bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal replacement therapy: does the patient have a choice?
Authors: Ivanov D.D.
Published: January 2023

Nowadays there is an emerging problem with renal replacement therapy in the world. Its main methods include dialysis and renal transplantation. However, many regions in the world do not have access to one or more therapy methods due to numerous economic, social, and other factors. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are shown to be equally efficient, however, it may be difficult to choose one. For each patient who is faced with the choice of a method of renal replacement therapy, the question is which way to choose. The moral and social aspects of such a choice are quite complex. Therefore, the role of a doctor, in addition to the qualified performance of renal replacement therapy, is largely advisory and requires patience and understanding of a patient. It is important to raise the awareness of patients and the level of medical staff education as well as provide equal access to all renal replacement therapy types in the world.
Global, Regional, and National Burden of CKD due to Glomerulonephritis from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Hu Junjie , Ke Runjiang , Teixeira Wilhem , Dong Yimin , Ding Rong , Yang Jincui , Ai Xing , Ye Da-Wei , Shang Jiwen
Published: January 2023

Background

CKD is becoming a major human health concern. Limited quantitative assessments of the burden of CKD due to glomerulonephritis have been performed. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the disease burden to update the epidemiology of this disease.

Methods

Incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) data and percent changes in these indicators were extracted from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to analyze the burden of CKD due to glomerulonephritis.

Results

Globally, there were 606,300 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 560,100 to 658,100) incident patients, 17,300,000 (95% UI, 16,100,000 to 18,600,000) prevalent patients, 183,700 (95% UI, 146,300 to 228,900) deaths, and 6,900,000 (95% UI, 5,900,000 to 8,100,000) DALYs of CKD due to glomerulonephritis in 2019. Compared with those in 1990, the numbers of incident patients, prevalent patients, deaths, and DALYs increased by 77%, 81%, 100%, and 66%, respectively. Most of the disease burden was concentrated in countries with lower sociodemographic index. In Central Latin America, the disease burden was much higher than expected on the basis of its sociodemographic index. Decomposition analysis showed that population aging and growth were the two major drivers of the increase in DALYs. Frontier analysis revealed considerable opportunities to reduce the age-standardized DALYs in the middle of the sociodemographic-index spectrum. Although middle-aged and elderly individuals accounted for the majority of the disease burden, the highest incidence rate was observed in children aged 1–4 years.

Conclusions

The disease burden of CKD due to glomerulonephritis has increased worldwide, especially in regions and countries with lower sociodemographic indexes.
Evaluating Kidney Function Decline in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease Using a Multi-Institutional Electronic Health Record Database
Authors: Gluck Caroline A. , Forrest Christopher B. , Davies Amy Goodwin , Maltenfort Mitchell , Mcdonald Jill R. , Mitsnefes Mark , Dharnidharka Vikas R. , Dixon Bradley P. , Flynn Joseph T. , Somers Michael J. , Smoyer William E. , Neu Alicia , Hovinga Collin A. , Skversky Amy L. , Eissing Thomas , Kaiser Andreas , Breitenstein Stefanie , Furth Susan L. , Denburg Michelle R.
Published: January 2023

Background

The objectives of this study were to use electronic health record data from a US national multicenter pediatric network to identify a large cohort of children with CKD, evaluate CKD progression, and examine clinical risk factors for kidney function decline.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study identified children seen between January 1, 2009, to February 28, 2022. Data were from six pediatric health systems in PEDSnet. We identified children aged 18 months to 18 years who met criteria for CKD: two eGFR values <90 and ≥15 ml/min per 1.73 m2 separated by ≥90 days without an intervening value ≥90. CKD progression was defined as a composite outcome: eGFR <15 ml/min per 1.73 m2, ≥50% eGFR decline, long-term dialysis, or kidney transplant. Subcohorts were defined based on CKD etiology: glomerular, nonglomerular, or malignancy. We assessed the association of hypertension (≥2 visits with hypertension diagnosis code) and proteinuria (≥1 urinalysis with ≥1+ protein) within 2 years of cohort entrance on the composite outcome.

Results

Among 7,148,875 children, we identified 11,240 (15.7 per 10,000) with CKD (median age 11 years, 50% female). The median follow-up was 5.1 (interquartile range 2.8–8.3) years, the median initial eGFR was 75.3 (interquartile range 61–83) ml/min per 1.73 m2, 37% had proteinuria, and 35% had hypertension. The following were associated with CKD progression: lower eGFR category (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.44 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.23 to 1.69], aHR 2.38 [95% CI, 2.02 to 2.79], aHR 5.75 [95% CI, 5.05 to 6.55] for eGFR 45–59 ml/min per 1.73 m2, 30–44 ml/min per 1.73 m2, 15–29 ml/min per 1.73 m2 at cohort entrance, respectively, when compared with eGFR 60–89 ml/min per 1.73 m2), glomerular disease (aHR 2.01 [95% CI, 1.78 to 2.28]), malignancy (aHR 1.79 [95% CI, 1.52 to 2.11]), proteinuria (aHR 2.23 [95% CI, 1.89 to 2.62]), hypertension (aHR 1.49 [95% CI, 1.22 to 1.82]), proteinuria and hypertension together (aHR 3.98 [95% CI, 3.40 to 4.68]), count of complex chronic comorbidities (aHR 1.07 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.10] per additional comorbid body system), male sex (aHR 1.16 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.28]), and younger age at cohort entrance (aHR 0.95 [95% CI, 0.94 to 0.96] per year older).

Conclusions

In large-scale real-world data for children with CKD, disease etiology, albuminuria, hypertension, age, male sex, lower eGFR, and greater medical complexity at start of follow-up were associated with more rapid decline in kidney function.
Management of Poisonings and Intoxications
Authors: Ghannoum Marc , Roberts Darren M.
Published: January 2023

Poisoning occurs after exposure to any of a number of substances, including medicines, which can result in severe toxicity including death. The nephrologist may be involved in poisonings that cause kidney disease and for targeted treatments. The overall approach to the poisoned patient involves the initial acute resuscitation and performing a risk assessment, whereby the exposure is considered in terms of the anticipated severity and in the context of the patient's status and treatments that may be required. Time-critical interventions such as gastrointestinal decontamination (e.g., activated charcoal) and antidotes are administered when indicated. The nephrologist is usually involved when elimination enhancement techniques are required, such as urine alkalinization or extracorporeal treatments. There is increasing data to guide decision making for the use of extracorporeal treatments in the poisoned patient. Principles to consider are clinical indications such as whether severe toxicity is present, anticipated, and/or will persist and whether the poison will be significantly removed by the extracorporeal treatment. Extracorporeal clearance is maximized for low–molecular weight drugs that are water soluble with minimal protein binding (<80%) and low endogenous clearance and volume of distribution. The dosage of some antidotes (e.g., N-acetylcysteine, ethanol, fomepizole) should be increased to maintain therapeutic concentrations once the extracorporeal treatment is initiated. To maximize the effect of an extracorporeal treatment, blood and effluent flows should be optimized, the filter with the largest surface area selected, and duration tailored to remove enough poison to reduce toxicity. Intermittent hemodialysis is recommended in most cases when an extracorporeal treatment is required because it is the most efficient, and continuous kidney replacement therapy is prescribed in some circumstances, particularly if intermittent hemodialysis is not readily available.
Metabolomic Markers of Ultra-Processed Food and Incident CKD
Authors: Su Donghan , Chen Jingsha , Du Shutong , Kim Hyunju , Yu Bing , Wong Kari E. , Boerwinkle Eric , Rebholz Casey M.
Published: January 2023

Background

High ultra-processed food consumption is associated with higher risk of CKD. However, there is no biomarker for ultra-processed food, and the mechanism through which ultra-processed food is associated with CKD is not clear. Metabolomics can provide objective biomarkers of ultra-processed food and provide important insights into the mechanisms by which ultra-processed food is associated with risk of incident CKD. Our objective was to identify serum metabolites associated with ultra-processed food consumption and investigate whether ultra-processed food–associated metabolites are prospectively associated with incident CKD.

Methods

We used data from 3751 Black and White men and women (aged 45–64 years) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Dietary intake was assessed using a semiquantitative 66-item food frequency questionnaire, and ultra-processed food was classified using the NOVA classification system. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify the association between 359 metabolites and ultra-processed food consumption. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the prospective association of ultra-processed food–associated metabolites with incident CKD.

Results

Twelve metabolites (saccharine, homostachydrine, stachydrine, N2, N2-dimethylguanosine, catechol sulfate, caffeine, 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate, theobromine, docosahexaenoate, glucose, mannose, and bradykinin) were significantly associated with ultra-processed food consumption after controlling for false discovery rate <0.05 and adjusting for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, eGFR, and total energy intake. The 12 ultra-processed food–related metabolites significantly improved the prediction of ultra-processed food consumption (difference in C statistics: 0.069, P<1×10−16). Higher levels of mannose, glucose, and N2, N2-dimethylguanosine were associated with higher risk of incident CKD after a median follow-up of 23 years.

Conclusions

We identified 12 serum metabolites associated with ultra-processed food consumption and three of them were positively associated with incident CKD. Mannose and N2, N2-dimethylguanosine are novel markers of CKD that may explain observed associations between ultra-processed food and CKD.

Podcast

This article contains a podcast at https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2023_03_08_CJN0000000000000062.mp3
Kidney Disease Progression in Membranous Nephropathy among Black Participants with High-Risk APOL1 Genotype
Authors: Chen Dhruti P. , Henderson Candace D. , Anguiano Jaeline , Aiello Claudia P. , Collie Mary M. , Moreno Vanessa , Hu Yichun , Hogan Susan L. , Falk Ronald J. ,   on behalf of CureGN
Published: January 2023

Background

Disparity in CKD progression among Black individuals persists in glomerular diseases. Genetic variants in the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene in the Black population contribute to kidney disease, but the influence in membranous nephropathy remains unknown.

Methods

Longitudinally followed participants enrolled in the Glomerular Disease Collaborative Network or Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network were included if they had DNA or genotyping available for APOL1 (Black participants with membranous nephropathy) or had membranous nephropathy but were not Black. eGFR slopes were estimated using linear mixed-effects models with random effects and adjusting for covariates and interaction terms of covariates. Fisher exact test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Kaplan–Meier curves with log-rank tests were used to compare groups.

Results

Among 118 Black membranous nephropathy participants, 16 (14%) had high-risk APOL1 genotype (two risk alleles) and 102 (86%) had low-risk APOL1 genotype (zero or one risk alleles, n=53 and n=49, respectively). High-risk APOL1 membranous nephropathy participants were notably younger at disease onset than low-risk APOL1 and membranous nephropathy participants that were not Black (n=572). eGFR at disease onset was not different between groups, although eGFR decline (slope) was steeper in participants with high-risk APOL1 genotype (−16±2 [±SE] ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year) compared with low-risk APOL1 genotype (−4±0.8 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year) or membranous nephropathy participants that did not identify themselves as Black (−2.0±0.4 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year) (P<0.0001). Time to kidney failure was faster in the high-risk APOL1 genotype than low-risk APOL1 genotype or membranous nephropathy participants that were not Black.

Conclusions

The prevalence of high-risk APOL1 variant among Black membranous nephropathy participants is comparable with the general Black population (10%–15%), yet the high-risk genotype was associated with worse eGFR decline and faster time to kidney failure compared with low-risk genotype and participants that were not Black.
Mathematical Modelling and Kinematic Analysis of a Tendon Driven Under-Actuated Robotic Hand
Authors: Biswal Deepak Ranjan , Parida Pramod Kumar
Published: January 2023

Abstract: Providing a robotic system with dexterous skills and autonomous capabilities is a key challenge in the field of humanoid robotics, particularly in areas such as industrial manufacturing, prosthetics, and orthopaedic rehabilitation. Providing such a system would be extremely useful in these areas. In order for its functionality to be fully realised, a multifingered robotic hand calls on a significantly higher level of actuation and transmission systems. Under actuation techniques provide the impression of being a workable solution for achieving high degrees of dexterity in robotic hands without the need for more complex mechanical design. One of the most defining characteristics of an under-actuated robotic hand is that the needed number of actuators to control the hand is fewer in number than the degree of freedom that the hand possesses. When compared to a fully actuated version of the same hand, an identical hand with under actuation offers a considerable reduction in the complexity of the control system and a large cost savings. The current study proposes the design and kinematic analysis of an anthropomorphic five-finger robotic hand. Four of the fingers and the thumb are under-actuated, and the hand has twenty-one degrees of freedom and twelve degrees of actuation.
POTENSI ASAP CAIR DARI TANDAN KOSONG KELAPA SAWIT TERHADAP PENYAKIT GUGUR DAUN PESTALOTIOPSIS PADA TANAMAN KARET DI LABORATORIUM
Authors: SAHARA DEVI YANI INDAH , SYOFIA Irna , DARWIS Hilda Syafitri , DALIMUNTHE Cici Indriani
Published: January 2023

Pestalotiopsis microspora penyebab penyakit gugur daun pada tanaman karet menjadi salah satu faktor pembatas terhadap produksi tanaman karet. Daun karet yang gugur akibat penyakit ini menyebabkan tajuk tanaman menjadi tipis dan tanaman kehilangan produksi lateks lebih dari 30%. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui potensi asap cair tandan kosong kelapa sawit (TKKS) dalam menghambat pertumbuhan P. microspora. Penelitian ini dilakukan secara in vitro dengan metode peracunan media menggunakan rancangan percobaan acak lengkap (RAL) non-faktorial yang terdiri atas lima perlakuan dan empat ulangan, yaitu konsentrasi asap cair 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, dan 4%. Peubah yang diamati adalah diameter koloni pertumbuhan P. microspora, berat basah dan berat kering isolat P. microspora, serta efektivitas daya hambat asap cair terhadap P. microspora. Hasil penelitian berdasarkan analisis ragam dan dilanjutkan dengan uji beda nyata jujur (BNJ) 1% menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan asap cair TKKS menghambat secara nyata pertumbuhan P. microspora. Perlakuan asap cair dengan konsentrasi 3% mampu menekan pertumbuhan P. microspora lebih dari 60%, bahkan sampai 100% pada perlakuan konsentrasi 4%.
AS QUESTÕES ÉTNICO-RACIAIS NA EDUCAÇÃO E DOCÊNCIA EM PRISÕES: PERCEPÇÃO DOCENTE EM INTERVENÇÃO PEDAGÓGICA
Authors: Pereira Antonio , Gonçalves dos Santos Juliana
Published: January 2023

Esse estudo consiste numa reflexão sobre uma intervenção pedagógica com docentes que atuam na EJA em prisões, trazendo à tona problematizações das questões étnico-raciais, suas percepções, e saberes e realidades da comunidade negra. Discute-se como os docentes da Penitenciária de Serrinha (BA) percebem a questão racial e a própria efetivação da Lei 10.639/03 na sua prática pedagógica. Assim, partimos da execução de uma proposta formativa dialógica dos direitos raciais, da reparação histórica e da inclusão da história da África e da cultura afro-brasileira nos currículos. Os resultados demonstraram a existencialidade do silenciamento étnico-racial e que as concepções hegemônicas construídas ideologicamente sobre a questão racial permanecem vivazes nas memórias e atitudes dos sujeitos de forma camuflada. Os achados relativos aos efeitos da intervenção evidenciaram que os professores passaram a compreender os desdobramentos de práticas racistas e buscaram conhecer mais as políticas afirmativas, concomitantemente realizando recriação das oficinas didáticas para a sala de aula, com a finalidade de empoderamento dos discentes a ponto de contrariar as violações de direitos e injustiças raciais.
PENSAR A EDUCAÇÃO NAS PRISÕES: UMA PERGUNTA, UM PRINCÍPIO, UMA PROPOSTA E... ?
Authors: Nicodemos Marcio
Published: January 2023

O artigo apresenta um convite para se pensar a educação nas escolas nas prisões a partir de novos desafios e possibilidades. Em um primeiro momento chamado “Uma pergunta, um princípio, uma proposta...” busca apresentar caminhos possíveis de pensamento; em um segundo momento chamado “O que é aquilo que os alunos prisioneiros esperam de nós professores?” busca pensar a pergunta e seus desafios; em um terceiro momento chamado “A emancipação intelectual dos alunos prisioneiros é obra dos próprios alunos prisioneiros?” busca pensar o princípio e suas possibilidades; em um quarto momento chamado “É preciso perguntar sobre a educação na prisão àqueles que tem uma experiência da prisão ou uma relação com ela?” busca pensar a proposta e seus desdobramentos; e, em um úlltimo momento chamado “E...?” busca reforçar o convite inicial. Trata-se de um estudo de natureza teórica feito por meio de investigação conceitual em fontes bibliográficas diversas.
A POLÍTICA EDUCATIVA PARA MULHERES EM SITUAÇÃO DE CÁRCERE: UM ESTUDO DE CASO NO CONJUTO PENAL NILTON GONÇALVES
Authors: De Andrade Silva Vieira Klyvia Larissa , Da Silva Santana Cristiane
Published: January 2023

O presente artigo apresenta um recorte de uma pesquisa de trabalho de conclusão de curso, cujo objetivo foi analisar as especificidades de como ocorre a Educação de Jovens e Adultos – EJA – de mulheres que vivem em situação carcerária, bem como as contribuições e limitações do processo educacional para a ressignificação e reinserção na sociedade. Especificamente a pesquisa se propõe a compreender como  ocorre a Educação de Jovens e Adultos no sistema penitenciário feminino; apontar as  contribuições da EJA no processo de escolarização e reinserção de mulheres que vivem  em situação de cárcere; e identificar as dificuldades e limitações encontradas na promoção  da aprendizagem escolar no sistema prisional feminino no Conjunto Penal  Nilton Gonçalves em Vitória da Conquista–BA. Optamos por uma pesquisa exploratória, de caráter qualitativo na perspectiva de desenvolvermos um estudo de caso. A pesquisa aponta a necessidade de ser estabelecido um processo educacional que contribua para ressignificação e ressocialização da pessoa encarcerada, bem como programas com práticas sócio-educativas que são garantidos por lei, mas que na prática pouco acontecem.
Emotional Intelligence and Administrative Effectiveness of Heads of Academic Departments in Public Polytechnics in South West Nigeria
Authors: Adekunle Akeem , Oke Tunde Dayo
Published: January 2023

The study examined the emotional intelligence and administrative effectiveness of HODs in public Polytechnics in South West, Nigeria. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested at .05 confidence level. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised all the 394 HODs in all the 18 public owned Polytechnics in South West Nigeria. The sample size comprised 197 HODs selected from 11 public Polytechnics using stratified and non-proportionate sampling techniques. Self-designed 25 items validated and reliable instrument, r = .89 titled “Emotional Intelligence and Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire” (EIAEQ) was used for data collection. Data analysis was done using multiple Regression Analysis and Analysis of Variance. The result showed that emotional intelligence indicators jointly predicted HODs administrative effectiveness in the following descending order: self-awareness, social-awareness, relationship awareness, and self- management significantly predicted HODs administrative effectiveness and that there was no statistically significant sex difference on emotional intelligence of HODs in polytechnics in South West, Nigeria. The result further showed that gender was not statistically significant on administrative effectiveness as male HODs did not differ significantly from their female counterparts on administrative effectiveness. It was recommended inter alia that the appointment of HODs should be democratized to enable members of the department to have opportunity of assessing the emotional intelligence level of the aspiring HODs.
Operation management of rural banks of local government in the emerging market: An assessment of agency conflict or social responsibility
Authors: Widiyanto Widiyanto , Thomas Partono , Yulianto Arief , Nuryana Ita , Nurkhin Ahmad
Published: January 2023

Rural banks with local government ownership as majority shareholders aimed to increase public welfare and earn profits. state-owned banks (also state-owned enterprises (SOEs)) also have agency conflict, which may increase due to increased political content. Post-merger and acquisition (Post-M&A) due to the COVID-19 pandemic increases rural bank risk in lending. The research objective is to determine the impact of increased risk on rural bank lending. Data were collected from 32 annual reports of rural banks in Indonesia. Documentation was used to collect the data. Loan deposit ratio (LDR) is the dependent variable, the risk is the independent variable, and capital adequacy ratio (CAR), net profit margin (NPM), and return on equity (ROE) as the control variables. The technique of analyzing data is an analysis of covariance. The result show banks with below average risk have a greater difference (0.0393) than above average risk (0.0347). Another result indicates that LDR is not determined by the bank’s health or the business risk of the debtor. Government demands through financing in local government, and it ignores risks and produces risk-taking behavior of managers. The government, as the majority shareholder, has a more effective monitoring role. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) oriented to society demand has been produced from rural banks owned by the government.
Racismo y discriminación en comunidades afrodescendientes del Pacífico Sur de Colombia
Authors: Martínez Roa Omar Gerardo
Published: January 2023

El artículo propone un acercamiento a los sentidos sociales y políticos del racismo y las desigualdades en las memorias de las comunidades afrodescendientes del municipio de Tumaco y del sur de la región del Pacífico de Colombia, entre el surgimiento del movimiento étnico-político de las comunidades negras en el Pacífico, a comienzos de los 90, y la llegada de actores armados y organizaciones del narcotráfico a inicios del siglo XXI. El abordaje, realizado desde una etnografía crítica, pone en diálogo testimonios de líderes locales con algunas prácticas excluyentes de los actores empresariales, sociales, institucionales y militares que llegaron al territorio. Se observa la persistencia de un racismo multidimensional que acentúa las condiciones de desigualdad social de estas comunidades.
Competencia desleal vinculada a la propiedad industrial: caracterización desde el régimen jurídico andino y colombiano
Authors: Zapata Flórez Jonathan
Published: January 2023

El Tribunal de Justicia de la Comunidad Andina es la autoridad jurisdiccional encargada de interpretar las normas andinas, su interpretación es vinculante para los órganos internos de los países miembros debido a los principios de supranacionalidad y aplicación directa del derecho andino. La Decisión 486 del 2000 consagra de manera genérica el concepto de competencia desleal vinculado a la propiedad industrial, por lo que en este artículo se presenta una reconstrucción doctrinal del mismo a partir de las interpretaciones prejudiciales del Tribunal Andino y de la doctrina de la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio de Colombia para, finalmente, proponer puntos de integración entre ambas. Este artículo sintetiza los resultados de una investigación cualitativa de enfoque dogmático apoyada en un análisis de bibliografía especializada, y concluye que ambas doctrinas deben ser integradas para poder cumplir de forma adecuada con los principios del derecho andino.
Protección de los secretos empresariales en el régimen andino
Authors: García Emilio
Published: January 2023

La protección de secretos empresariales en el régimen andino tiene especiales características que se derivan de la coexistencia de la regulación contenida en la Decisión 486 de 2000, Régimen Común Andino de Propiedad Industrial con las normas internas expedidas por los países miembros a través de estatutos de competencia desleal. La aplicación de estas normas en conjunto ha implicado una jurisprudencia que se nutre de las interpretaciones prejudiciales del Tribunal de Justicia de la Comunidad Andina, de las decisiones de las entidades especializadas de carácter administrativo como la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio de Colombia (en adelante SIC) con facultades jurisdiccionales, el INDECOPI en Perú y la Superintendencia de Control del Poder de Mercado en Ecuador (en adelante SCPM), estas últimas que aplican un trámite administrativo para declarar y sancionas las conductas desleales y finalmente, del superior jerárquico que conoce de la segunda instancia. Esta investigación examina los aspectos característicos de la regulación, las decisiones administrativas y la jurisprudencia de los órganos competentes de los países andinos en la materia.
Entrevista a Jorge Duany
Authors: Vélez Velandia Daniel Francisco
Published: January 2023

Entrevista a Jorge Duany
Bienvenido Fidel
Authors: Barrera Tyszka Alberto
Published: January 2023

En 1989, en la toma de posesión de la segunda presidencia de Carlos Andrés Pérez en Venezuela, la asistencia de Fidel Castro detonó una controversia en el país. Un grupo de intelectuales y artistas publicó un remitido en la prensa, dando una bienvenida elogiosa y devocional al dictador cubano. El autor de este ensayo fue uno de esos firmantes y, dos décadas después, intenta encontrar razones para entender por qué lo hizo. En este trabajo libre, se retoma la polémica histórica del “caso Padilla”, evento crucial en el nexo de la Revolución Cubana con los intelectuales del mundo, así como algunas de las reflexiones que -sobre el tema de la relación entre intelectualidad y totalitarismos- tuvieron algunos pensadores en el siglo XX: Arendt, Kolakowski y Steiner dejando abierta, al final, la interrogante sobre si es posible superar la polarización política en contextos urgentes como Latinoamérica, donde todavía reina la desigualdad, la pobreza y la impunidad.
Omics Analysis Unveils the Pathway Involved in the Purple Coloration in Tomato Seedling and Fruits
Authors: He Rui , Liu Kaizhe , Zhang Shuchang , Ju Jun , Hu Youzhi , Li Yamin , Liu Xiaojun , Liu Houcheng
Published: January 2023

The purple tomato variety ‘Indigo Rose’(InR) is favored due to its
bright appearance and abundant anthocyanins. SlHY5 is associated
with anthocyanin biosynthesis in ‘Indigo Rose’ plants. However, residual
anthocyanins still present in Slhy5 seedlings and fruit peel
indicated there was an anthocyanin induction pathway that is independent
of HY5 in plants. The molecular mechanism of color formation in ‘Indigo
Rose’ and Slhy5 mutants is unclear. In this study, we performed
omics analysis to clarify the regulatory network underlying coloration
in seedling and fruit peel of ‘Indigo Rose’ and Slhy5 mutant.
Results showed that the total amount of anthocyanins in both seedling
and fruit of InR were significantly higher than those in Slhy5
mutant and most genes associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis exhibited
higher expression levels in InR, suggesting that SlHY5 play
pivotal roles in flavonoid biosynthesis both in tomato seedlings and
fruit. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) results revealed that SlBBX24 physically
interacts with SlAN2-like and SlAN2, while SlWRKY44 could interact with
SlAN11 protein. Unexpectedly, both SlPIF1 and SlPIF3 were found to
interact with SlBBX24, SlAN1 and SlJAF13 by yeast two-hybrid assay.
Suppression of SlBBX24 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) retarded
the purple coloration of the fruit peel, indicating an important role of
SlBBX24 in the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation. These
results deepen the understanding of purple color formation in tomato
seedling and fruits in an HY5-dependent or independent manner via
excavating the genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis based on omics
analysis.
Emerging role of jasmonic acid in woody plant development
Authors: Zhu Fu-Yuan , Bao Yun-Jing , Chen Mo-Xian , Zhang Youjun , Fernie Alisdair R. , Zhang Jianhua , Huang Bao-Xing , Cao Fu-Liang
Published: January 2023

Jasmonic acid (JA) is an important phytohormone in optimizing plant
developmental growth and stress responses. The biosynthesis and
signalling pathways of JA share common and unique features between
herbaceous and woody plants. However, numerous reports have primarily
focused on JA function in model plant species or herbaceous plants,
leading to a notable lack of research on the JA regulatory mechanism in
woody plants. In particular, the role of Jas in posttranscriptional
regulation events such as alternative splicing (AS), has largely not
been elucidated in trees. In this review article, we summarize the
current progress of JA-involved regulation of developmental growth in
different tree species. Along with an accumulating number of studies
revealing that AS participates in the JA regulatory network in woody
plants, we also update the multiple roles served by JA associated with
similar properties and differential regulation within their herbaceous
counterparts. The utilization of genetic studies and high-throughput
proteogenomic approaches to analyse AS genes and splicing factors
involved in JA signalling would further advance our understanding of JA
modulation in woody plants.
Three steps to strengthen confidence in connectivity models
Authors: Riordan-Short Eamon , Pither Jason , Pither Richard
Published: January 2023

Maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity is considered a global
imperative to help reverse the decline of biodiversity. To be
successful, practitioners need to be guided by connectivity modeling
research that is rigorous and reliable for the task at hand. However,
the methods and workflows within this rapidly growing field are diverse
and few have been rigorously scrutinized. We propose three procedural
steps that should be consistently undertaken and reported on in
connectivity modeling studies in order to improve rigour and utility:
(1) describe the type of connectivity being modeled, (2) assess the
uncertainty and sensitivity of model parameters, and (3) validate the
model outputs, ideally with independent data. We reviewed the literature
to determine the extent to which studies included these three steps. We
focused on studies that generated novel landscape connectivity outputs
using circuit theory. Among 181 studies meeting our search criteria,
39% communicated the type of connectivity being modeled and 18%
conducted some form of sensitivity or uncertainty analysis (or both).
Only 19% of studies attempted to validate their connectivity model
outputs and only 7% used fully independent data. Our findings highlight
a clear need and opportunity to improve the rigour, reliability, and
utility of connectivity modeling research. At a minimum, researchers
should be transparent about which, if any, of these three steps were
undertaken. This will help practitioners make more informed decisions
and ensure limited resources for connectivity conservation and
restoration are allocated appropriately.
Research of Acupuncture for Neuropathic Pain from 2002 to 2022: a Bibliometric Analysis via VOSviewer
Authors: LI Wenxuan , HU Li , WU Caiqin , LI Kunpeng
Published: January 2023

Background: Acupuncture, as a non-drug therapy, has been an effective
and safe treatment for neuropathic pain (NP). However, a bibliometric
analysis of the global use of acupuncture for NP is rare. Objective:
This study aimed to demonstrate the state and trend of the global use of
acupuncture for NP in recent 20 years. Method: Publications relating to
acupuncture for NP were retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) database.
Reviews were specifically excluded from this study. Vosviewer1.6.16 was
used to analyse countries/institutions, cited journals, authors / cited
authors, cited references, and keywords. Statistics and centrality
analysis were used to reveal publication output, countries/institutions,
core journals, active authors, foundation references, hot topics, and
frontiers. Results: A total of 868 articles were obtained from the WoS
database. The number of publications has increased over the last two
decades. China was the most productive among countries or regions in the
field. Journal articles were the most frequently occurring document
type. Kyung Hee University was the most active institution. The six main
types of NP using acupuncture treatments were peripheral neuropathy,
carpal tunnel syndrome, trigeminal neuralgia, spinal cord, postherpetic
neuralgia, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Conclusion:
Publications about NP treated with acupuncture had remarkably increased
from 2002 to 2022. This study provided an in-depth perspective for
research on acupuncture for NP and provides researchers with valuable
information to determine the current status, hot spots, and frontier
trends.
Psychopathy, pain, and pain empathy: A psychophysiological study
Authors: Alshukri Sophie , Lyons Minna , Blinkhorn Victoria , Muñoz Luna , Fallon Nicholas
Published: January 2023

Aims: The present study examined whether people higher in psychopathy
experienced less self-reported and psychophysiological pain than people
lower in psychopathy. We also examined via self-reports and
psychophysiological measures whether psychopathy affects empathy for
others’ pain. Method: Three hundred and sixty-nine students (18-78
years; M = 26, SD = 9.34) were screened for psychopathic traits, and
stratified sampling was used to recruit 49 adults residing in the
highest (n = 23) and lowest (n = 26) 20% of the psychopathy spectrum.
Using skin conductance response (SCR) and self-report measures,
participants responded to directly experienced pressure pain and
observing others’ pain images. Results: People higher in psychopathy
self-reported feeling less physical pain compared to people lower in
psychopathy, however, we did not find any differences in SCR to physical
pain. High psychopathy group displayed lower SCR to viewing other
people’s pain compared to low psychopathy. Additionally, high
psychopathy group self-reported less empathy to other people’s pain
compared to low psychopathy group. Discussion: Our results suggest that
psychopathic traits relate to problems with empathising with others’
pain as well as rating pain as feeling less intense. Additionally, a
lack of awareness to ones’ body sensations may underlie emotional
impairments in psychopathy. We suggest psychopathy interventions for
empathy should focus on recognising and empathising with pain.
The method of images revisited: Approximate solutions in wedge-shaped aquifers of arbitrary angle
Authors: Nikoletos Iraklis A , Katsifarakis Konstantinos L
Published: January 2023

This paper focuses on deriving new approximate analytical solutions in
wedge-shaped aquifers. The proposed methodology is applicable to any
type of aquifer namely, leaky, confined and unconfined, under both
steady state and transient flow conditions. By applying the method of
images and seperating the flow field into sections using physical
arguements, analytical expressions are obtained for the drawdown
function. In contrast to the conventional theory, the proposed solutions
are applicable to arbitrary wedge angle. Comparison of the results of
the derived approximate analytical solutions to numerical ones, is
considered necessary to ensure its validity. MODFLOW, a well-known
numerical tool is used to calculate the numerical results. The results
indicate that the boundary conditions are fully observed, the drawdown
is feasible to be calculated at any point of the real flow field
(continuity of the drawdown function) and discrepancies compared to
numerical results are considered negligible. The main advantage of the
proposed procedure is that it can be easily used in conjunction with
meta-heuristic algorithms to solve groundwater resources optimization
problems.
Nucleation of laboratory earthquakes: quantitative analysis and scalings
Authors: marty samson , Schubnel Alexandre , Bhat Harsha S , Aubry Jérôme , Eiichi Fukuyama , latour Soumaya , Nielsen Stefan , Madariaga Raul
Published: January 2023

Decades of seismological observations have highlighted the variability
of foreshock occurrence prior to natural earthquakes, making thus
difficult to track how earthquakes start. Here, we report on three
stick-slip experiments performed on cylindrical samples of Indian
metagabbro under upper crustal stress conditions (30-60 MPa). Acoustic
emissions (AEs) were continuously recorded by 8 calibrated acoustic
sensors during the experiments. Seismological parameters of the detected
AEs (-8.8 <= Mw <= -7 ) follow the scaling law
between moment magnitude and corner frequency that characterizes natural
earthquakes. AE activity always increases towards failure and is found
to be driven by along fault slip velocity. The stacked AE foreshock
sequences follow an inverse power-law of the time to failure (inverse
Omori), with a characteristic Omori time c inversely proportional to
normal stress and nucleation length. AEs moment magnitudes increase
towards failure, as manifested by a decrease in b-value from
~ 1 to ~ 0.5 at the end of the
nucleation process. During nucleation, the averaged distance of
foreshocks to mainshock continuously decreases, highlighting the fast
migration of foreshocks towards the mainshock epicenter location, and
stabilizing at a distance from the latter compatible with the predicted
Rate-and-State nucleation size. Finally, the seismic component of the
nucleation phase is orders of magnitude smaller than that of its
aseismic component, which suggests that foreshocks are the byproducts of
a process almost fully aseismic. Seismic/aseismic energy release ratio
continuously increases during nucleation, which starts as a fully
aseismic process and evolves towards a cascading process.
Direction selectivity of the retinotectal system of fish: Findings based on microelectrode extracellular recordings of the tectum opticum
Authors: Damjanovic Ilija , Aliper Alexey , Maximov Paul , Zaichikova Alisa , Gacic Zoran , Maximova Elena
Published: January 2023

Vision in fish plays an important role in different forms of visually guided behavior. The visual system of fish is available for research by different methods; it is a convenient experimental model for studying and understanding the mechanisms of vision in general. Responses of retinal direction-selective (DS) ganglion cells (GCs) are recorded extracellularly from their axon terminals in the superficial layers of the tectum opticum (TO). They can be divided into three distinct groups according to the preferred directions of stimulus movement: caudorostral, dorsoventral and ventrodorsal. Each of these groups comprises both ON and OFF units in equal proportions. Relatively small receptive fields (3-8?) and fine spatial resolution characterize retinal DS units as local motion detectors. Conversely, the responses of direction-selective tectal neurons (DS TNs) are recorded at two different tectal levels, deeper than the zone of retinal DS afferents. They are characterized by large receptive fields (up to 60?) and are indifferent to any sign of contrast, i.e., they can be considered as ON-OFF-type units. Four types of ON-OFF DS TNs preferring different directions of motion have been recorded. The preferred directions of three types of DS TNs match the preferred directions of three types of DS GCs. Matching the three preferred directions of ON and OFF DS GCs and ON-OFF DS TNs has allowed us to hypothesize that the GCs with caudorostral, ventrodorsal and dorsoventral preferences are input neurons for the corresponding types of DS TNs. On the other hand, the rostrocaudal preference in the fourth type of DS TNs, recorded exclusively in the deep tectal zone, is an emergent property of the TO. In this review, our findings are compared with the results of other authors examining direction selectivity in the fish retinotectal system.
“Well… if the professor told you so… who am I to disagree?”. The impact of academia on community knowledge and a strategy from the archive
Authors: Félix Pedro
Published: January 2023

The impact of academia on cultural heritage is yet to be scrutinised. The intangible cultural heritage (ICH) constitutes a particularly fragile domain because it is so open to the influence of researchers and bodies of reputation, such as the experts hired for the production of a diplomatic file such as the UNESCO candidacy. In the beginning of the article I offer the institutional overview of ICH and its Portuguese subsidiary. In the second part of the article I detail the Eu?ropean project HeritaMus and its underlying conceptual framework, which was designed to document ICH and tangible cultural assets, creating a simple tool for cooperative curation involving members of the fado community.
Managing Karadeniz music archive (KARMA): Foundations, improvements, and current applications
Authors: Akat Abdullah , Nural Özgün
Published: January 2023

KARMA, founded in Trabzon (T?rkiye) in 2011, brings together audio-visual archival materials from the Black Sea hinterland. The goal of this article is to pro?mote the epistemological and institutional background and actions of KARMA with its short history, objectives, and current applications for digital preservation. In this context, we will present how KARMA adapts Latour?s actor-network theory, Deleuze and Guattari?s rhizome, and Akat's focus strategy model. We will also stress the importance of both micro and macro perspectives in order to understand the music cultures of the region through historical collections and new connections.
Audiovisual media in public ethnomusicology and education: A Sardinian experience
Authors: Lutzu Marco
Published: January 2023

In recent decades, audiovisual media has been increasingly used in ethnomusicological research. If we consider how scholars use them, four main areas of application can be identified: 1) data analysis, 2) documentary films, 3) public ethnomusicology, 4) educational use. This article presents some audiovisual products on traditional instrumental and vocal music as well as improvised sung poetry in Sardinia (Italy) on which I have worked over the last few years - including the visual representation of musical and poetic forms, and also audiovisual products for exhibitions, museums and multimedia encyclopaedias. My aim is to discuss the role played by ethnomusicologist in conceiving new strategies for the visual representation of the music of oral tradition in different productive contexts and audiovisual outputs.
(Re)examining the relationship between music and dance from the perspective of learning and memorizing folk dance choreography
Authors: Krasin-Matic Maja
Published: January 2023

This article contributes to the study of the relationship between music and dance through the elaboration of questions such as: how music and dance coexist in the perception of the performer; whether dance is always inseparable from music or it becomes independent from it in formal learning conditions; whether music influences learning and memorising the choreography of the folk dance. Incorporating aspects of cognitive research into the study fields of ethnomusicology and ethnochoreology creates fertile ground for (re)examining previous opinions about the relationship between music and dance, as well as the need for future interdisciplinary research of the process of learning and remembering choreography as an art form.
Animalsnas sacrifices in the Serbian annual calendar
Authors: Djuric Dragana
Published: January 2023

In ritual practice, which is the part of the celebration of annual holidays,
Serbs usually choose different types of animals. Thus, a pig is most often
sacrificed on Christmas, on St. George?s Day - a lamb, on St. Elijah - a
rooster, on St. Mrata - chicken, etc. The ritual slaughter of a certain
animal, which is carried out by the wider community on a certain day of the
year, in the Bulgarian-Macedonian-Serbian area is known as kurban. The
paper discusses which animal species are sacrificed on a particular holiday
in the annual calendar. Regional variations or parallels were also observed
(cases of sacrificing the same species on different holidays). Attention was
paid to the way the animal was treated before the act of sacrifice, then the
rite of sacrifice itself was analyzed (who performs it, in what place, at
what time, in what way), as well as its purpose. Also, later procedures with
the sacrificed animal were analyzed and the role that is given to certain
parts of the animal?s body (head, shoulder, bones, feathers, legs) in folk
beliefs, and especially their usage in magical practice. The corpus of
research consists of monographs, studies and scientific papers on the folk
culture of the Balkan Slavs.
Connecting puzzle pieces: Systematic literature review method in the social sciences
Authors: Visic Maroje
Published: January 2023

A systematic literature review is a desk-based research method that sums up
the best available research on a specific question using a rigorous and
verifiable methodology. This paper aims to discuss and analyse stages of
conducting SLR in the social sciences, from a formulation of a research
question, protocol development, literature search, screening, quality
assessment, data extraction and synthesis to writing review findings.
Research in the social sciences differs from research in biomedicine and the
author makes the necessary adjustments to make this method more closely
suited to the particularities of the social sciences.