bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-Infarct Evolution of Ventricular and Myocardial Function
Authors: Janssens K.L.P.M. , Kraamer M. , Barbarotta L. , Bovendeerd P.H.M.
Published: January 2023

Introduction Adverse ventricular remodeling following acute myocardial infarction (MI) may induce ventricular dilation, fibrosis, and loss of global contractile function, possibly resulting in heart failure (HF). Understanding the relation between the time-dependent changes in material properties of the myocardium and the contractile function of the heart may further our understanding of the development of HF post-MI and guide the development of novel therapies.
Methods A finite element model of cardiac mechanics was used to model MI in a thick-walled truncated ellipsoidal geometry. Infarct core and border zone comprised 9.6\% and 8.1\% of the LV wall volume, respectively. Acute and chronic MI were modeled by reducing active stress generation and subsequent step-wise increase of material stiffness.
Results In acute MI, stroke work decreased by 25\%. In the infarct core, fiber stress was reduced but fiber strain was increased, depending on the degree of infarct stiffening. Fiber work density was equal to zero. Healthy tissue adjacent to the infarct showed decreased work density depending on the degree of infarct stiffness and the orientation of the myofibers with respect to the infarct region.
Conclusion We found that the relative loss in pump function in the infarcted heart exceeds the relative loss in healthy myocardial tissue due to impaired mechanical function in healthy tissue adjacent to the infarct. Infarct stiffening did not affect pump function but did affect the distribution of work density in tissue adjacent to the infarct.
Intracellular Acidification in a Rat C6 Glioma Model Following Cariporide Injection Monitored by Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Mozaffari Maryam , Nyström Nivin N , Li Alex , Bellyou Miranda , Scholl Timothy J. , Bartha Robert
Published: January 2023

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors. Selective acidification of cancerous tissue induced pharmacologically may slow tumor growth and can be detected using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The sodium proton exchanger inhibitor cariporide can selectively acidify U87MG gliomas in mice. This study aimed to determine whether cariporide could selectively acidify C6 glioma tumors in rats with an intact immune system. C6 glioma cells were implanted in the right brain hemisphere of ten male Wistar rats. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI (9.4T) was acquired on days 7–8 (N= 10) and 14–15 (N= 10) after implantation to measure in vivo tissue intracellular pH (pHi) within the tumors and on the contralateral side. Intracellular pH was basic relative to contralateral tissue at both time points (p < 0.05) assessed using the amine and amide concentration-independent detection (AACID) value. On day 14–15, measurements were made before and up to 160 minutes after cariporide injection (N= 6, dose: 6 mg/kg in 2 mL with 10% DMSO). Twenty minutes after drug injection, the average AACID value in the tumor significantly increased by ∼6.4% compared to pre-injection, corresponding to 0.31 ± 0.20 lower pHi, while in contralateral tissue, AACID value increases significantly by ∼4.3% compared to pre-injection, corresponding to 0.22 ± 0.19 lower pHi. Then the average AACID value returned to the baseline level in both tissues about an hour after the injection before trending back up in contralateral tissue 80 minutes and 100 minutes after injection. Control rats without tumors showed no changes following injection of cariporide in 10% or 1% DMSO. This study demonstrates the sensitivity of CEST-based pH-weighted imaging for monitoring the response of tumors to pharmacologically induced acidification. Although cariporide did induce intracellular acidification in the C6 glioma, this acidification was not tumor selective in this model.
Manual chest compression versus automated chest compression device during day-time and night-time resuscitation following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective historical control study
Authors: Takayama Wataru , Endo Akira , Morishita Koji , Otomo Yasuhiro
Published: January 2023

Background
Although the resuscitation guidelines consider mechanical chest compressions acceptable for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in unstable settings, the efficacy of automated chest compression devices for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients according to treatment time period remains unclear. We assessed the effectiveness of automated chest compression devices depending on time of admission based on frequency of iatrogenic chest injuries, duration of in-hospital resuscitation efforts, and clinical outcomes among OHCA patients.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective historical control study of OHCA patients in Japan between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2022. Patients were divided according to time of admission; wherein day- and night-time were considered as duration between 07:00–22:59 and 23:00–06:59, respectively. These patients were then divided into two categories based on in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (IHCPR) device used: manual chest compression (mCC) group and automatic chest compression devices (ACCD) group. Univariate and multivariate ordered logistic regression models adjusted for pre-hospital confounders were used to evaluate the impact of ACCD use during IHCPR on outcomes [IHCPR duration, CPR-related chest injuries, and clinical outcomes] in day- and night-time groups.
Results
A total of 1,101 patients with OHCA (day-time, 809; night-time, 292) formed our study population. Of these, 215 (26.6%) and 104 (35.6%) patients underwent ACCD during IHCPR in day-and night-time groups. Multivariate model showed significant association of ACCD use with outcomes of in-hospital resuscitation, including higher rates of return of spontaneous circulation, lower incidence of CPR-related chest injuries, longer in-hospital resuscitation duration, survival to Emergency Department and hospital discharge, and survival with good neurological outcome to hospital discharge, only in the night-time group.
Conclusions
Patients who underwent ACCD during in-hospital resuscitation at night had a significantly longer duration of in-hospital resuscitation, lower incidence of CPR-related chest injuries, and better outcomes.
Clinical factors associated with acute abdominal symptoms induced by gastric anisakiasis: A multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Okagawa Yutaka , Sumiyoshi Tetsuya , Imagawa Takayuki , Sakano Hiroya , Tamura Fumito , Arihara Yohei , Kanari Yusuke , Sakurada Akira , Oiwa Shutaro , Jin Takashi , Tomita Yusuke , Minami Shinya , Hisai Hiroyuki , Muramatsu Hirohito , Katsuki Shinichi , Maeda Masahiro , Kondo Hitoshi
Published: January 2023

Background
Gastric anisakiasis typically causes severe abdominal symptoms; however, we incidentally detected asymptomatic gastric anisakiasis cases during esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The factors associated with developing acute abdominal symptoms induced by gastric anisakiasis remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the clinical factors associated with abdominal symptoms of gastric anisakiasis by comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study involving 264 patients diagnosed with gastric anisakiasis at nine hospitals in Japan between October 2015 and October 2021. We analyzed patients’ medical records and endoscopic images and compared the clinical factors between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups.
Results
One hundred sixty-five patients (77.8 %) were diagnosed with abdominal symptoms, whereas 47 (22.2 %) were asymptomatic. Older age, male sex, diabetes mellitus, gastric mucosal atrophy, and gastric mucosal atrophy of the Anisakis penetrating area were significantly more common in the asymptomatic group than in the symptomatic group. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (p=0.007), sex (p=0.017), and presence or absence of mucosal atrophy (p=0.033) were independent factors for the occurrence of acute abdominal symptoms. In addition, cases that were Helicobacter pylori naïve, with an elevation of white blood cells, or without an elevation of eosinophils were more common in the symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic group.
Conclusions
Age, sex, and presence or absence of gastric mucosal atrophy were the clinical factors associated with the occurrence of acute abdominal symptoms. Older and male patients and those with gastric mucosal atrophy were less likely to show abdominal symptoms. The mechanisms of the occurrence of symptoms induced by gastric anisakiasis remain unclear; however, our results will help clarify this issue in the future.
Seismic background level growth can reveal slowly developing long-term eruption precursors
Authors: Ichihara Mie , Ohminato Takao , Konstantinou Kostas , Yamakawa Kazuya , Watanabe Atsushi , Takeo Minoru
Published: January 2023

The accelerating growth of seismic unrest before eruptions has been observed at many volcanoes and utilized for eruption forecasts. However, there are still many eruptions for which no precursory unrest has been identified, even at well-monitored volcanoes. The recent eruptions of Shinmoe-dake, Japan, had been another negative example of this kind. Here we present seismological evidence that the eruption preparation had been ongoing at the shallow depths beneath Shinmoe-dake for several months to a year. We investigated the seismic background level (SBL) of eleven-year data recorded around the volcano, including two stations about 1 km from the eruptive crater. We searched for persistent weak signals, focusing on low-amplitude time windows recorded during quiet nighttime. Then the spectra of daily background noise were classified by clustering analysis. The SBL analysis successfully revealed very weak precursory tremors from more than several months before the eruption, and residual tremors to the end of the eruptive period. The precursory signals grew acceleratory in a similar way as is assumed in the material failure forecast method applied to eruption forecasts. However, their growth was significantly slower and longer compared to previous cases. Such slow and quiet preparations would not be captured by conventional seismological methods but could be a common feature at volcanoes with developed hydrothermal systems. We expect that long-term SBL analyses on proximal seismic data will help detect early precursors, even at seismically quiet volcanoes, and will also help judge the end of an eruptive period.
Decompositions of Infinite-Dimensional A∞,∞ Quiver Representations
Authors: Gallup Nathaniel , Sawin Stephen
Published: January 2023

Gabriel's Theorem states that the quivers which have finitely many isomorphism classes of indecomposable representations are exactly those with underlying graph one of the ADE Dynkin diagrams and that the indecomposables are in bijection with the positive roots of this graph. When the underlying graph is An, these indecomposable representations are thin (either 0 or 1 dimensional at every vertex) and in bijection with the connected subquivers. Using linear algebraic methods we show that every (possibly infinite-dimensional) representation of a quiver with underlying graph A∞,∞ is Krull-Schmidt, i.e. a direct sum of indecomposables, as long as the arrows in the quiver eventually point outward. We furthermore prove that these indecomposable are again thin and in bijection with both the connected subquivers and the limits of the positive roots of A∞,∞ with respect to a certain uniform topology on the root space. Finally we give an example of an A∞,∞ quiver which is not Krull-Schmidt and hence necessarily is not eventually-outward.
MSC Classification: Primary: 16G20 , 16G60 , 06A06 , 17B22 , 16D70
Assessing the impact of climatic factors on dengue fever transmission in Bangladesh
Authors: Miah Md. Mamun , Jannat Sumiya Nur , Rahman Md. Rashedur , Arafat Yasin , Pingki Farjana Haque
Published: January 2023

Dengue fever is a virus-borne disease spread by mosquitos, and its global prevalence has risen significantly in recent years. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact and association of climatic factors on the spread of dengue incidence in Bangladesh. From January 2011 to December 2021, the study used secondary data on monthly dengue cases and the monthly average of climatic factors. In addition to the descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses of Kendall’s tau b and Spearman’s rho have been performed for measuring the association of climatic factors on dengue infection. The multivariate generalized linear negative binomial regression model was applied to evaluate the impacts of climatic factors on dengue transmission. The model revealed that temperature (OR: 152.745,p<0.01), humidity (OR: 1.15, p<0.01), precipitation (OR: 1.131, p<0.01), wind speed (OR: 1.148, p<0.10), and air pressure (OR: 152.745, p<0.01) were significantly influenced the spread of dengue incidence in Bangladesh. The climatic season also significantly influenced dengue transmission, and a higher infection rate (OR: 140.704, p<0.01) was found in the monsoon season at August month. The findings of this study can assist policymakers and public health authorities in taking the essential steps to control the dengue infection in Bangladesh.
Modeling and simulation of cardio electrical activity for ischemia using comsol multiphysics tool
Authors: Javalkar Vinay Kumar , N Shylashree , Vahvale Yatish D , V Sridhar , C Manjunatha
Published: January 2023

The circulatory system revolves around the heart, which is of blood vessels network that transports blood to all part of the body. All organs of human rely on blood for transport of oxygen and some other vital nutrients, ensuring that they remain good healthy and properly function. The heart is very important for blood pumping throughout the circulatory system. When the supply of blood to tissues is restricted, oxygen lack for cellular metabolism occurs (to keep tissue alive). Ischemia is a vascular disease in which arterial blood flow is interrupted to a tissue, organ, or extremity, resulting in tissue death if left untreated. It can be caused by embolism, atherosclerotic artery thrombosis, or trauma. Acute arterial ischemia can be caused by venous issues such as venous outflow blockage and low-flow conditions. One of the most common causes of acute arterial ischemia is an aneurysm. The importance of the heart structure on COMSOL Multiphysics is highlighted as it can be modeled and simulated for cardiac contraction and relaxation. The heart cavity structure is implemented using the FHN (Fitzhugh Nagumo equation) and LG (Landau Ginzberg equation) equations along with the corner cases in this paper. The model of the heart is divided into 4 different models to demonstrate the blood flow. The changes for the 4 models are in terms of mesh and the cavity change of heart structure which indirectly demonstrates the blood movement of the heart. The observed plots are in terms of spiral waves and also the waves for the dependent variables are plotted.
Development of a Structural Model of Persistent Depressive Disorder Syndrome Based on Childhood Trauma with the Mediating Role of Cognitive, Emotional, and Interpersonal Functions
Authors: Niazifar Maedeh , Dolatshahi Behrooz , Solhi Amin , Shakiba Shima
Published: January 2023

Background
The relationship between childhood traumas and depression is documented, but few studies have analyzed this relationship about the severity of depression. Although several studies have illuminated the role of mediating components in this regard, these components have not been considered in a comprehensive model in the literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a structural model of the severity of persistent depressive disorder symptoms according to childhood trauma and investigate the mediating role of a set of cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal functions.
Methods
This cross-sectional study utilized a structural equation structure. A total of 180 individuals consisting of patients with persistent depressive disorder, patients with episodic depressive (ED) disorder, and healthy people were selected by convenience sampling based on the eligibility criteria. Subsequently, they were assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, BDI-II, 5 DSM- (SCID-5-RV), PHQ, DAQ, DERS-16, PII-32, and LQPT. The data were analyzed using SPSS26 and Pls3 software with structural equation modeling.
Results
The proposed model fitted the data satisfactorily. Patients with persistent depressive disorder, a more severe type of depression, had a worse condition than patients with ED and normal subjects on the components of childhood trauma, DAQ, emotional functioning, interpersonal functioning, and LQPT. Childhood trauma harmed LQPT and a positive effect on the severity of depression symptoms, depressive attributional style, and interpersonal issues. Also, childhood trauma led to more severe depression, pathological attributional styles, and interpersonal problems, and the sufferers more often engaged in preoperational thinking. Besides, the mediating role and indirect effect of emotional regulation components, interpersonal problems, and preoperational thinking were influential in the relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of depressive symptoms.
Conclusion
Childhood traumas are associated with more severe depression symptoms and more severe degradation in cognitive, interpersonal, and emotional functioning. They exert their negative effects through increasing emotional dysregulation, enhancing interpersonal problems, and engaging in preoperational thinking.
Surgical versus conservative management in the treatment of pituitary apoplexy, impact on clinical and oncological outcomes: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Arias-Angulo Juan C. , Montoya-Casella Antonio J. , Mier-García Juan F.
Published: January 2023

Purpose: To synthesize the evidence on the outcomes of visual function, hypopituitarism, ophthalmoplegia, and tumor growth/recurrence in patients with pituitary apoplexy (PA) treated either surgically or conservatively.
Methods: The MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched. The inclusion criteria were studies of adult human beings with PA, who underwent surgery or were treated conservatively for the management of their pathology and evaluated any of the described outcomes. Studies published in English and Spanish were considered, and there was no restriction regarding the date of publication. Odds ratios were estimated for each study and treatment effects were calculated through random effects models.
Results: The literature search yielded 18 studies published between 1993 and 2022, enrolling a total of 886 patients: 533 treated with surgery and 353 conservative. Patient with more severe symptoms underwent surgery. The recovery rates in visual field, endocrine function, and ophthalmoplegia, were, for overall surgery 76%, 23% and 81% respectively; early surgery 79%, 0% and 81% respectively; late surgery 73%, 0% and 70% respectively; and conservative management 79%, 23% and 90% respectively. Pooled analysis favored early surgery versus conservative management in ophthalmoplegia recovery with statistical significance OR 2.78 (CI 95% 1.09, 7.09 p = 0.03).
Conclusion: Both treatment modalities may be capable to improve or completely recover deficits in the respective appropriate cases. Further reports with greater statistical power are needed comparing equivalently treatment modalities to estimate better their effects on the studied outcomes.
Coping Mechanism and Food Security in Pandemic Times: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Budiawati Yeni , Natawidjaja Ronnie S , Utomo Dhanan S , Perdana Tomy , Karmana Maman H
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic occurs worldwide and is the second pandemic to be declared as a global pandemic after the avian influenza pandemic. Individual and household coping strategies are essential when dealing with such a crisis. This systematic literature review synthesizes published evidence on coping mechanisms and food security in pandemic situations and looks at future research directions based on the gaps found. The number of publications on coping strategies and food security has increased over time, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic. This topic interestresearcher and academics from various countries and disciplines. Data analysis was carried out using the endnote X9 version following the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA). The data was collected from the Proquest, Ebscohost, and Scopus databases. This review’s result is that most publications are in the 2019-2022 timeframe, area of health sciences, quantitative methods, empirical data, and individual case studies. The following review is an analysis based on the research context divided based on sub-criteria: pandemic impact, the main outcome, geographic location, economic development, and basic theory. The findings show that the impact of the pandemic that has been widely studied is about environmental quality and socioeconomic impact; no mention of theory; food security; in Asia; high-income and low-income countries; with the aim of policy development. The next review analyzes the main outcomes of food security and coping strategies. Based on this review, the most studied dimension of food security is accessibility using the HFIAS instrument and cross-sectional survey research design. Furthermore, there are fewpublications on utility and stability dimensions, especially the relationship between the four dimensions of food security, availability, accessibility, utility, and stability, qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, publications regarding the relationship between food security from its four dimensions and coping strategies both qualitatively and quantitatively are also very limited. These findings create opportunities for future researchers to study them.
An effective method for preoperative distinguishing Gastric duplication cysts and Adrenal cysts in children
Authors: Shu Zhen , Zhao Peng , Wang Cao , yin Jia , Liu Xiang , Liu Bin
Published: January 2023

Background: Gastric duplication cysts (GDC) are a rare congenital disease primarily found in the left adrenal region in neonates and children. Due to a lack of typical clinical manifestations, GDCare often preoperatively treated as adrenal cysts (AC).
Methods: We retrospectively report six child cases of retroperitoneal cysts presenting as left adrenal masses between January 2012 and January 2022. Patients aged from 10 months to 10 years, including three females and three males, were all treated by surgery and discharged without serious complications. Clinical data such as medical history, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination, operation process, and postoperative pathological diagnosis were examined in detail.
Results: Only one male had mild epigastric pain that could be relieved spontaneously, and the rest had no obvious clinical manifestations. Endocrinological evaluations indicated no positive findings. The stomach-cyst distance in computerized tomography (CT) scans and cyst-kidney distance in ultrasound scans were significantly different in the patient with GDC. All patients underwent surgical resection and were preoperatively diagnosed with a left AC. One patient underwent open cystectomy, and the others underwent laparoscopic cystectomy. Surgical access was transperitoneal in five patients and retroperitoneal in one patient. Mean operative time was 129.7±15.46 min, mean oral feeding time was 9.0±2.58hours, and mean length of hospital stay was 6.5±0.96 days. No serious complications were observed, and their pathological diagnosis was AC, except for one case of GDC. All patients recovered and had no complications during follow-up.
Conclusion: GDC is easily misdiagnosed as left AC.Accurate diagnoses are mainly based on intraoperative findings and postoperative pathological examinations. However, in addition to gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain and vomiting, the stomach-cyst distance in CT scans and cyst-kidney distance in ultrasound scans can be used as critical evidence for preoperative diagnosis GDC or AC. Laparoscopic surgery is safe and effective, and a transperitoneal approach is recommended for GDC.
Folic Acid-decorated and PEGylated Graphene Quantum Dots as efficient Tamoxifen delivery system against breast cancer cells: in vitro studies
Authors: Amraee Noora , Majd Ahmad , Torbati Maryam Bikhof , Shaabanzadeh Masoud
Published: January 2023

Nano-drug delivery systems have provided a platform for improving the formulations of targeted cancer therapy. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) possess potential properties for the targeted transport and tracking of anticancer medication to tumor cells. For this purpose, the synthesized GQDs were decorated with folic acid for better binding to folate-positive breast cancer cells and methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG2000) for a longer lifetime, and finally loaded with anticancer drug tamoxifen (TMX). The synthesized nano-drugs were characterized using FTIR, XRD, UV-vis, PL, HRTEM, FESEM, and DLS analytical devices. Based on the obtained data, the average hydrodynamic diameter of particles dissolved in water was 294.7 nm and the size of dehydrated particles was between 3 and 153 nm. PL data showed that prepared nanoparticles have an emission wavelength of 438 nm, which is in the blue fluorescent wavelength range, thus making these nanoparticles suitable for cell imaging. The encapsulation efficiency and loading percentage of tamoxifen in nanoparticles were calculated at about 52.5% and 30%, respectively, and cumulative drug release reached 89% within 42 hours. The cytotoxicity effects of nanoparticles on MCF-7 cell line were investigated. The targeted mPEG-GQDs-FA/TMX (TMX-FPGs) nano-drug was more toxic than free TMX drug on MCF-7 cells and had reduced side effects on healthy HDF cells. TMX-FPGs induced apoptosis cell death in cancer cells, significantly. The confocal cell imaging experiments showed that TMX-FPGs are appropriate for monitoring and targeting MCF-7 cancer cells. These data have approved the potency of TMX-FPGs against breast cancer cells.
HCV spontaneous clearers showed low senescence profile in people living with HIV
Authors: Lara-Aguilar Violeta , Valle-Millares Daniel , Crespo-Bermejo Celia , Llamás-Adán Manuel , Grande-García Sergio , Cortijo-Alfonso María Engracia , Martín-Carbonero Luz , Domínguez Lourdes , Ryan Pablo , Santos Ignacio de los , Bartolomé-Sanchez Sofía , Briz Verónica , Fernández-Rodríguez Amanda
Published: January 2023

Background: Co-infection with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) increase immune activation, inflammation and oxidative stress that could lead to premature senescence. Different HCV infection, either acute or chronic infection, could lead to distinct premature cellular senescence in people living with HIV (PLWHIV).
Methods: Observational study in 116 PLWHIV with different HCV status: i) n=45 chronically infected with HCV (CHC); ii) n=36 individuals who spontaneously clarify HCV (SC); iii) n= 35 HIV controls. Oxidative stress biomarkers were analysed at lipid, DNA, protein, and nitrates levels, as well as total antioxidant capacity and glutathione reductase enzyme. Replicative senescence was evaluated by relative telomere length (RTL) measurement. Additionally, twenty-six markers of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) were analysed by Multiplex Immunoassay (Luminex xMAP technology). Differences were evaluated by generalized linear model (GLMs) adjusted by most significant covariates.
Results: The SC group had a senescence signature similar to the HIV control group and slightly lower SASP levels. However, significant differences were observed with respect to CHC group, where an increase in the nitrate concentration [aAMR=1.73 (1.27-2.35), p<0.001, q=0.009]) and the secretion of 13 SASP-associated factors (GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-8, IL-13, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1RA, IL-7, IL-15, IP-10, SCF; q<0.1) was detected. CHC group also showed higher values of IL-1α, IP-10 and PIGF-1 than HIV controls.
Conclusion: SC showed slightly lower senescence profile to HIV group indicating a more efficient control of viral-induced senescence. Chronic HCV infection in PLWHIV lead to nitrate accumulation and elevated plasma SASP biomarkers favouring the establishment of vial persistence.
Dynamics of cellular senescence markers after HCV elimination in people living with HIV
Authors: Lara-Aguilar Violeta , Valle-Millares Daniel , Crespo-Bermejo Celia , Grande-García Sergio , Llamás-Adán Manuel , Cortijo-Alfonso María Engracia , Martín-Carbonero Luz , Domínguez Lourdes , Ryan Pablo , Santos Ignacio de los , Bartolomé-Sanchez Sofía , Vidal-Alcantara Erick Joan , Fernández-Rodríguez Amanda , Briz Verónica
Published: January 2023

Background: Previously, we identified that different HCV infection, either acute or chronic infection in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) drives dissimilar cellular senescence profile. However, variations in these profiles after HCV clearance, spontaneously or with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), remains unclear.
Methods: Longitudinal observational study (48 weeks of follow-up) in 70 PLWHIV with different HCV status: 23 PLWHIV with active HCV-chronic infection (CHC) before and after HCV eradication with DAAs, 12 PLWHIV who spontaneously clarify the HCV (SC), and 35 PLWHIV controls (HIV), all of them aviremic. Plasma oxidative stress biomarkers were quantified at DNA, lipid, protein, and nitrate levels, as well as the total antioxidant capacity and glutathione reductase enzyme. The replicative senescence was evaluated by relative telomere length (RTL) measurement by Monochromatic Multiplex Real-Time Quantitative PCR (MMqPCR). Finally, twenty-six factors associated to Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP) were characterized by Multiplex Immunoassay (Luminex xMAP technology). Differences in senescence markers was evaluated by generalized linear mixed model (GLMMs) for longitudinal series or generalized linear model (GLMs) for non-paired comparisons.
Results: During follow-up, the SC group achieved a reduction of oxidative stress levels at glutathione enzyme and lipid peroxidation level. The secretion of SASP markers increased, being still lower than HIV group. elimination of chronic HCV infection by DAAs allowed an overall improvement of oxidative stress levels and SASP markers to levels like those of the HIV group. No significant differences were observed in telomere shorting between groups after follow-up.
Conclusions: As the time since spontaneous resolution of HCV infection increased, patients had an improved senescence profile compared to the HIV control group, with a reduction in oxidative stress and SASP markers. Elimination of chronic HCV infection by DAAs led to a partial improvement of the senescence profile by restoring oxidative stress levels. However, although some SASP markers reached levels like those of the HIV group, others remained altered.
Social upgrading or dependency? Investigating the implications of the inclusion of commercial wine farms within South African Fairtrade certification
Authors:   , Joshua Bell
Published: January 2023

The South African wine industry is one of the oldest sectors of the country’s economy, beginning in the early years of South African colonialism in the 17th century through the use of slave and slave-like labour. As an industry that has been defined by farm paternalism and dependency, the South African wine industry has had to demonstrate changes from its history of extreme racial and gendered exploitation to an industry that reflects the democratic values of a new South Africa. Ethical certifications are considered one way through which the post-apartheid South African wine industry can demonstrate that it has moved away from its historical practices and is now characterised by practices of decent work and social transformation. An important certificatory label that allows local wine producers entry into global wine production networks is Fairtrade International. While Fairtrade certification is often reserved for small-scale producers, this certification has been extended to large-scale, commercial producers within the South African wine industry despite its history of farm paternalism and dependency. This research asks if this inclusion promotes decent work through social upgrading or if it offers a platform for the continuation of farm dependency under the guise of ‘Fairtrade’. In this study, social upgrading has been defined through a ‘bottom-up’ approach that prioritises workers’ independence as a key means of improvement. Four key pillars are applied as embodying the concept of social upgrading: regular employment with set working hours; legally enforceable worker rights; social protection through collective and individual bargaining power; and non-discriminatory social dialogue that promotes significant socio-economic progression. A key finding of this research is that practices of dependency and paternalism continue on some large-scale commercial farms, despite their Fairtrade certification. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the benefits that farmworkers receive lock farmworkers into their position on the farm with marginally improved conditions and cease if workers depart from the Fairtrade wine farm. This suggests that, at best, this inclusion of commercial farmers within Fairtrade certification appears to create a top-down form of social upgrading that locks farmworkers into their position on the farm with marginally improved conditions and beneath a glass ceiling of development. At worst, this Fairtrade inclusion facilitates a global poverty network through paternalism and dependency under the guise of ‘Fairtrade’. As a result, where meaningful, bottom-up social upgrading may occur on South African wine farms, the study suggests that this is despite the presence of Fairtrade and not a result of it.
Mediating role of employee empowerment for transformational leadership and job satisfaction
Authors: Al Draj Farooq , Al Saed Rashad
Published: January 2023

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. In addition, it analyzes whether employee empowerment mediates the mentioned relationship. Data were collected from 228 employees of pharmaceutical companies in Jordan (Al Hayat Pharmaceutical Industries, Al Hikma Pharmaceutical Company, and Jordan Swedish Medical Products). The study employed SPSS for data analysis and hypotheses testing. The findings reveal a statistically significant impact of transformational leadership on job satisfaction, empowerment on job satisfaction, transformational leadership on empowerment, and transformational leadership on job satisfaction through empowerment in Jordanian pharmaceutical firms. Furthermore, the results showed that the beta value represents the relative importance, where the intellectual stimulation factor reached the highest level in the size of the impact on the dependent variable, and its value was 0.37 of the total impact. In contrast, inspirational stimulation was the second factor, then the idealized influence factor with 0.30, while the smallest impact size was shown by the dimension of individualized consideration with approximately 0.151. This result indicates the leader’s weak interest and respect for subordinates. The study recommended adopting transformational leadership, supporting employees by empowering them, and conducting more studies on transformational leadership and empowerment in the future.
APPLICATION OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MULTIMODALITY IN MODERN LEXICOGRAPHY
Authors:   Omsk State Technical University, Burenkova Svetlana V.
Published: January 2023

The search for the optimal and most comprehensible ways of lexical units semantization has been the key problem of lexicography and metalexicography for the dictionary user and remains the contemporary problem. Introduction of computer technology has radically changed the concept of the dictionary, solved many problems of the lexicographic genre, and expanded the capabilities of the dictionary user. Along with this, the abundance of lexicographic works, including electronic ones, dictionary platforms, that act as aggregators of several online dictionaries, an overabundance of reference information, disorient an inexperienced consumer. Due to this, the objective of this article is the typology of existing online dictionaries and information dictionary platforms based on the material of the German language, depending on their content and general purpose. The most accurate multi-aspect interpretation of a word comprises various features and connotations taken into account. Nevertheless, the reference nature requires a laconic description of the material, devoid of a formalized meta-language, and the ability to quickly find the necessary explanation. Regarding this, the analysis of the application of the principles of multimodality is conducted in the article to solve the problems of meaning representation in electronic dictionaries. Besides, the author underlines the significance of the multimodal meaning representation for the effective interpretation of foreign lexis in all variety of nuances, and, therefore, for the effectiveness of a foreign language lexis acquisition and overcoming translation difficulties.
REGARDING THE PROBLEM OF MULTIMODALITY IN THE SCREENING OF LITERARY WORKS
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Grigorieva Liubov N.
Published: January 2023

This article explores the problem of multimodality through the example of films, which are a synthesis of different modes (or codes), such as the verbal part in its combination with other components of the film text. The objects of study are motion pictures that are screen adaptations of literary works, i. e. which are based on the actual verbal texts. Therefore, the main attention in the study is comparing the text of a literary work and the film text of its screen version, especially what was included in the latter and what was eliminated, changed, or modified. This takes into account whether the eliminated components have been compensated for by other code systems and how the modifications that occur with the verbal text in the process of its screening can be argued, as well as what kind of qualitative and content reorientation occurs with the text basis when it is screened. As an example we use the screen version of the novel The Wall by the Austrian writer Marlene Haushofer, which represents the notes of a woman who survived an inexplicable catastrophe, after which she remains behind a glass wall in absolute isolation. The direct object of the study is the author’s monological speech of the main (and the only) heroine. Her language consists of a mixture of the three main classical compositional speech types (CST) of the text — description (descriptive), narration (narrative) and reasoning (argumentative). The purpose of the article is the comparative analysis of these CSTs in both works in the aspect of multimodality. The objectives of the study are: 1) identification of fragments of the film and novel texts, representing different CSTs; 2) comparison between the film text and the text of the novel; 3) highlighting the main linguistic means characteristic of these CSTs; 4) analysis of ways to compensate for eliminated fragments with the help of other modes or code systems used in cinematography. The article uses such research methods as comparison, contextual and semantic analysis. The first study comparing the text of the novel by M.Haushofer with its cinematic version made it possible to reveal that in the process of film adaptation with the literary text-base (even when it’s treated with care), significant transformations take place, leading to the modification of its content.
MULTIMODALITY, HYBRIDIZATION, CARNIVALIZATION IN TEXT ORGANIZATION AND COMPRESSION OF THE INFORMATION FLOW
Authors:   Voronezh State University, Grishaeva Liudmila I.
Published: January 2023

This article analyzes manifestations of the most relevant trends in the organization of text structure. Special attention is paid to creolization as the tendency in the organization of the text, as it provides the producer of the text with varying ways of compression of information flow. The functional potential of individual textual mechanisms of verbalization of heterogeneous information about the world is described by looking at some examples of methods of semantic, formal and functional organization of the text generated by means of different cultural codes. The influence of heterogeneous factors, external and internal to the generated text, on the organization of the text is analyzed. The paper offers an interpretation of the reasons leading to a consistent increase in the degree of multimodality of texts of various types, which is noted by researchers in relation to different communicative environments and different communication formats. The author also describes individual techniques of textual organization which are intensively used by native speakers of the language and members of a culture when generating texts of different types. Such clearly manifested trends in the organization of texts of various types as multimodality (or creolization), hybridization, carnivalization, etc., are analyzed as complementary, as accounting for and supporting each other, as well as contributing to the consolidation and structuring of the information flow not only in specific interaction between communicants, but also in the implementation of political, media and public agenda both in a shared cultural space and in different cultural spaces. An explanation of the paradox expressed in the desire to optimize the communicative process as much as possible due to intensive use of secondary nominative means is proposed. This paradox is facilitated by minimizing the communicative and cognitive efforts of communicants who more or less consciously choose certain means of implementing a particular discursive strategy in interaction. In existing formats of communication, text producers prefer to select secondary nominative means from numerous and diverse isofunctional means when solving various nominative tasks, not without reason assuming a greater degree of effectiveness of the impact on the recipient of secondary nominative means due to their expressiveness, emotivity and informational density. Compression and structuring of the information flow, i. e., rapid, productive and effective comprehension of the information perceived by the recipient is obviously stimulated by the coactivation of heterogeneous, heterosubstrate, heterochronous information about the world expressed by secondary nominative means.
TYPOGRAPHICAL MARKERS OF EMOTIONALITY USED IN EXPRESSION OF EXPERT EVALUATION IN GERMAN AND RUSSIAN REVIEWS IN LINGUISTICS
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kondratenko Polina I.
Published: January 2023

This article explores the involvement of typographical means in the construction of evaluative meanings in expert scientific discourses. A qualitative context-semantic, axiological, and grapholinguistic analysis was carried out on the basis of 50 German and 50 Russian reviews in linguistics published in the period from 2016 to 2020 in high-ranking academic journals: Zeitschrift für Angewandte Linguistik, Zeitschrift für Rezensionen, Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft, Problems of Onomastics, Russian Journal of Linguistics, and Topics in the study of language. During the course of the study, typographical emotionality markers used by the authors of linguistic reviews were identified and classified. Conclusions are drawn regarding the involvement of the selected units in the typical evaluation strategies in linguistic reviews. Particular attention is paid to cases of communicative-functional transposition of visual-graphic emotionality markers. The prospects for future research include an investigation of a wider number of reviews chosen for the corpus in order to collect statistical data for aquantitative comparative analysis of typographically marked expert-evaluative statements. The novelty of the study is in the discussion of typographical means relevant for the texts that ensure effective professional communication in academia. The means of this nature are still insufficiently covered in the publications of Russian researchers. The results presented in this paper can contribute to the further study of the text types of scientific discourse in an interlingual and intercultural perspective and particularly to the study of the interaction of linguistic and typographical features used to construct an author’s identity in context.
THE ROLE OF VISUAL AND GRAPHIC ELEMENTS IN EXPRESSING THE EVALUATION IN LANGUAGE: A CASE STUDY OF GERMAN AND RUSSIAN SOCIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Stepanov Evgenii S.
Published: January 2023

The article examines the place of illustrative material in college textbooks on sociology in German and Russian seen as multimodal texts, in which verbal, visual, and graphic codes merge into an integral entity. Attention is paid to the problem of evaluation through the prism of visual and graphic elements in textbooks. These aspects are the novelty of the study. The relevance stems from the increasing interest in multimodality as a result of the realization that the study of multimodality requires an integrated approach. Relevance is also manifested in the fact that evaluation in scientific educational practice is a priority subject of sociolinguistics and pragmatics. The research is based on a critical multimodal discourse analysis, in which a comprehensive interpretation of the book text is carried out. We state that the very use of illustrative material is an evaluative strategy, since images, tables, etc. serve as a means of vivid and compact presentation of the most relevant — from the point of the author’s view — information. Illustrations add expressiveness and emotionality to the text, help structure and gradate information by its importance. The texts accompanying illustrations reveal both the explicit and implicit authorial stance and the engagement tactics. In terms of linguistic and cultural specificity, it was discovered that the Russian text-books are more saturated with visuals, graphics. While the authors of German textbooks use evaluation more, especially hedging of their statements (conjunctive, modal verbs, passive), the Russian textbooks tend to express a more categorical evaluation.
IMAGE AND TEXT: INTERACTION IN PUBLIC APPELLATIVE INSCRIPTIONS
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Birr-Tsurkan Lilia F.
Published: January 2023

The article analyzes public appellative inscriptions that emerged during the coronavirus pandemic and contain both non-verbal and verbal components. The proposed term allows emphasizing the main functions of such texts (attracting the addressee’s attention and influencing their behavior), while distinguishing such texts from other regulatory texts. From the many terms for texts with multilevel semiotic components, the term creolized text is preferred. The non-verbal means of public appellative inscriptions include a special graphic design of the verbal component (supragraphemic, i. e. a font of a different type and size, a combination of uppercase and lowercase, highlighting, etc., and topographemic, i. e. a text background), as well as pictorial means like graphic elements and photographs. The author explores the interaction between verbal and non-verbal components in public appellative inscriptions and finds that a fully identical rendition of the same content by verbal and non-verbal means is impossible. While it is possible to convey the main content of the appellative inscription (the requirement to comply with COVID measures) through an image, the latter is accompanied by texts with details. Even in cases of parallel (synonymous) use of verbal and non-verbal components, it is difficult to determine the leading component. The author also analyzes examples of mutual penetration of the verbal and non-verbal components. The author concludes that the use of non-verbal components enhances the appellative nature of appellative inscriptions. The nature of the chosen material and the idea that public appellative inscriptions can be considered creolized texts account for the novelty of the study.