexing, and optical waveguides with well-defined refractive index profiles. In the latter, we precisely control the propagating modes via tuning the (3

+

1)D-printed waveguide parameters and report step-index and graded-index core–cladding transitions.
On the inference of complex phylogenetic networks by Markov Chain Monte-Carlo
Authors: Rabier Charles-Elie , Berry Vincent , Stoltz Marnus , Santos João D. , Wang Wensheng , Glaszmann Jean-Christophe , Pardi Fabio , Scornavacca Celine
Published: September 2021

For various species, high quality sequences and complete genomes are nowadays available for many individuals. This makes data analysis challenging, as methods need not only to be accurate, but also time efficient given the tremendous amount of data to process. In this article, we introduce an efficient method to infer the evolutionary history of individuals under the multispecies coalescent model in networks (MSNC). Phylogenetic networks are an extension of phylogenetic trees that can contain reticulate nodes, which allow to model complex biological events such as horizontal gene transfer, hybridization and introgression. We present a novel way to compute the likelihood of biallelic markers sampled along genomes whose evolution involved such events. This likelihood computation is at the heart of a Bayesian network inference method called SnappNet, as it extends the Snapp method inferring evolutionary trees under the multispecies coalescent model, to networks. SnappNet is available as a package of the well-known beast 2 software.

Recently, the MCMC_BiMarkers method, implemented in PhyloNet, also extended Snapp to networks. Both methods take biallelic markers as input, rely on the same model of evolution and sample networks in a Bayesian framework, though using different methods for computing priors. However, SnappNet relies on algorithms that are exponentially more time-efficient on non-trivial networks. Using simulations, we compare performances of SnappNet and MCMC_BiMarkers. We show that both methods enjoy similar abilities to recover simple networks, but SnappNet is more accurate than MCMC_BiMarkers on more complex network scenarios. Also, on complex networks, SnappNet is found to be extremely faster than MCMC_BiMarkers in terms of time required for the likelihood computation. We finally illustrate SnappNet performances on a rice data set. SnappNet infers a scenario that is consistent with previous results and provides additional understanding of rice evolution.
Insights into the dynamic trajectories of protein filament division revealed by numerical investigation into the mathematical model of pure fragmentation
Authors: Tournus Magali , Escobedo Miguel , Xue Wei-Feng , Doumic Marie
Published: September 2021

The dynamics by which polymeric protein filaments divide in the presence of negligible growth, for example due to the depletion of free monomeric precursors, can be described by the universal mathematical equations of ‘pure fragmentation’. The rates of fragmentation reactions reflect the stability of the protein filaments towards breakage, which is of importance in biology and biomedicine for instance in governing the creation of amyloid seeds and the propagation of prions. Here, we devised from mathematical theory inversion formulae to recover the division rates and division kernel information from time-dependent experimental measurements of filament size distribution. The numerical approach to systematically analyze the behaviour of pure fragmentation trajectories was also developed. We illustrate how these formulae can be used, provide some insights on their robustness, and show how they inform the design of experiments to measure fibril fragmentation dynamics. These advances are made possible by our central theoretical result on how the length distribution profile of the solution to the pure fragmentation equation aligns with a steady distribution profile for large times.
A putative de novo evolved gene required for spermatid chromatin condensation in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Rivard Emily L. , Ludwig Andrew G. , Patel Prajal H. , Grandchamp Anna , Arnold Sarah E. , Berger Alina , Scott Emilie M. , Kelly Brendan J. , Mascha Grace C. , Bornberg-Bauer Erich , Findlay Geoffrey D.
Published: September 2021

Comparative genomics has enabled the identification of genes that potentially evolved de novo from non-coding sequences. Many such genes are expressed in male reproductive tissues, but their functions remain poorly understood. To address this, we conducted a functional genetic screen of over 40 putative de novo genes with testis-enriched expression in Drosophila melanogaster and identified one gene, atlas, required for male fertility. Detailed genetic and cytological analyses showed that atlas is required for proper chromatin condensation during the final stages of spermatogenesis. Atlas protein is expressed in spermatid nuclei and facilitates the transition from histone- to protamine-based chromatin packaging. Complementary evolutionary analyses revealed the complex evolutionary history of atlas. The protein-coding portion of the gene likely arose at the base of the Drosophila genus on the X chromosome but was unlikely to be essential, as it was then lost in several independent lineages. Within the last ~15 million years, however, the gene moved to an autosome, where it fused with a conserved non-coding RNA and evolved a non-redundant role in male fertility. Altogether, this study provides insight into the integration of novel genes into biological processes, the links between genomic innovation and functional evolution, and the genetic control of a fundamental developmental process, gametogenesis.
Location and expression kinetics of Tc24 in different life stages of Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: Versteeg Leroy , Adhikari Rakesh , Poveda Cristina , Villar-Mondragon Maria Jose , Jones Kathryn M. , Hotez Peter J. , Bottazzi Maria Elena , Tijhaar Edwin , Pollet Jeroen
Published: September 2021

Tc24-C4, a modified recombinant flagellar calcium-binding protein ofTrypanosoma cruzi, is under development as a therapeutic subunit vaccine candidate to prevent or delay progression of chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy. When combined with Toll-like receptor agonists, Tc24-C4 immunization reduces parasitemia, parasites in cardiac tissue, and cardiac fibrosis and inflammation in animal models. To support further research on the vaccine candidate and its mechanism of action, murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Tc24-C4 were generated. Here, we report new findings made with mAb Tc24-C4/884 that detects Tc24-WT and Tc24-C4, as well as native Tc24 inT.cruzion ELISA, western blots, and different imaging techniques. Surprisingly, detection of Tc24 by Tc24-C/884 in fixedT.cruzitrypomastigotes required permeabilization of the parasite, revealing that Tc24 is not exposed on the surface ofT.cruzi, making a direct role of antibodies in the induced protection after Tc24-C4 immunization less likely. We further observed that after immunostainingT.cruzi–infected cells with mAb Tc24-C4/884, the expression of Tc24 decreases significantly whenT.cruzitrypomastigotes enter host cells and transform into amastigotes. However, Tc24 is then upregulated in association with parasite flagellar growth linked to re-transformation into the trypomastigote form, prior to host cellular escape. These observations are discussed in the context of potential mechanisms of vaccine immunity.
Involvement of von Willebrand factor and botrocetin in the thrombocytopenia induced by Bothrops jararaca snake venom
Authors: Thomazini Camila Martos , Sachetto Ana Teresa Azevedo , de Albuquerque Cynthia Zaccanini , de Moura Mattaraia Vânia Gomes , de Oliveira Ana Karina , Serrano Solange Maria de Toledo , Lebrun Ivo , Barbaro Katia Cristina , Santoro Marcelo Larami
Published: September 2021

Patients bitten by snakes consistently manifest a bleeding tendency, in which thrombocytopenia, consumption coagulopathy, mucous bleeding, and, more rarely, thrombotic microangiopathy, are observed. Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is required for primary hemostasis, and some venom proteins, such as botrocetin (a C-type lectin-like protein) and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMP), disturb the normal interaction between platelets and VWF, possibly contributing to snakebite-induced bleedings. To understand the relationship among plasma VWF, platelets, botrocetin and SVMP from Bothrops jararaca snake venom (BjV) in the development of thrombocytopenia, we used (a) Wistar rats injected s.c. with BjV preincubated with anti-botrocetin antibodies (ABA) and/or Na2-EDTA (a SVMP inhibitor), and (b) VWF knockout mice (Vwf-/-) injected with BjV. Under all conditions, BjV induced a rapid and intense thrombocytopenia. In rats, BjV alone reduced the levels of VWF:Ag, VWF:CB, high molecular weight multimers of VWF, ADAMTS13 activity, and factor VIII. Moreover, VWF:Ag levels in rats that received BjV preincubated with Na2-EDTA and/or ABA tended to recover faster. In mice, BjV caused thrombocytopenia in both Vwf-/- and C57BL/6 (background control) strains, and VWF:Ag levels tended to decrease in C57BL/6, demonstrating that thrombocytopenia was independent of the presence of plasma VWF. These findings showed that botrocetin present in BjV failed to affect the extent or the time course of thrombocytopenia induced by envenomation, but it contributed to decrease the levels and function of plasma VWF. Thus, VWF alterations during B. jararaca envenomation are an ancillary event, and not the main mechanism leading to decreased platelet counts.
The “Self” under COVID-19: Social role disruptions, self-authenticity and present-focused coping
Authors: Liu Jingshi (Joyce) , Dalton Amy N. , Lee Jeremy
Published: September 2021

Social role disruption is a state involving upheaval of social identities, routines and responsibilities. Such disruption is presently occurring at a global scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which poses a threat not only to health and security but also to the social roles that underlie people’s daily lives. Our collective response to combat the virus entails, for example, parents homeschooling children, friends socializing online, and employees working from home. While these collective efforts serve the greater good, people’s social roles now lack continuity from what was authentic to the roles before the pandemic began. This, we argue, takes a psychological toll. Individuals feelinauthentic, or alienated and out-of-touch from their “true” selves, to the extent their social roles undergo change. As evidence, we report survey (Studies 1 & 4) and experimental (Studies 2 & 3) evidence that COVID-19-related role changes indeed increase inauthenticity. This effect occurs independent of (a) how positively/negatively people feel about COVID-19 (Study 2) and (b) how positively/negatively people feel about the role change itself (Studies 3 & 4). Moreover, we identify two moderators of this effect. First, this effect occurs when (and ostensibly because) the social roles undergoing change are central to an individual’s sense of self (Study 2). Second, this effect depends on an individual’s temporal perspective. People can safeguard their self-authenticity in the face of changing social roles if they stay focused on the here-and-now (the present and immediate future), rather than focusing on the past (pre-COVID-19) or future (post-COVID-19) (Studies 3 & 4). This advantage for present-focused coping is observed in both the U.S.A. (Study 3) and Hong Kong (Study 4). We suggest that the reason people feel more authentically themselves when they maintain a present focus is because doing so makes the discontinuity of their social roles less salient.
Waiting for the better reward: Comparison of delay of gratification in young children across two cultures
Authors: Ding Ning , Frohnwieser Anna , Miller Rachael , Clayton Nicola S.
Published: September 2021

Delay of gratification–a form of self-control–is the ability to forsake immediately available rewards in order to obtain larger-valued outcomes in future, which develops throughout the pre-school years. The majority of previous research in this area has been conducted with Western populations, therefore knowledge of Eastern children’s performance is scarcer. Here, utilising on a recently published dataset of British children (n = 61), we further tested delay of gratification in 3 to 5-year-old Chinese children (n = 75) using Bramlett et al.’s (2012) delay choice paradigm. The paradigm was previously used in non-human primates and it featured a mechanized rotating tray that sequentially moves rewards within reach. Additionally, we administered 3 inhibitory control tasks and 1 standardised delay choice task to Chinese pre-schoolers (British children were not tested). We aimed to investigate the influence of culture, reward type and reward visibility on pre-schoolers’ ability to delay gratification. We found significant age-related improvements in delay of gratification ability in both countries and children performed better when presented with rewards varying in quality than quantity. Consistent with previous cross-cultural literature, Chinese children showed better overall performance than their British peers when reward visibility was manipulated (though reward visibility itself had no significant effect on performance). There were significant correlations in Chinese children’s performance in Bramlett et al.’s (2012) delay choice paradigm and performance in some (though not all tested) inhibitory control tasks. We discuss these results in relation to task demands and the broader social orientation of self-control. We concluded that the intuitive comparative assessment of self-control task taps into children’s delay of gratification ability. Our results emphasize the importance of testing for socio-cultural influences on children’s cognitive development.
Virologic outcomes of people living with human immunodeficiency virus who started antiretroviral treatment on the same-day of diagnosis in Ethiopia: A multicenter observational study
Authors: Ahmed Ismael , Demissie Meaza , Worku Alemayehu , Gugsa Salem , Berhane Yemane
Published: September 2021

Introduction

There have been tremendous achievements in scaling-up antiretroviral therapy (ART) for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), following universal “test and treat” policy implementation in low- and middle-income countries. However, its effects on virologic outcomes is not yet well investigated. We compared low viral load status in people living with HIV between those who were initiated on ART on the same-day and after 7 days of being diagnosed with HIV infection.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of persons age ≥15 years-old who were newly diagnosed and started on ART between October 2016 and July 2018 at 11 public health facilities in northwest Ethiopia. Exposure was initiation of ART on the same-day of HIV diagnosis. The outcome was low viral load at 12-months following ART initiation. We used double-robust estimator using inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment to compare the groups.

Results

A total of 398 people who started ART on the same-day of HIV diagnosis and 479 people who started 7 days after the initial diagnosis were included in this study. By 12-months following ART initiation, 73.4% (292) in the same-day group vs 83.7% (401) in the >7 days group achieved low viral load (absolute difference = 10.3% (95% CI: 4.9%, 15.8%)). After adjusting for baseline and follow-up covariates, there was statistically significant difference in low viral load status (adjusted difference = 8.3% (95% CI: 3.5%, 13.0%)) between the same-day group and the >7 days group.

Conclusions

Achievement of low viral load by 12-months post-initiation of ART was not optimal among participants who started ART on the same-day of HIV diagnosis. Efforts should be made to reinforce treatment adherence while initiating same-day ART.
Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon
Authors: Eisenberg Amy
Published: September 2021

Review of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon Stephan V. Beyer. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. Pp. 544, 12 halftones, 2 charts. $29.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-8263-4370-5.
An Insight of Co-Encapsulation Nigella sativa and Cosmos caudatus Kunth Extracts as Anti-Inflammatory Agent Through In Silico Study
Authors: Zuhroh Nadiyah , Ningsih Zubaidah , Safitri Anna
Published: September 2021

This study analyzes anti-inflammatory activity from extracts of Nigella sativa and Cosmos caudatus Kunth co-encapsulated through in silico molecular docking. The LC-MS results revealed that extracts of N. sativa mostly contained thymoquinone and alpha-hederin, whereas quercetin and kaempferol were the major compounds in C. caudatus K. Nevertheless, the bioactive compounds are usually susceptible to degradation by exposure to light, heat, oxygen, which may limit its biological activity. Therefore, encapsulation is one of the promising techniques to protect bioactive compounds. Ligands were encapsulated with chitosan and sodium tripolyphosphate as wall materials. Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as the target enzymes were docked with a combination of these active compounds (non-encapsulated and encapsulated), using the HEX 8.0 program, and visualized using the Discovery studio visualizer software v16.1.0.15350. Interestingly, docking results of the combination of encapsulated ligands showed no interactions to COX-1 but interacted with COX-2. Therefore, co-encapsulation of extracts combinations has been suggested to act as anti-inflammatory agents targeted specifically to the COX-2 enzyme. The total energy of the encapsulated of combination of extract compounds to COX-2 were -1425.88 (mol/cal) for thymoquinone + quercetin; -1435.87 (mol/cal) for thymoquinone + kaempferol; 1175.97 (mol/cal) for quercetin + alpha hederin; -957.74 (mol/cal) for kaempferol + alpha hederin; and -283.3 (mol/cal) for diclofenac sodium, as a control NSAID drug. These suggest that encapsulated active compounds in N. sativa and C. caudatus K. have potency as a drug candidate for the selective NSAIDs category, which can be subjected to further in vitro and in vivo studies.
Preoperative use of the modified radiofrequency neuroablation of the genicular and cutaneous nerves of the knee joint for alleviating postoperative pain after arthroplasty
Authors: Golovakha M. L. , Bilykh Ye. O. , Shyshka I. V. , Zabielin I. M. , Pertsov V. I.
Published: September 2021

The aim of the study. To improve the effectiveness of pain syndrome management in the postoperative period in patients after knee arthroplasty with radiofrequency neuroablation (RFNA).
Materials and methods. A prospective, open, randomized study on the treatment result analysis of 93 patients with knee joint osteoarthritis of the III–IV stage was conducted. Patients were divided into two groups: the study group (n = 44) and the comparison group (n = 49). The study group patients underwent arthroplasty of one knee and RFNA of the genicular and cutaneous nerves in the preoperative period. The comparison group patients underwent only knee arthroplasty. Assessment of pain intensity, functional status and quality of life of patients was performed using the VAS, WOMAC, KOOS questionnaires before treatment, 1.5, 3 and 6 months after surgery, taking into account the overall quality of life according to the SF-36 questionnaire and the possibility of developing neuropathic pain component according to the PainDetect questionnaire.
Results. The result analysis obtained with the VAS showed pain reduction in both groups in 6 months after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), in the study group – 2 (2; 2) points, in the comparison group – 3 (2; 3) points. The results assessed with the WOMAC questionnaire showed greater improvement in treatment outcomes among patients who underwent knee arthroplasty in combination with RFNA – 32 (28; 34) points after 6 months. In the comparison group, there was also an improvement in functional status on examination in 1.5 months after surgery, but with less effective reduction of pain and physical recovery, which was seen on the examination in 6 months – 33.0 (28.5; 37.0) points. The analysis using the KOOS questionnaire showed a positive increase in postoperative indicators in both groups of patients, and it was 41.88 (37.20; 44.79) points in the comparison group and 47.67 (40.63; 50.51) points in the study group during a 6-month follow-up after arthroplasty. The SF-36 result analysis in 6 months after surgical treatment showed nearly identical restore of the psychological component of health in both patient groups – 56.63 (55.83; 59.03) points in the comparison group and 58.96 (54.24, 60.35) points – in the study group. The study group demonstrated better restoration of the physical component of health. The neuropathic component of pain was not detected among the examined groups of patients using the PainDetect questionnaire.
Conclusions. RFNA of the genicular nerves and additional ablation of cutaneous nerves reduces the intensity of pain in the postoperative period after knee replacement and allows patients more quickly and easier restore functional activity and improve quality of life.
Cardiac safety of intraoperative fluid therapy regimens in patients with concomitant coronary heart disease during major abdominal surgery
Authors: Morozova Ya. V. , Lysenko V. Yo. , Karpenko Ye. O. , Maloshtan V. A.
Published: September 2021

Myocardial biomarkers such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and brain natriuretic peptide amino-terminal prohormone (NT-proBNP), cardiac troponins (cTn), C-reactive protein (CRP) are considered as key in the strategy of treatment and prognosis for cardiovascular diseases. It is relevant for patients with high cardiological risk during major abdominal surgery and important in the context of preventing cardiac complications in the perioperative period.
The aim. To assess the cardiac safety of intraoperative fluid therapy regimens in patients with high cardiac risk after major abdominal surgery by analyzing the dynamics of NTproBNP, Troponin I and CRP indicators.
Materials and methods. The study included 89 patients who were divided into two groups depending on the tactics of the intraoperative fluid therapy: liberal and relatively restrictive. Continuous monitoring of macroindicators of cardiovascular system, quantitative assessment of myocardial damage biomarkers (TnI, NTproBNP) and CRP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed at three stages - before surgery, immediately after and in the first 18–24 hours.
Results. The rate of intraoperative fluid therapy was significantly different in two groups: in the restrictive 7.0 ± 0.2 ml/kg/h (n = 45), liberal 13.9 ± 0.6 ml/kg/h (n = 44). Evaluation of the dynamics of myocardial damage biomarkers revealed no differences in the levels of Troponin I and NP-proBNP at the first stage of the study. In the early postoperative period, the level of NP-proBNP in the second group was significantly higher than that in the first, 123.1 pg/ml and 68.0 pg/ml, respectively. An increase in Troponin I levels in the postoperative period was detected in 5 patients of the first group and in 6 – of the second, and it was diagnosed as myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS).
Conclusions. The study has demonstrated the relative safety of fluid therapy regimens in patients with concomitant coronary heart disease without manifestations of congestive heart failure during major abdominal surgery. The regimen with relative fluid restriction has appeared to be preferable due to less response induction from compensatory mechanisms with normal NT-proBNP values. Adequate monitoring of cardiovascular system parameters and control of the dynamics of myocardial damage biomarkers can be the key in preventing such severe complications as postoperative myocardial infarction.
Modular endoprosthetic replacement for proximal tibia tumor patients
Authors: Vyrva O. Ye. , Skoryk I. O. , Tovazhnianska V. D.
Published: September 2021

The major method of malignant bone tumors treatment is surgery. The most important task of an orthopedic surgeon is to preserve an adjacent joint. Currently, there are a large number of various reconstructive surgeries, including structural bone allograft, allocomposite and modular endoprosthetics replacement.
The aim: to analyze the results of surgical treatment for proximal tibia malignant tumors using modular endoprosthesis.
Materials and methods. The results of proximal tibia (PT) modular endoprosthetic replacement in 48 patients with PT tumor lesions were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups: I (n = 36) – tumor resection and primary modular endoprosthesis, II (n = 12) – revision modular endoprosthetic replacement due to complications. Complications were divided into oncological, mechanical and non-mechanical. The functional outcomes were measured using the MSTS and TESS scores.
Results. During the treatment, 10 (21.2 %) patients underwent myofascioplastic amputation at the middle third of the thigh: due to periprosthetic infection – 8 people and tumor recurrence – 2.
It was found that the patients got back to regular way of life on average in 2.0–2.5 months. Functional results on the MSTS score were 73 ± 12 %, on the TESS score – 74 ± 16 %, which corresponds to good functional results. Among the patients, who underwent limb salvage surgery, no tumor recurrence was detected during a follow-up period from 6 months up to 11 years.
Conclusions. The choice of surgical treatment depends on the size of tumor, its location, pathohistomorphological picture, age, presence of pathological fractures, vascular and nerve tumor invasion. The use of modern designs of PT modular tumor endoprostheses and perfect surgeries makes it possible to minimize complications.