bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between compliance with covid-19 public health recommendations and perceived contagion in others: a self-report study in Swedish university students
Authors: Andersson Claes , Bendtsen Marcus , Molander Olof , Granlund Lilian , Topooco Naira , Engström Karin , Lindfors Petra , Berman Anne H.
Published: November 2021

Objective

During the COVID pandemic, government authorities worldwide have tried to limit the spread of the virus. Sweden’s distinctive feature was the use of voluntary public health recommendations. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of this strategy. Based on data collected in the spring of 2020, this study explored associations between compliance with recommendations and observed symptoms of contagion in others, using self-report data from university students.

Results

Compliance with recommendations ranged between 69.7 and 95.7 percent. Observations of moderate symptoms of contagion in “Someone else I have had contact with” and “Another person” were markedly associated with reported self-quarantine, which is the most restrictive recommendation, complied with by 81.2% of participants. Uncertainty regarding the incidence and severity of contagion in cohabitants was markedly associated with the recommendation to avoid public transportation, a recommendation being followed by 69.7%. It is concluded that students largely followed the voluntary recommendations implemented in Sweden, suggesting that coercive measures were not necessary. Compliance with recommendations were associated with the symptoms students saw in others, and with the perceived risk of contagion in the student’s immediate vicinity. It is recommended that voluntary recommendations should stress personal relevance, and that close relatives are at risk.
Receptor depletion and recovery in small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumors and normal tissues after administration of a single intravenous dose of octreotide measured by 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT
Authors: Jahn Ulrika , Ilan Ezgi , Velikyan Irina , Fröss-Baron Katarzyna , Lubberink Mark , Sundin Anders
Published: November 2021

Background

Low-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are characterized by an abundance of somatostatin receptors (SSTR) that can be targeted with somatostatin analogs (SSA). When activated with a single dose of SSA, the receptor-ligand complex is internalized, and the receptor is by default recycled within 24 h. Ongoing medication with long-acting SSAs at 68Ga-DOTA-SSA-PET has been shown to increase the tumor-to-normal organ contrast. This study was performed to investigate the time-dependent extended effect (7 h) of a single intravenous dose of 400 µg short-acting octreotide on the tumor versus normal tissue uptake of 68Ga-DOTATOC.

Methods

Patients with small-intestinal NETs received a single intravenous dose of 400 µg octreotide and underwent dynamic abdominal 68Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT at three sessions (0, 3 and 6 h) plus static whole-body (WB) PET/CT (1, 4 and 7 h), starting each PET/CT session by administering 167 ± 21 MBq, 23.5 ± 4.2 µg (mean ± SD, n = 12) of 68Ga-DOTATOC. A previously acquired clinical whole-body 68Ga-DOTATOC scan was used as baseline. SUV and net uptake rate Ki were calculated in tumors, and SUV in healthy organs.

Results

Tumor SUV decreased significantly from baseline to 1 h post-injection but subsequently increased over time and became similar to baseline at 4 h and 7 h. The tumor net uptake rate, Ki, similarly increased significantly over time and showed a linear correlation both with SUV and tumor-to-blood ratio. By contrast, the uptake in liver, spleen and pancreas remained significantly below baseline levels also at 7 h and the receptor turn-over in tumors thus exceeded that in the normal tissue, with restitution of tumor 68Ga-DOTATOC uptake mainly completed at 7 h. These results however differed depending on tumor size, with significant increases in Ki and SUV between the 1st and 2nd PET, in large tumors (≥ 4 mL) but not in small (> 1 to  < 4 mL) tumors.

Conclusion

SSTR recycling is faster in small-intestinal NETs than in liver, spleen and pancreas. This opens the possibility to protect normal tissues during PRRT by administering a single dose of cold peptide hours before peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), and most likely additionally improve the availability and uptake of the therapeutic preparation in the tumors.
What if health care worked like everything else?
Authors: Fischer Shira
Published: November 2021

Doctors use up-to-date communication technology in their personal lives, but the tools they use to communicate with professional colleagues are much more limited. In light of new research exploring the use of WhatsApp in Israel, this commentary explores the barriers to such use and the technological, legal, and cultural factors that enable adoption of such technologies for medical communication. Common tools can be used for professional collaboration but must be adapted for that use as well as culturally acceptable for broad implementation.
Prevalence and factors associated with fertility desire among HIV-positive women in Rwanda in the context of improved life expectancy
Authors: Niragire François , Ndikumana Celestin , Nyirahabimana Marie Gaudence , Uwizeye Dieudonne
Published: November 2021

Background

The knowledge of the key factors associated with fertility desire among people living with HIV/AIDS is crucial for the efficient planning of maternal and child health care programs. Fertility desire has generally increased among women of reproductive age in Rwanda. However, its level and determinants among women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) are currently not well known in the context of Rwanda. The present study aimed to fill in this knowledge gap.

Methods

Data were extracted from the 2015 Rwanda demographic and health survey (RDHS) for 243 HIV-positive women of reproductive age. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted in order to identify the most influential factors.

Results

The prevalence of desire to have another child in HIV-positive women was found to be as high as 40.7%. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that the woman’s age of 35–49 years (AOR = 0.051, 95% CI: 0.013–0.204), woman’s parity of 3 children or above (AOR = 0.177, 95% CI: 0.037–0.837), being employed (AOR = 0.298, 95% CI: 0.113–0.782) and currently using contraceptives (AOR = 0.146; 95% CI: 0.057–0.375) were significantly associated with low odds of fertility desire among HIV- positive women in Rwanda. Women younger than 25 years, with no living child, or who were unemployed or who were not using any contraceptive were significantly associated with greater odds of desire to have another child than did other HIV- positive women. A woman whose partner's desire for children is different  from hers was associated with about four times higher odds (AOR = 3.752; 95% CI: 1.203–11.702) of desire for more children than women who desire the same as their partners.

Conclusion

Fertility desire in WLHA is currently high in Rwanda. It is significantly influenced by demographic and socioeconomic factors. The Rwanda’s health care system should be prepared to intensify the required services for the prevention of the vertical transmission of HIV, the delivery of maternal and child health care services, and the support to WLHA in planning their fertility. Interventions should target low-parity young women, with a particular focus on meeting their contraceptive needs.
Graphene oxide modified screen-printed electrode for highly sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of ciprofloxacin residues in milk
Authors: Pan Ming , Guo Peipei , Liu Haifeng , Lu Jiawei , Xie Qiubo
Published: November 2021

The monitoring of antibiotic residues in foodstuffs by using rapid detection method is essential for food safety. In this work, the electrochemical sensor was developed by modification of screen-printed carbon electrode with graphene oxide, and then the ciprofloxacin (CIP) was detected based on the complexation of CIP with Mn2+. On modified electrode, the anodic stripping peak current response of Mn2+ was prohibited in the presence of CIP, and a peak current response of the complex was occurred. Thus, the peak current response of the complexation peak was employed as the indicating signal for CIP determination, which was more sensitive than the direct electrochemical oxidation response of CIP. Parameters that affect the signal response have been investigated in method. Under the optimum conditions, the peak current of the complexation peak was linearly correlated with the CIP content in the milk sample solution at 1.0 to 8.0 μM, and the linear correlation coefficients (R2) was 0.994. The limits of detection (LOD) was 0.30 μM. Recoveries of CIP in milk sample were ranged from 81.0 to 95.4% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 4.6%. The method showed high selectivity and sensitive, good reproducibility, indicated that this method has potential to be applied in CIP residue analysis.
Extracurricular pursuits
Authors: Williams Jonathan
Published: November 2021

Dr Dignan’s poetry, her care, and her enthusiasm should be lauded. There are also many other non-medical pursuits that may make us better doctors. But it is difficult to know which of these are effective or practicable.
Evensong: how the medical humanities can strengthen a patient-centred approach to both physical and mental health conditions
Authors: Dignan Corinne Rowena
Published: November 2021

The medical humanities may offer an antidote to the unconscious depersonalisation of patients into clinical variables and diagnoses at the hands of physicians, cultivating a patient-centred and individual approach to the management of both physical and mental health conditions. The emphasis on the person behind the diagnosis helps physicians to remain motivated and compassionate in the face of increasing social and organisational pressures that threaten this human connection. As a doctor and the relative of a patient with dementia, I reflect on the way in which poetry has helped to translate my experience as a relative into improving my own practice as a doctor. This article includes one of the poems I wrote during my grandmother's illness to aid reflection on the patient perspective I gained during her time in hospital, and also a brief commentary exploring the influence this process has had on the interactions I now have with my patients.
Where Is This Now, Now?: Gertrude Stein's Literary Innovations and New Sound Media
Authors: Edmeades Lynley
Published: November 2021

This article addresses the largely unexplored relationship between Stein's literary innovations and the new sound media of her time. By examining these connections, this article looks at Stein's compositional techniques—in particular her concept of the continuous present and her lifelong interest in speech and dialogue—to examine how new media technologies intersected with her attempt to change the way writing was written, read, and heard. By focusing on sound, and looking specifically at her final work Brewsie and Willie (1946), this article reads Stein's innovative poetics against the backdrop of concurrent changes to audio technologies during her career. Finally, the article argues that by paying attention to the ongoing shifts in media ecologies in relation to modernist innovations, we might gain insight into the larger phenomenological and sensorial sphere that formed the backdrop to modernism.
Plays within Songs: Sanqu Songs from Literary Refinement (ya) to Popular Appeal (su)
Authors: Shih-Pe Wang , Wang Erxin
Published: November 2021

Through detailed analysis of several case studies, this essay investigates a special form of sanqu 散曲 song, namely, songs that embed references to dramas (quzhong daixi 曲中帶戲). A long song suite (changtao 長套) by Yuan author Sun Jichang 孫季昌 (fl. 14th century) is the best-known example of a pastiche of zaju play titles and dramatic protagonists intended to stimulate and guide readers' imagination. When late Ming dramatist Shen Jing 沈璟 (1553–1610) imitated Sun's pastiche song suite, he painstakingly sought to disrupt the obvious association between lyric and invoked play in an appeal to the literati aesthetic of lyrical indirection. Another, shorter song suite from the Ming, this one by an anonymous author, incorporates chuanqi play titles with little literary embellishment, catering to popular tastes. Finally, set to the tunes “Pipo yu” 劈破玉 and “Gua zhen'er” 掛真兒, popular songs featuring chuanqi play titles appear in three late Ming miscellanies. As these songs describe their source play's main protagonists and plot elements, they may be seen as expressing the voice of commoners and at the same time promoting ethical values. Taken together, these examples illustrate that it was not unusual for sanqu songs to incorporate dramatic references. This blending of song and drama can be traced to the arbitrary Yuan dynasty definition of yuefu 樂府 (literally, “Music Bureau songs”) and its relationship with sanqu songs. Thus the heterogeneous and inclusive nature characteristic of sanqu songs can be viewed in a new light.
Bi-phasic effect of gelatin in myogenesis and skeletal muscle regeneration
Authors: Liu Xiaoling , Zu Er , Chang Xinyu , Ma Xiaowei , Wang Ziqi , Song Xintong , Li Xiangru , Yu Qing , Kamei Ken-ichiro , Hayashi Toshihiko , Mizuno Kazunori , Hattori Shunji , Fujisaki Hitomi , Ikejima Takashi , Wang Dan Ohtan
Published: November 2021

Skeletal muscle regeneration requires extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, including an acute and transient breakdown of collagen that produces gelatin. Although the physiological function of this process is unclear, it has inspired the application of gelatin to injured skeletal muscle for a potential pro-regenerative effect. Here, we investigated a bi-phasic effect of gelatin in skeletal muscle regeneration, mediated by the hormetic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Low-dose gelatin stimulated ROS production from NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and simultaneously upregulated the antioxidant system for cellular defense, reminiscent of the adaptive compensatory process during mild stress. This response triggered the release of the myokine IL-6, which stimulates myogenesis and facilitates muscle regeneration. By contrast, high-dose gelatin stimulated ROS overproduction from NOX2 and the mitochondrial chain complex, and ROS accumulation by suppressing the antioxidant system, triggering the release of TNFα, which inhibits myogenesis and regeneration. Our results have revealed a bi-phasic role of gelatin in regulating skeletal muscle repair mediated by intracellular ROS, the antioxidant system and cytokine (IL-6 and TNFα) signaling.
Rhodopsins at a glance
Authors: Nagata Takashi , Inoue Keiichi
Published: November 2021

Rhodopsins are photoreceptive membrane proteins consisting of a common heptahelical transmembrane architecture that contains a retinal chromophore. Rhodopsin was first discovered in the animal retina in 1876, but a different type of rhodopsin, bacteriorhodopsin, was reported to be present in the cell membrane of an extreme halophilic archaeon, Halobacterium salinarum, 95 years later. Although these findings were made by physiological observation of pigmented tissue and cell bodies, recent progress in genomic and metagenomic analyses has revealed that there are more than 10,000 microbial rhodopsins and 9000 animal rhodopsins with large diversity and tremendous new functionality. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we provide an overview of the diversity of functions, structures, color discrimination mechanisms and optogenetic applications of these two rhodopsin families, and will also highlight the third distinctive rhodopsin family, heliorhodopsin.
Effect of Nigella sativa on general health and immune system in young healthy volunteers; a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial
Authors: Salem Ayad , Bamosa Abdullah , Alam Mohammed , Alshuraim Saleh , Alyalak Hamad , Alagga Abdulrahman , Tarabzouni Faisal , Alisa Omar , Sabit Hussein , Mohsin Ashfaq , Shaikh Mohammad , Farea Abdulaziz , Alshammari Thamer , Obeid Obeid
Published: November 2021

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is traditionally used as an immune enhancer in different communities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N. sativa on immunity related parameters in young healthy subjects. This study was a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial. Fifty-two healthy subjects (48 male and 4 female) 18-25 years old were enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into four groups; the first received charcoal capsules and served as controls and the other three received 0.5, 1 g, and 2 g of powdered N. sativa capsules, respectively. Two blood samples were obtained from all participant, before initiation of the trial and at the end of the four weeks intervention. One sample was used for routine health screening by evaluating liver and renal functions as well as complete blood count and differential. The second sample was used to measure certain cytokines including; IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF. A third and fourth samples were obtained from the last cohort of subjects before and after treatment; the third was used for measuring immunoglobulins and CD profile and the fourth for evaluating certain gene expressions (INF-γ, NF-κ-B, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-13, IL-8, and IL-6). Only 1 g dose of N. sativa produced a significant elevation in total lymphocyte count, CD3+ and CD4+ counts. One gram N. sativa increased the absolute lymphocyte count from 1850±0.24 to 2170±0.26 (p=0.008), CD3+ from 1184.4±75.60 to 1424±114.51 (p=0.009), and CD4+ from 665.6±141.66 to 841±143.36 (p=0.002).  This elevation in T cells was lost by increasing the dose of N. sativa to 2g. The rest of the parameters were not changed significantly in all doses.

The results show a promising immunopotentiation effect of N. sativa by elevating helper T cells and the optimum dose for young age group seems to be 1 g.
THE DIGITAL PROTECTION AND INHERITANCE OF DAUR LANGUAGE UNDER BIG DATA
Authors: BIAN YI-DUO
Published: November 2021

China is composed of 56 ethnic groups, and there are 55 ethnic minorities besides the Han nationality. Minority culture is an important part of Chinese culture. The language of ethnic minorities has a long history of development and is an important part of culture. Daur nationality is one of the traditional nationalities in the north, which has its own special development history. Culture is unique, so the protection and development of Daur language has become a hot topic for cultural protection workers. Under the background of big data, this paper puts forward the digital protection and inheritance scheme of Daur language, which can provide some reference for the protection and inheritance of Daur language.
ON THE IMAGE OF FEMALE MUSIC IN CHINESE NATIONAL OPERA
Authors: LI JIN-RUI
Published: November 2021

Chinese national opera has a history of more than 100 years. From "Sparrow and Children" created by Li Jinhui in the 1920s, it is known as the embryonic form of Chinese national opera. Then Chinese opera has experienced five periods of development. This paper will sort out the development of Chinese national opera, focus on the female characters described in opera according to the historical period of combing, division, and select the most representative of the four opera heroine Xi er, celery, Jiang Jie, Aiguri, to analyze its musical image. The conclusion of this research is of practical significance to promote the und
THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF CUPPING THERAPY INTERVENING THE RABBIT MODEL OF COLD STAGNATION LEADING TO BLOOD STASIS SYNDROME BASED ON THE BIOCHEMICAL CRITERION
Authors: LV WEN-TAO , ZHU CHENG-HUI , MENG XIANG-WEN , ZHI HUI
Published: November 2021

Objective: Explore the partial mechanisms of cupping therapy by means of the cellular factors in the peripheral blood cells; methods: Replicate the rabbit model of cold stagnation leading to blood stasis by adopting the cold stimulation and randomly dividing 12 rabbits to three groups based on the weight. Observe the sign of the rabbits before and after cupping test, the content of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF)in the peripheral blood; Results: After replicated the model, the model group and the treatment group gradually appeared the sign of cold stagnation leading to blood stasis. After cupping treatment, the sign of cold stagnation leading to blood stasis of the rabbits gradually disappeared. Compared with the blank controlled group and the model group at the same time, the epidermal growth factor (EGF)in the peripheral blood of the treatment group was much higher after cupping and was statistically difference (p<0.05); Conclusion: The rabbit model of cold stagnation leading to blood stasis could be successfully replicated by the cold irritation; Cupping therapy could produce benign physical stimulation to the local skin through the expression of the cell factors, which might generate continuous weak stimulation, expand and improve the capillaries, thus formed the cascade reaction, and affected the entire microcirculation. Therefore this might be one of the mechanisms of “dredging collaterals”, effect that cupping therapy produced.
RESEARCH ON THE KEY ISSUES OF NETWORK HEALTH EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITIES IN THE POST-EPIDEMIC
Authors: CUI XIN , ZHOU WEN-FU
Published: November 2021

In the critical period of the new coronary disease, prevention and control, the problems of how to resist the disease, prevent and control the spread of the new coronary disease infection and ensure the health of more than 40 million college students who are confined at home have attracted the attention of education authorities at all levels. In the post-epidemic era, college health education network teaching should be paid more attention to and further improved and promoted. The key work should focus on teaching content arrangement, teaching team formation, teaching form selection and teaching effect evaluation. Especially after the epidemic, we must do a good job in establishing rules and regulations, updating ideas, tapping potential, cultural construction and other aspects.
ONLINE ENGLISH TEACHING PRACTICE IN HIGHER VOCATIONAL COLLEGES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EPIDEMIC PREVENTION
Authors: XU CHANG-JUAN
Published: November 2021

Considering the need of epidemic prevention, online teaching had become a trend in all schools. This paper conducted a survey on students about the Strength and Weakness of Online Learning, aiming at carrying out online English course successfully by making full use of abundant online resources, mobile terminals, personalized learning and flexibility while avoiding its challenges of self-discipline, interaction, resources selection and self-improvement.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PROJECTING SOURCES IN SINO-US PARADE REPORTS
Authors: WANG SHAO-MING , WANG SHAN
Published: November 2021

This study aims to investigate the potential similarities and differences of projections in different mainstream newspaper’s reports on similar events. Based on the theoretical framework of projection of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and we used the corpus-driven approach to analyze quantitatively, this study chose People’s Daily Online, Global Times, as well as The Washington Post’s reports about two parades for celebrating National Day of China and US in 2019 to build four sub-corpora. It analyzed and discussed the projecting sources. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed that the differences in the distribution of projecting sources between the two mainstream newspapers were mainly reflected in the implicit projection source and the reporter projection source. The Media were the most important instituting projecting source for the two newspapers. While in terms of character sources, People’s Daily preferred to treat ordinary people as the main character projecting source and The Washington Post preferred to choose officials or parliamentarians.
Intervenção com profissionais de saúde sobre aconselhamento à atividade física na atenção primária
Authors: Häfele Vítor , Siqueira Fernando Vinholes
Published: November 2021

O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de uma intervenção focada no aumento do aconselhamento dos profissionais de saúde sobre atividade física para os usuários de Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) da cidade de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul. Trata-se de um ensaio comunitário randomizado, com 17 UBS participando do grupo intervenção (GI), onde os profissionais de saúde foram submetidos a uma intervenção com duas palestras de 50 minutos cada e recebimento de folders sobre o tema. Fizeram parte do grupo controle (GC) outras 17 UBS. Foi determinada a prevalência de aconselhamento à atividade física (realizado por profissional de saúde dentro da UBS e por agente comunitário de saúde no domicílio) através de entrevistas com 30 usuários de cada UBS, totalizando 510 entrevistados em cada grupo. Foram calculadas as proporções e intervalos de confiança de 95% (IC95%) de todas as variáveis, sendo utilizado o teste Exato de Fisher. As UBS do GI contavam com 259 profissionais de saúde no momento da intervenção, dos quais 218 participaram de, no mínimo, um encontro. Não foram observadas diferenças nas prevalências de aconselhamento para a prática de atividade física, tanto realizado por profissionais de saúde nas UBS (linha de base: 35,8%, IC95% 31,8 – 40,1; Pós-intervenção - GI: 39,4%, IC95% 35,2 – 43,7; GC: 38,0%, IC95% 33,9 – 42,3), quanto o aconselhamento feito pelos agentes comunitários de saúde nos domicílios (Pós-intervenção - GI: 29,1%, IC95% 23,5 – 35,5; GC: 24,9%, IC95% 19,4 – 31,3). Conclui-se que a intervenção não foi efetiva para modificar a prevalência de aconselhamento à atividade física nas UBS.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury Due To Losartan
Authors: Diogo Joana , Monteiro Rita , Coelho Carolina , Ghiletchi Angela , Leão Rodrigo , Loureiro Conceição
Published: November 2021

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a challenging diagnosis since a wide variety of medicines can cause adverse reactions. Losartan is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARA-II) approved for the treatment of arterial hypertension. The most common adverse effects are fatigue, anaemia, weakness and cough. An increase in transaminases has been reported with less frequency (<2% of cases). Although the mechanism is not fully understood, DILI onset is usually within 1–8 weeks of therapy, and hepatic enzymology usually normalizes 2–4 months after drug suspension. The authors present the case of a 66-year-old male patient with a medical history of arterial hypertension and a prior hospitalization (4 years previously) for drug-induced hepatitis, which, at the time, was attributed to a dietary supplement. Four years later, because of new onset of hypertension, losartan was reintroduced. After 3 weeks, the patient was admitted to the emergency department with complaints of acute abdominal pain associated with asthenia, nausea and increased abdominal volume that had first developed 8 days previously. After exclusion of other causes, DILI associated with losartan was assumed. This is a very rare adverse effect since only seven cases have been described in the literature.
How to provide early enteral nutrition in the canine pancreatitis patient
Authors: McMurrough Sophie
Published: November 2021

This article provides a useful insight into the benefits of early enteral nutrition in canine pancreatitis patients. A brief explanation of the anatomy and physiology, followed by the pathophysiology, helps the reader understand the disease process. Feeding tubes are beneficial in anorexic patients and selecting a diet and calculating the resting energy requirements is an essential skill to practice to help prevent malnutrition. This article provides a practical step-by-step guide on how to place a nasogastric feeding tube in dogs, including how to clean and secure it in place. Owner education is essential in helping them understand the disease, manage chronic cases and prevent further flare ups in the future.
Geomorphological evidence of tectonic activity of the Marianske Lazne Fault (Czech Republic) and its influence to stream network evolution
Authors: Flasar Jan
Published: November 2021

The Mariánské Lázně Fault (western Bohemia, CZE) is a morphologically, geologically and tectonically prominent structure with that is 150 km long with an NNW-SSE orientation. Its tectonic activity, especially in the NW part and in the neighbouring Cheb basin, is well known and has been proven by present-day earthquake swarms, mantle-derived CO2 emanations, geophysical and paleoseismological research. It seems that other parts of the MLF (especially segments of NNW-SSE and N-S orientation) might also have been active during the Pleistocene, possible even in the Holocene. This study provides a robust set of morphometric analyses – mountain-front sinuosity, basin asymmetry, longitudinal stream profiles, SL-index, which assesses the possibility of recent tectonic activity. The results suggest that the activity of the central and southern part of the MLF could have been very young. A reconstruction of the evolution of the stream network of the Mže River, as a result of different timing of the activity of particular segments of the MLF, is also put forward. The first ideas about the evolution of terrain morphology and the stream network are proposed by this study, however subsequent field research (geophysics, paleoseismology) could prove and date the tectonic activity. The delineation of segments with young activity may also have a great implication for seismic hazard assessment.
A vertically-loaded diamond microdisk resonator spin-photon interface
Authors: Duan Yuqin , Chen Kevin C. , Englund Dirk R. , Trusheim Matthew E.
Published: November 2021

We propose and optimize a vertically-loaded diamond microdisk resonator (VLDMoRt) coupled to a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond for efficient collection of zero-phonon-line emission into low numerical aperture (NA) free-space modes. The VLDMoRt achieves a Purcell enhancement of 172 with 39% of the emitted light collected within a NA of 0.6, leading to a total external spin-photon collection efficiency of 0.33. As the design is compatible with established nanofabrication techniques and couples to low-NA modes accessible by cryogenic free-space optical systems, it is a promising platform for efficient spin-photon interfaces based on diamond quantum emitters.
Deep learning based pulse prediction of nonlinear dynamics in fiber optics
Authors: Sui Hao , Zhu Hongna , Cheng Le , Luo Bin , Taccheo Stefano , Zou Xihua , Yan Lianshan
Published: November 2021

The initial state of a nonlinear optical fiber system plays a vital role in the ultrafast pulse evolution dynamic. In this work, a data-driven compressed convolutional neural network, named inverse network, is proposed to predict initial pulse distribution through a series of discrete power profiles at different propagation distances. The inverse network is trained and tested based on two typical nonlinear dynamics: (1) the pulse evolution in a fiber optical parametric amplifier system and (2) soliton pair evolution in high-nonlinear fibers. Great prediction accuracy is reached when the epoch grows to 5000 in both cases, with the normalized root mean square errors below 0.01 on the entire testing set. Meanwhile, the lightweight network is highly effective. In this work, it takes approximately 30 seconds for 5,000 epochs training with a dataset size of 900. The inverse network is further tested and analyzed on the dataset with different signal-to-noise ratios and input sizes. The results show fair stability at the deviation on the testing set. The proposed inverse network demonstrates a promising approach to optimizing the initial pulse of fiber optics systems.
Octave-spanning low-loss mid-IR waveguides based on semiconductor-loaded plasmonics
Authors: David M. , Dabrowska A. , Sistani M. , Doganlar I. C. , Hinkelmann E. , Detz H. , Weber W. M. , Lendl B. , Strasser G. , Hinkov B.
Published: November 2021

Plasmonic waveguides are crucial building blocks for integrated on-chip mid-infrared (mid-IR) sensors, which have recently attracted great interest as a sensing platform to target enhanced molecular sensing. However, while hosting a wide range of applications from spectroscopy to telecommunication, the mid-IR lacks suitable broadband solutions that provide monolithic integration with III-V materials. This work reports a novel concept based on hybrid semiconductor-metal surface plasmon polariton waveguides, which result in experimentally demonstrated low loss and broadband devices. Composed of a thin germanium slab on top of a gold layer, the waveguiding properties can be directly controlled by changing the geometrical parameters. The measured losses of our devices are as low as 6.73 dB/mm at 9.12 µm and remain <15 dB/mm in the mid-IR range of 5.6–11.2 µm. The octave-spanning capability of the waveguides makes them ideal candidates for combination with broadband mid-IR quantum cascade laser frequency combs and integrated spectroscopic sensors.
Thermal characterization of a nematic liquid crystal suited for the fabrication of NIR spectrally-tunable vertical cavity surface emitting lasers
Authors: Simaz Andrea , Boisnard Benjamin , Doucet Jean-Baptiste , Camps Thierry , Reig Benjamin , Lumeau Julien , Begou Thomas , Tibaldi Alberto , Debernardi Pierluigi , Bardinal Véronique
Published: November 2021

In this work, the thermo-optical properties of a nematic liquid crystal are determined through reflectance measurements performed on a high finesse tunable filter fabricated using a polymer-based microcell technology. The final aim is to insert such material in the optical cavity of a 850 nm tunable VCSEL device, in which local self-heating due to CW pumping must be taken into account. These localized interferometric experiments are performed in the near-infra-red range and at temperatures up to 115 °C. A thermal model is derived from the acquired data. Finally, we demonstrate that the birefringence of QYPDLC-36 liquid crystal remains higher than 0.18 at 60 °C, feature well suited to real device operation.
Chernobyl como ‘accidente postnormal’. Una revisión crítica de sus causas tecnológicas
Authors: Calcines Pedreira Argel
Published: November 2021

Este artículo propone una revisión crítica de las causas tecnológicas que provocaron el desastre de Chernobyl, señalando algunas cuestiones que todavía son debatibles y polémicas hasta para los propios expertos nucleares. ¿Cómo es posible que un reactor electronuclear pudiera estallar como una bomba debido a las decisiones erradas de sus operarios? ¿Y si hubiera sido un sabotaje o —como se diría hoy día— un acto terrorista? A partir de estas interrogantes se fundamenta que la concepción dual (militar y civil) del aciago prototipo RBMK-1000, junto a la incertidumbre de no saber realmente cómo se produjo su explosión, permiten otorgar a Chernobyl el carácter de “accidente postnormal”, tanto desde un punto de vista extratécnico como intratécnico. Con esta propuesta teórica se exhorta desde una perspectiva ingenieril a recapacitar sobre el desafío epistemológico que representa el carácter único del riesgo nuclear y radiológico para el campo de estudios CTS.
Predictors of transcatheter closure cancellation in children with ventricular septal defect
Authors: Yulianti Artha Christin , Murni Indah Kartika , Noormanto Noormanto , Nugroho Sasmito
Published: November 2021

Background Ventricle septal defect (VSD) is the most common type of congenital heart disease in children. If definitive therapy delayed, failure to thrive and developmental delays can lead to decreased quality of life. The options for VSD closure include surgical and minimally invasive procedures with transcatheterization. Although transcatheterization is considered to be the safest therapy, the risk of complications can lead to cancellation of procedure.

Objective To determine whether nutritional status, body height, VSD type and size, and type of device used were predictors of cancellation of transcatheter closure of VSD.

Methods A retrospective cohort study using medical records was performed for all children who underwent transcatheter closure of VSD at Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Central Java, between January 2017 to March 2020. Cancellation of closure was defined as complications occurring during the procedure, such as cardiac conduction problems, valve regurgitation, and device embolization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to determine independent predictors of closure cancellation.

Results One hundred thirty-four children were enrolled. Independent variables that were significant predictors were doubly committed subarterial (DCSA) VSD type (OR 5.98; 95%CI 1.52 to 23.61; P=0.045), moderate VSD size (OR 15.59; 95%CI 4.67 to 52.06; P=0.001), and types of devices used: symmetric (OR 27.06; 95%CI 2.75 to 266.17; P=0.001), asymmetric (OR 16.46; 95%CI 2.15 to 210.0; P=0.001), and coil (OR 21.26; 95%CI 2.15 to 210.0; P=0.001). Taller body height was a protective factor against cancellation of the procedure (OR 0.98; 95%CI 0.96 to 1.00; P=0.008).

Conclusion Significant predictors of cancellation of transcatheter VSD closure are DCSA VSD, moderate VSD size, as well as coil, symmetric, and asymmetric devices, and increased body height.
Analytical study of inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulin expression following dust mite allergen exposure in pregnant mice
Authors: Etika Risa , Sudarmo Subijanto Marto , Suwarno Suwarno , Mapindra Muhammad Pradhika , Mahindra Muhammad Pradhiki
Published: November 2021

Background Allergen tolerability due to allergic immune reactions could be transferred through the placenta from maternal to fetal circulation. Hence, a further investigation regarding the tolerability following mite allergen exposures is desirable.

Objective  To evaluate various doses of mite allergens and cytokines associated with Th1, Th2, and Treg cells with regards to possible allergic tolerance in neonatal mice.

Methods This study used an experimental design with a post-test only control group, to assess the effect of mite allergens on pregnant BALB/C mice and their newborns. In this study female BALB/C mice aged 10 weeks were mated with male mice, then pregnant BALB/C mice were exposed to allergens at 4 weeks gestation. During pregnancy, pregnant females’ blood specimens were taken to measure cytokines and immunoglobulins. Meanwhile, neonatal blood specimens were taken at 2 weeks postnatally to measure cytokines and immunoglobulins. Blood specimens from pregnant BALB/C mice and their newborns were evaluated using ELISA kits for the following cytokines: interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, TGF-β1, as well as immunoglobulins (Ig)G-1, IgG-2a, IgG-2b, IgG3 subclass, IgM, IgA, and IgE. The case group was the group that received high and low doses of exposure, while the control group did not get exposure.

Results In response to low dose mite allergen exposure, there were significant increases of IL-2, IFN-y, and IL-4, IL-5, and TGF-β1 in mothers and neonates. Pregnant mices that received high doses of allergens, however, had significant increases in IL-5 and TGF-B1; results were likewise for their offspring. Mothers and neonates, had significantly increased expression of IgG subclasses after a low dose of dust mite allergen. Following a ten-fold increase in allergen dose, the mothers showed significant increases in IgA, IgM, IgE, and IgG subclasses, whereas in neonatal mice, those immunoglobulin levels were not significantly different from control mice.

Conclusion  Exposure to mite allergens can trigger regulatory functions of Th1, Th2, and Tregs cells to activate their cytokines, except IL-10. The regulatory function of Tregs is dominated by TGFβ in maternal and neonatal mice, at low and high doses. Th1 cytokines express cytokines during exposure only to low-dose allergens and Th2 cells regulate IL-5 levels to both low- and high-dose allergens.
A comparative analysis of security issues in the new social media in the US-Israel election campaign
Authors: Mansour Waseem
Published: November 2021

This article presents the history of the use of social media in the election campaigns of politicians from the United States and Israel as a modern phenomenon in the current era due to technological changes in the global media. My article answers the research question: is there a difference in the strategy of using Twitter between Netanyahu and Obama, and what is this difference? It should be noted that many articles have dealt with social networks and the political use of social networks, but as far as I know, the topic of comparison and attempt to find differences in political campaigns between two leaders from the United States and Israel has not yet been investigated, and this is the goal of the article, I will focus on presenting data and information examining the allegations appearing in the official Twitter account of former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding security issues and the Iranian threat expressed in his Twitter tweets, so that he presents himself as “responsible for Israel and its citizens.” So he constantly presents the issue of national security as a winning card against his opponents in order to win the support of the far right electorate in Israel. Compared to the tweets of Obama the first president of the United States who used social media and especially presidential Twitter to win in support of the American electorate in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections and to win their economic and social contribution.
Krzysztof Bosak’s political views: targeting enemies in anti-democratic political thinking
Authors: Bäcker Roman
Published: November 2021

This article aims to place the views of Krzysztof Bosak, the Confederation’s candidate in the 2020 presidential elections, in the multifaceted typological frameworks of political thought. The analyzes show that Bosak’s political views are primarily fundamentalist. However, classifying non-heteronormative people as objective enemies is indicative of totalitarian political gnosis. Bosak’s views cannot be classified as belonging to the epigonic fascism cultivating interwar patterns, regardless of the type of national variation. Nevertheless, it is possible to classify them as glamor fascism. This type of fascism is velvety on the outside, but in fact, belonging to an offensive rather than defensive fundamentalism with significant elements of totalitarian political gnosis. In addition, it most often uses the imaginary concept of the nation as a post-ethnic community unpolluted by foreign elements. The analysis of Krzysztof Bosak’s views may be useful for subsequent analyzes of the specific manifestations of quasi-militant democracy in terms of targeting enemies in anti-democratic political thinking.
The Sisciani in the Roman Empire
Authors: Šašel Kos Marjeta
Published: November 2021

The article comments on residents of Siscia attested outside the city and its territory. It is based both on corpus of the Roman inscriptions from Siscia and inscriptions found elsewhere in the Roman Empire in which the Sisciani are documented. A few individuals, known from other provincial towns, were employed in municipal and provincial administration, while soldiers of various ranks predominate, legionaries as well as auxiliaries. Among them, soldiers serving in the Praetorian Guard are the best attested.
Life on the frontier: Roman military families in Lower Moesia
Authors: Tomas Agnieszka
Published: November 2021

The epigraphic evidence from four Lower Moesian legionary bases provides information about military-civilian society living along the Lower Danubian frontier zone. The inscriptions on stone originating from these four sites informs not only about the names, age or status of the people living in the border zone, but may be helpful in recreating the emergence of Roman provincial society in the military garrisons. The epigraphic evidence collected from Oescus, Novae, Durostorum, and Troesmis includes only the inscriptions related to the people who were not active soldiers and officers serving in the legions. The aim of the paper is to find out whether the epigraphic evidence may bring any additional information concerning the civilian and military families, ethnic and social composition of the inhabitants living near legionary bases, conditions of life, and the nature of the settlement.
On the method of determination of level of social activity of veterans in provinces of the Roman Empire (the case of Lower Moesia)
Authors: Martemyanov Alexei
Published: November 2021

Active involvement of army veterans in local governance and religious life of provincial towns and villages of the Roman Empire is generally determined as the ratio of number of retired soldiers who were magistrates and priests to the total number of veterans, known from all the inscriptions found on the territory of a province. In the opinion of the author, this approach may lead to a misperception of this aspect of the former soldiers’ life and consequently needs to be revised. This paper presents an alternative method of resolving the problem and outlines perspectives for its practical application on the example of material relating to the province of Lower Moesia.
Über das religiöse Verhalten der Munizipalaristokratie von Sarmizegetusa
Authors: Ardevan Radu
Published: November 2021

One can research the religious life and choices of the local aristocrats through the analysis of their private dedications only. The results prove that these people were personally less involved in the imperial cult or in the trendy exotic religions, preferring the Roman deities, mainly Jupiter and the ones defending the home, the welfare and the health.
Ethnic units in the late Roman Army? The case of the equites dalmatae
Authors: Dziurdzik Tomasz
Published: November 2021

The article relies on the case study of the equites Dalmatae to analyse the relation­ships between Late Roman military unit naming conventions and the recruitment patterns of the era. Of special importance is the question of the extent to which the army employed ethnic units, recruited from a particular population and using their own, traditional fighting styles. The conclusions are reached through a combination of historical and onomastic study, with special regard to the possible meanings of the term Dalmatae and the entities and identities it could have represented.
Géza Alföldy and Ronald Syme: a case study
Authors: Vivas García Gustavo Alberto
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this paper is to analyse Ronald Syme’s view of History through the work of one of his best and most insightful critics, Professor Géza Alföldy. The two historians maintained a personal and professional relationship for a quarter of a century. This enabled Alföldy to understand the intricacies of the entire body of work of the Camden Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford as few others have done, thereby becoming one of his finest critics.
Géza Alföldy et l’histoire des femmes dans la Rome Antique
Authors: Álvarez Melero Anthony
Published: November 2021

The purpose of this article is to study G. Alföldy’s contribution to women’s history thanks to a review of his articles and his main monographs, so as to assess how much significance he attached to them.
Zur Inschrift des Primus Pilus G. Baienius Ianuarius aus Novae
Authors: Piso Ioan
Published: November 2021

Among the numerous inscriptions from Novae published by the Polish colleagues, that of G. Baienius Ianuarius deserves a special attention. It has been raised on October the 5th 227 AD under the governorship of Lucius Mantennius Sabinus. On the left side of the basis a text in hexameters contains the military carrier of C. Baienius Ianuarius. It is the lecture of this text that the author tries to improve. One of the conclusions is that G. Baienius Ianuarius carried out as a centurio of the legio I Italica a mission in Rome about 223/224 AD. Another conclusion is that the statue represented an aquila, symbol of the legion