bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“We shall have gone to a higher standard”: Training village heath teams (VHTs) to use a smartphone-guided intervention to link older Ugandans with hypertension and diabetes to care
Authors: Mugisha Joseph Okello , Seeley Janet
Published: June 2020

Background: It is not clear whether village health teams (VHTs) can be empowered to participate in interventions to prevent and control hypertension and diabetes in older adults in Uganda. We conducted this study in rural Uganda to establish the experiences of VHTs in managing older adults with health problems, their knowledge of hypertension and diabetes and their understanding of referral systems. We also explored their experiences with smartphones and whether VHTs could be effectively trained to use a smartphone-guided intervention to link older adults with hypertension and diabetes mellitus to care.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with and trained 20 VHTs randomly selected from Bukulula sub-county in Kalungu district from October 2017-December 2018. We used interview guides to explore topics relevant to our study objectives. VHTs were trained to measure blood sugar and blood pressure using digital machines. VHTs were trained on identifying symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Data from IDIs were analysed using thematic content analysis. Competence tests were used to evaluate the training.

Results: Most of the VHTs were female (75%). All VHTs had some knowledge on hypertension and diabetes and other chronic diseases. They did not have any experience in treating older adults since they had been trained to deal mainly with children. Half of the VHTs owned smartphones. All were willing to participate in an intervention using a smartphone to link older adults with hypertension and diabetes mellitus to care. By the end of the training, all but three participants could comprehend the symptoms of diabetes and measure blood sugar and blood pressure.

Conclusion: Village health teams in the study setting need training in managing the health needs of older adults before engaging with an intervention using smartphones to link older adults with diabetes mellitus and hypertension to care.
COVID-19 IDD: A global survey exploring the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers
Authors: Linehan Christine , Araten-Bergam Tal , Beadle-Brown Julie , Bigby Christine , Birkbeck Gail , Bradley Valerie , Brown Michael , Bredewold Femmianne , Chirwa Masauso , Kanova Sarka , Kroll Thilo , MacLachlan Mac , Narayan Jayanthi , Nearchou Finiki , Nolan Adam , O'Donovan Mary-Ann , Santos Flavia H. , Siska Jan , Tideman Magnus , Tossebro Jan
Published: June 2020

Background: This protocol outlines research to explore the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Evidence suggests that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience disparities in healthcare access and utilisation. This disparity was evident early in the pandemic when discussions arose regarding the potential exclusion of this population to critical care.

Methods: An anonymous online survey will be conducted with caregivers, both family members and paid staff, to explore the impact of COVID-19 on this population in terms of demographics, living arrangements, access to services, the impact of social distancing, and also carer wellbeing. The survey will be developed by the research team, many of whom are experts in intellectual disability within their own jurisdictions. Using back-translation our team will translate the survey for distribution in 16 countries worldwide for international comparison. The survey team have extensive personal and professional networks in intellectual disability and will promote the survey widely on social media with the support of local disability and advocacy agencies. Statistical descriptive and comparative analyses will be conducted. Ethical approval has been obtained for this study from University College Dublin’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HS-20-28-Linehan).

Dissemination: Study findings will be prepared in a number of formats in order to meet the needs of different audiences. Outputs will include academic papers, lessons learned paper, practice guidelines, reports, infographics and video content. These outputs will be directed to families, frontline and management delivering disability services, national-level policy makers, healthcare quality and delivery authorities, national pandemic organisations and international bodies.
Stroke - diagnosis and treatment methods
Authors: Ręba Patrycja
Published: June 2020

IntroductionStroke is a very serious health problem. Its typical consequences include chronic physical and mental disability, more than half of all patients who survived stroke are dependent, depending on the help of other people even in everyday activities. Stroke is the death of parts of this organ as a result of stopping the blood supply to the brain tissue. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Aim The aim of the study is to analyze treatment methods and diagnose stroke.Material and method Review of available literature on the subject.ResultsIschemic stroke (about 4/5 of stroke cases) occurs when an artery supplying some part of the brain with blood becomes obstructed, i.e. blood does not flow through it or it flows from insufficient amount so that brain cells receive as much as they need. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of narrowing or blockage of the artery. Hemorrhagic stroke (about 1/5 of stroke cases) occurs as a result of a cerebral artery wall rupture and blood spilling out of the vessel, as a result of which the blood does not reach the brain tissue in the area supplied by the ruptured artery. The blood escaping from the damaged vessel destroys the surrounding nervous tissue and causes an increase in pressure inside the skull, which disrupts the functioning of the entire brain. Hemorrhagic strokes are divided into intracerebral hemorrhages andsubarachnoid hemorrhage.According to the World Health Organization, around 15 million cases of stroke are diagnosed worldwide each year. Of this group, approximately 5 million die and another 5 million suffer from permanent disability. ConclusionsAnyone suspected of having a stroke should be taken to hospital immediately and under specialist medical care. Stroke is a medical emergency and the chances of recovery are greater the sooner treatment is started. Stroke, as the most important cause of chronic disability, is a disease that heavily burden the budget of healthcare systems.
Ultrastructural features of blood cells in HIF-1α gene variations in specialists of extreme conditions
Authors: Moiseyenko E. V. , Rozova K. V.
Published: June 2020

The peculiarities of changes in the ultrastructure of blood cells due to personalized variations of the HIF-1α gene under hypoxic loading (breathing by gas mixture with reduced oxygen content up to 12% and achieving hypoxic state during heavy physical training on bicycle ergometer) were conducted.It was shown that allelic polymorphism of the HIF-1α gene influence on hypoxic-induced changes in the ultrastructure (and therefore function) of blood cells - the C / C genotype of winterers indicates their greater adaptive capacity compared to the C / T genotype that lies in the increasing the number of δ-granules in platelets, and reducing the number of α-granules and tubules of the inner skeleton. Such changes primarily indicate an increase in serotonin depot and therefore, indirectly, an increase in the contractile activity of the vascular wall, which may serve as a marker of the formation of adaptive reaction in response to hypoxic effects and stress. This is also indicated by the moderate swelling of mitochondria with an increase in their average diameter by 31%, which is considered to be a sign of an increase in the energy capacity of the mitochondrial apparatus in order to replenish ADP and ATP reserves for the further inclusion of adaptive responses. Hypoxic loading in winterers with C / T-genotype led to overstressing of platelet function with decrease in contractile activity of the vascular wall.The number of mitochondria in leukocytes significantly increased (by 24%) in winterers with C / C genotype; not only mitochondrial morphogenesis was activated, but also dynamic processes, in particular the association of organelles with pronounced longitudinal association and / or the formation of bridges between mitochondria. These facts are considered as an indicator of information exchange in the cell mitochondrial apparatus. In leukocytes of winterers with C / T genotype, changes in the mitochondrial apparatus were of a different nature: there were clear signs of hypoxic damage of organelles and the total percentage of structurally altered mitochondria exceeded 21%.
Medical staff morality
Authors: Litvak A. I. , Mykhaylenko V. L. , Fedorchenko R. A.
Published: June 2020

The medical help is considered to be full when medical staff not only use medical and diagnostic technology properly, but also follow the ethical rules. The research showed questionnaire to be a good method of diagnostic for both medical staff ethical potential and the individual employee's one. The scale for assessing group ethical preferences is considered to be effective also. The data resulted in a high level of ethical values and behaviour for only every eleventh respondent include. The majority of respondents, more than two-thirds, showed an average level and one of five - showed a low ethical level, mainly due to the low ethics of males. The ethical learning is an urgent and indispensable task of the medical environment in public professional organizations. The ethical trainings for different social groups (as males, females doctors and the medical staff) should be distinctively different in content and occurred in each medical organisation annually. The medical ethics has become a professional competence factor of medical staff and it should be taken care of, both the public and administrators, heads of medical institutions at all levels of government.
Cardioprotective use of melatonin causes gender-specific changes of vegetative cardiac control in a setting of constant illumination
Authors: Bezkorovaina H. O. , Klishch I. M. , Khara M. R.
Published: June 2020

The aim of the work was to assess gender-specific differences in vegetative cardiac control with development of myocardial necrosis in a setting of constant illumination and use of melatonin. An experiment in mature laboratory breed albino rats of either sex simulated abnormal lighting regime. The simulation included keeping the animals for 10 days under constant illumination of 500 lux. On Day 11, myocardial necrosis (MN) was modeled by administering adrenaline (0.5 mg/kg intramuscularly); a follow-up electrocardiography was performed at 1 hour and 24 hours later to assess for heart rhythm variability. A half of animals was given melatonin 1 hour prior to MN modeling (5 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The animals kept under day/night balance were used as controls. The results have shown constant illumination to cause gender-specific changes in effects of vegetative nervous system on formation of heart rhythm in rats; the activity of the parasympathetic component increased in females and decreased in males. In females, the development of adrenaline-induced myocardial necrosis in a setting of constant illumination was accompanied by changes in cardiac interval (cardiointervalography) findings. The development of these changes with time was identical to that in day/night balance, with a more pronounced activity of the parasympathetic component and a synergetic enhancement of the sympathetic component. When exposed to constant illumination, males had a response different from that in day/night balance; their response to constant illumination was characterized by reduced activity of the parasympathetic component and by predominance of the sympathetic component. Cardioprotective use of melatonin was shown to increase parasympathetic tone compared to day/night balance; in males, this increase was evident at initiation of necrosis and in females, the increase was seen at the peak of necrotic foci formation in the myocardium.
Immunohistochemical studies on lymphocyte subpopulation in endometrium samples in women with infertility
Authors: Chistyakova Guzel , Grishkina Anastasia , Remizova Irina , Melkozerova Oxana , Dankova Irina
Published: June 2020

Uterine leucocytes have been thought to play a key role in endometrial pathology and infertility.The aim of this study was to compare the amount of  CD20+, CD3+, CD56+, CD138+ cells in the endometrium from women with simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia and thin endometrium with the presence of infertility. 95 patients, with simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia, thin endometrium, and women without endometrial pathology (controls) were selected as research subjects. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed on all endometrial biopsies. Immunohistochemical staining for CD20+, CD3+, CD56+, CD138+  cells was applied to all tissue samples. Additionally, the disease histories of patients were collected, were held clinical and laboratory tests. The number of CD20+ cells was higher in 1 group (4,129±0,55) and 2 group (5,872±0,85), compared to fertile patients (1,353±0,16, p<0.05). The ratio of CD3+ cells was higher in women with endometrial hyperplasia (108,871±14,34) and lower in women with a thin endometrium (36,388±3,83), compared to fertile patients (72,848±6,11, p<0.05). The study shows a notable increase of CD138+ in specimens with hyperplasia (19,18±1,2) and thin endometrium (20,81±1.45) compared to fertile patients (1,02±0,5, p<0.05 in both cases), and decreased of CD56-positive cells in stroma (43,4±2,2; 33.6±2.8) and in glands (7,4±1,2; 3.6±1,8) for hyperplasia and thin endometrium respectively compared to control group (51,2±2,5; 14,8±0,9). Women, with endometrial hyperplasia, have larger populations of CD20+, CD3+, and CD138+ and decreased amount of CD56+ in the stroma and glandular cells, as for women with thin endometrium, they have large populations of CD20+ and CD138+ and small of CD3+, CD56+, but bough groups may be at greater risk for infertility disorders resulting from an inflammatory environment occurring during implantation or later during decidualization.
Student’s knowledge of obesity at the Collegium Medicum of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce
Authors: Redziak Kamil Grzegorz
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Obesity is considered to be an epidemic of the XXI century. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of overweight people aged 18 and over in 2016 was 1.9 billion, 650 million of whom were obese. The causes of obesity are mainly due to erroneous eating habits and low levels of physical activity. Obesity is a disease, but it is also a factor causing many diseases, including chronic diseases that can lead to disability and premature death.Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the level of knowledge of students of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce about the causes and effects of obesity.Material and methods: In this work, we used a self-assessment questionnaire to conduct the research. The survey was conducted among students of Collegium Medicum of Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce. The research group consisted of 111 students, including 98 students and 13 students. The respondents lived in both urban and rural areas.Results: The analysis of the collected data shows that the students have knowledge about obesity, know the causes, health effects and show that extensive preventive actions will contribute to reduce the incidence of obesity.Conclusions: Students have a high knowledge of obesity, correctly identifying the causes and methods of diagnosis of obesity. They also have sufficient knowledge of the impact of obesity on health.
„Psy i okaleczeńcy”
Authors: Rambiert-Kwaśniewska Anna
Published: June 2020

„Psy i okaleczeńcy”. Translating Paul’s Invectives against Judaizers (Gal. 3:3; Phil. 3:2) Insults (contumelia) and invectives (invectiva oratio) were known to inspired authors, but their overtones in modern translations usually lose their strength. Should a translator avoid harsh words contained in the original invectives, or should he remain faithful to them? It is shown by analyzing Paul’s invectives in Phil. 3:2 and in Gal. 3:1.3. The author claims that: 1) avoiding the invectives in the translation weakens a message of the original text (Gal. 3:1.3); 2) the translational consistency (“źli pracownicy”; Phil. 3:2) favors understanding of the invectives; 3) the invectives that exist in Polish, when their scope deviates from the Greek original, require clarification in footnotes (“psy”; Phil. 3:2); 4) the multitude of hapax legomena in the Bible justifies the use of neologisms, as long as they accurately reflect the content of the original (“przerzezanie”; Phil. 3:2).
Reflections of research: a blossom pericyte
Authors: Avolio Elisa
Published: June 2020

The annual image competition, Reflections of Research, provides a glimpse into the cutting-edge heart and circulatory research funded by the British Heart Foundation.
Should nasogastric tube insertion during the COVID-19 pandemic be considered as an aerosol-generating procedure?
Authors: Sturrock Beattie RH , Fanning Sinead J , Khan Mansoor , Sajid Muhammad S
Published: June 2020

Nasogastric tubes are used frequently in surgical patients for bowel decompression, provision of enteral nutritional support and preventing aspiration of gastric contents. There is no conclusive research into the risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with nasogastric tube insertion, although evidence from the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak appears to suggest that there is no increased risk of transmission. However, close contact with a COVID-19 patient, especially those displaying respiratory symptoms, is likely to increase the risk of transmission. Nasogastric tube insertion requires increased time spent at a patient's bedside and can also cause pharyngeal irritation, resulting in coughing. In addition, the nasogastric tube can expose the healthcare worker to potentially infectious saliva. Therefore, there is a clear need for increased evidence regarding the risk of transmission associated with nasogastric tube insertion, to ensure that such risks can be mitigated.
Una propuesta conceptual del criterio del mejor interés
Authors: Ramos Pozón Sergio , Robles del Olmo Bernabé
Published: June 2020

El objetivo de este artículo es definir y clarificar el criterio del mejor interés (CMI) como un principio ético para la toma de decisiones por representación. En primer lugar, se exponen algunas propuestas conceptuales como la de Kopelman y Buchanan y Brock. En segundo lugar, analizamos algunas críticas que se han hecho al CMI. Por último, este trabajo responde algunas críticas y hace una propuesta integradora.
Limitación de soporte vital. Cuidados paliativos y final de vida en UCI
Authors: Rubio Sanchiz Olga , Ventura Pascual Lara
Published: June 2020

La misión de los cuidados intensivos es restaurar la situación basal de salud libre de discapacidad severa atendiendo al principio bioético de beneficencia, respetando la dignidad y voluntad del paciente de ser tratado lo que vendría a ser atender al principio bioético de autonomía, y realizando todo esto de una forma adecuada a la mejor evidencia actual, justa y sostenible atendiendo a los principios de no maleficencia y de justicia. Cuando no es posible es cuando los profesionales tienen la obligación ética de iniciar un diálogo de manera respetuosa y prudente con el  paciente y/o la familia y el resto de profesionales implicados (atención primaria, enfermería, especialistas...etc.) de cara a llegar a un consenso sobre limitar los tratamientos de soporte vital y/o adecuar  los cuidados y continuar el tratamiento con un plan terapéutico de cuidados dirigidos al confort, control de síntomas y a mejorar la calidad de vida (Plan de cuidados paliativos) para preservar la dignidad del paciente, evitar el sufrimiento y proporcionar un tratamiento compasivo de soporte y acompañamiento durante el proceso de muerte si se diera el mismo atendiendo al paciente y a la familia con el máximo cuidado y respeto en un marco de humanización de la salud. Atender de forma excelente el final de la vida significa dignificar a las personas que están pasando por ese proceso, aportar un valor extraordinario de humanidad y debe ser un objetivo prioritario actual en nuestro quehacer diario en las unidades de cuidados intensivos.
Buenas prácticas, tensiones y desafíos ético-deontológicos en la evaluación psicológica forense del maltrato y abuso sexual infantil
Authors: Juárez José Ramón , Lira Mendiguren Gonzalo
Published: June 2020

La evaluación psicológica forense del maltrato y del abuso sexual ha sido abordada prioritariamente desde una perspectiva técnico-metodológica. La consideración de los aspectos ético-deontológicos implicados ha resultado más incipiente y comienzan gradualmente a integrarse como una dimensión relevante de la práctica profesional. El presente artículo explora las principales tensiones y desafíos para los psicólogos que realizan evaluaciones forenses en esta materia. Se revisan cómo los principios rectores de la bioética se adaptan a la realidad de las evaluaciones forenses que permiten orientar el desarrollo de buenas prácticas en el área.
637. Generación 19S. Cartografía afectiva del sismo del 19 de septiembre 2017 en la ciudad de México
Authors: Boudreau Julie Anne , Castro Reséndiz Carlos Arturo , Mejía López Evelyn Guadalupe , Romero Tonalli
Published: June 2020

A través de cartografía narrativa y participativa se registra la memoria de las acciones de jóvenes brigadistas posteriores al sismo del 19 de septiembre de 2017 en la ciudad de México. A partir de la tipología de acciones, las redes de organización, trayectorias individuales y colectivas de las brigadas, los efectos emotivos de la experiencia de ser voluntarios, y los cambios en el uso de la ciudad posteriores al sismo permiten llevar a cabo un análisis de la construcción subjetiva de los jóvenes, un análisis comparativo con la generación anterior que vivió el sismo de 1985, y también una primera aproximación del impacto socio político derivado de la participación de la población civil. Se sugiere que la acción voluntaria tras el terremoto ha permitido reconstruir simbólicamente la ciudad porque la acción de los jóvenes en lugares específicos ha producido nuevos lugares emocionales, así como sujetos políticos. Construir lugares significa construir la ciudad, una forma prefigurativa y emergente de acción política en un mundo donde la cultura urbana es dominante.
Public Art in Urban Regeneration. Piotrkowska street. Pride of a city: Łódź
Authors: Remesar Antoni
Published: June 2020

La calle Piotrkowska es el centro de Łodz. Un eje continuo de más de 4 km que atraviesa el territorio de norte a sur. Una larga calle comercial dividida en dos secciones claramente diferenciadas. El primerodesde la plaza Wolności hasta Centrum Piotrkowska (aprox. 2 km y sección transversal entre 16 y 24 m).El segundo desde Centrum Piotrkowska hasta la plaza Niepodległości (aprox. 2,2 km y sección transversalentre 25 y 30 m). Desde el principio, la calle fue el eje central alrededor del cual se desarrolló la ciudad, y su desarrollo dio espontáneamente la forma actual a su centro.En la segunda sección de la calle, circulan los tranvías y, a pesar de tener algunas instalaciones patrimoniales importantes como la “Fábrica Blanca”, la antigua sede de las industrias de Karol Scheibler y hoy sede del Museo Textil Central, no tiene el reconocimiento que el primer tramo.La primera sección de la calle es la que aparece en todas las guías turísticas, es el corazón comercial y cultural de la ciudad, un lugar de encuentro favorito para los residentes y turistas de Łódź. Aquí se realizanfestivales, conciertos, eventos deportivos, fiestas y ferias.La calle Piotrkowska sigue siendo el buque insignia de los procesos de regeneración urbana en Łódź, junto con Manufaktura, y el mega proyecto de regeneración urbana Nowe Centrum, con la nueva estación centralde la ciudad, el complejo cultural EC1 y la expansión del campus de la Universidad de Łódź. Territorio en el que debía desarrollarse la Expo 2022 que finalmente se celebrará en Buenos Aires.El proceso de regeneración urbana de Piotrkowska incorpora claramente una estrategia de arte público. La particularidad de esta estrategia radica en su contenido, específicamente aquellos que proponen,manifiestan o enfatizan el “orgullo de la ciudad”.
Edge-enhanced optical parametric generation in periodically poled LiNbO3
Authors: Prytz Nicklas Bjärnhall , Qvarngård Daniel , Härkönen Antti , Guina Mircea , Gallo Katia
Published: June 2020

We demonstrate enhanced optical parametric gains occurring at the edge of periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) regions. Experiments performed in MgO-doped PPLN samples, pumped at 532 nm with parametric signal outputs around 800 nm and 1550 nm, exhibit good agreement with numerical simulations of the nonlinear wave dynamics in the system, based on the assumption of an average refractive index increase Δn = 5.3×10−5 in the PPLN region. Excitation in proximity to the PPLN edge with a pump power of 8.1 mW results in a 3.6-fold output power increase with respect to parametric generation inside the PPLN area.
Multiwavelength membrane laser array using selective area growth on directly bonded InP on SiO2/Si
Authors: Fujii Takuro , Takeda Koji , Nishi Hidetaka , Diamantopoulos Nikolaos-Panteleimon , Sato Tomonari , Kakitsuka Takaaki , Tsuchizawa Tai , Matsuo Shinji
Published: June 2020

The cost and power consumption of optical transmitters are now hampering further increases in total transmission capacity within and between data centers. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on silicon (Si) photonics with wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technologies are promising solutions. However, due to the inefficient light emission characteristics of Si, incorporating III-V compound semiconductor lasers into PICs via a heterogeneous integration scheme is desirable. In addition, optimizing the bandgap of the III-V material used for each laser in a WDM transmitter becomes important because of recent strict requirements for optical transmitters in terms of data speed and operating temperature. Given these circumstances, applying a direct-bonding scheme is very difficult because it requires multiple bonding steps to bond different-bandgap III-V materials that are individually grown on different wafers. Here, to achieve wideband WDM operation with a single wafer, we employ a selective area growth technique that allows us to control the bandgap of multi-quantum wells (MQWs) on a thin InP layer directly bonded to silicon (InP-on-insulator). The InP-on-insulator platform allows for epitaxial growth without the fundamental difficulties associated with lattice mismatch or antiphase boundaries. High crystal quality is achieved by keeping the total III-V layer thickness less than the critical thickness (430 nm) and compensating for the thermally induced strain in the MQWs. By carrying out one selective MQW growth, we successfully fabricated an eight-channel directly modulated membrane laser array with lasing wavelengths ranging from 1272.3 to 1310.5 nm. The fabricated lasers were directly modulated at 56-Gbit/s with pulse amplitude modulation with four-amplitude-level signal. This heterogeneous integration approach paves the way to establishing III-V/Si WDM-PICs for future data-center networks.
Modelling and Simulation for Preclinical Cardiac Safety Assessment of Drugs with Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Kügler Philipp
Published: June 2020

As a potentially life threatening side effect, pharmaceutical compounds may trigger cardiac arrhythmias by impeding the heart’s electrical and mechanical function. For this reason, any new compound needs to be tested since 2005 for its proarrhythmic risk both during the preclinical and the clinical phase of the drug development process. While intensive monitoring of cardiac activity during clinical tests with human volunteers constitutes a major cost factor, preclinical in vitro tests with non cardiac cells and in vivo tests with animals are currently under serious debate because of their poor extrapolation to drug cardiotoxicity in humans. For about five years now, regulatory agencies, industry and academia are working on an overhaul of the cardiac drug safety paradigm that is built a) on human heart muscle cells, that can be abundantly bioengineered from donor stem cells without ethical concerns (human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes, hiPSC-CMs), and b) on computational models of human cardiac electrophysiology both at the cellular and the organ level. The combined use of such human in vitro and human in silico models during the preclinical phase is expected to improve proarrhythmia test specificity (i.e. to lower the false-positive rate), to better inform about the need of thorough heart monitoring in the clinic, and to reduce or even replace animal experiments. This review article starts by concisely informing about the electrical activity of the human heart, about its possible impairment due to drug side effects, and about hiPSC-CM assays for cardiac drug safety testing. It then summarizes the mathematical description of human cardiac electrophysiology in terms of mechanistic ODE and PDE models, and illustrates how their numerical analysis may provide insight into the genesis of drug induced arrhythmias. Finally, this paper surveys proarrhythmic risk estimation methods, that involve the simulation of human heart muscle cells, and addresses opportunities and challenges for future interdisciplinary research.
Hate speech and political media discourse in Nigeria: The case of the Indigenous People of Biafra
Authors: Chiluwa Innocent , Taiwo Rotimi , Ajiboye Esther
Published: June 2020

The study adopts approaches in linguistics and critical discourse analysis to interpret media speeches and public statements of the Biafra secessionist movement leader, Nnamdi Kanu, as hate speech. The study shows that hate speech in discourses produced by the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra appears as language aggression, such as insults and verbal attacks, as well as threats. Discourse structures such as the use of interrogation and metaphor also appear in the hate narratives. Compared with the Rwandan case, the study argues that hate speech could result in similar incitement and violence. While hate speech caused genocide in Rwanda, it did not work in Nigeria, largely because of the division among the Biafra campaigners and the Igbo political elite about the Biafra independence campaign.
Redistribution and recognition: An analysis of gender in/equality discourse on Nigerian female blogs
Authors: Dikwal-Bot Diretnan
Published: June 2020

This article examines the dynamics of representation between cultural and economic forms of gender inequality on Nigerian female blogs. Through a thematic analysis of 253 comments retrieved from five female-authored blogs, I draw on prominent cases of gender inequality in Nigeria, such as ‘President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on his wife’ and the ‘rejection of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill’. The analysis showed that blog discussions among females in Nigeria suggest extensive intolerance to cultural change, especially in comparison to the more positive attitude towards redistribution. To tackle this complexity, I argue that gender equality advocacy in Nigeria should commence mainly from a redistributive standpoint. This needs to be accompanied by the ulterior aim of achieving recognition. Overall, the study contests the idea that identity politics is threatening to replace the issue of redistribution on the global political agenda by highlighting the primacy of redistributive politics in blog discourse. It enriches media studies and gender research by providing rare insight into the practical connections between cultural and economic politics of gender inequality in an online discursive context.
The Media, European Integration and the Rise of Euro-journalism, 1950s–1970s, Martin Herzer (2019)
Authors: Ojala Markus
Published: June 2020

Review of: The Media, European Integration and the Rise of Euro-journalism, 1950s–1970s, Martin Herzer (2019)

London: Palgrave Macmillan, 357 pp.,

ISBN 978-3-03028-777-1, h/bk, €82.49, ISBN 978-3-03028-778-8, e/bk, €64.19
Espacios rurales en transformación desde territorios de las energías en Argentina
Authors: Nogar Ada Graciela
Published: June 2020

Desde mediados del s. XX los espacios rurales latinoamericanos entendidos como resultantes de vínculos y trayectorias multiescala urbano-rurales, son territorios productivos y consumidos; condicionados por los extractivismos, por los enclaves de lo residual y sometidos a procesos de expansión inmobiliaria. En este entramado de tensiones son revisados como territorios productores de energía con valor agregado en un contexto de crisis energética y cambio climático. Como territorios en tránsito, participan de redes de diferente naturaleza, al tiempo que despliegan estrategias multiescala. ¿Cómo se transforman los espacios rurales en este escenario? El objetivo del artículo es analizar los espacios rurales en un contexto de multipolarización de poderes transnacionales y de profundización de los extractivismos para explicar a partir de investigaciones, su conversión a territorios de las energías. Es decir, revisar las hipótesis acerca de los límites biofísicos, la convivencia de los sistemas productivos/extractivos y las rupturas inducidas. Los análisis cuali-cuantitativo, mediante el análisis de dos casos en Argentina (Río Negro y Buenos Aires), posibilitaron la construcción de síntesis de las realidades estudiadas inscriptas en diferentes contextos témporo-espaciales. Se observan territorios traccionados por poderes deslocalizados en puja por los recursos naturales junto a administraciones que invisibilizan el deterioro y la conflictividad social. Mediaciones que muestran a los espacios rurales como territorios de las energías.
Esophageal pH Capsule Retention
Authors: Aulakh Sabreen , Ashley Sharon , Haas Kelly , Truong Trinh
Published: June 2020

The wireless pH capsule is widely used to evaluate gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients. Common complications include premature capsule detachment, dysphagia, chest pain, and technical malfunctions. We present a 6-year-old boy who presented to our institution with a 2-day history of coffee-ground emesis. A pH capsule was found to be lodged in his distal esophagus 45 days after initial placement. We explore the possible reasons for capsule retention and briefly discuss the safety implications of this finding because we believe that this complication may be underreported.
Islamic Education System in Singapore: Current Issues and Challenges
Authors: Rahman Abdul , Warsah Idi , Murfi Ali
Published: June 2020

Although Singapore cannot be used as a model for global Islamic education, this country has quite several madrasahs. The Singapore government is also quite responsive in providing support for the continuation of Islamic education activities. This study aims to analyze the Islamic education system—madrasah management and curriculum in Singapore. Most importantly, this study identifies how the role of madrasahs in the Singapore education system is. The study in this paper is qualitative. This study uses library research, and the method of content analysis and constant comparative analysis becomes the first option of the writer. The results show that Singapore's Islamic Ugama Majlis (MUIS) plays a significant role in monitoring and managing the development of Islamic education in Singapore, which performs three types of Islamic education, Part-Time Education, Full Time Education, and Islamic Study Program for the Community. MUIS created a special curriculum by proposing the Singapore Islamic Education System (SIES) by introducing the ALIVE curriculum. The role and relevance of madrasahs cannot be underestimated or dismissed because the growing Muslim community and society will always need the right channels for real Islamic education regardless of how progressive or modern it is. This paper provides a broad view of madrasah in Singapore and looks at management, curriculum, and the role of madrasahs.
Islamic Boarding School and the Deradicalization Efforts of Islamic Education in Madura
Authors: Saleh M Nurul Ikhsan , Nudin Burhan , Khusaini Khusaini , Alim Puji , Putri Ida Ayu
Published: June 2020

Deradicalization has become a priority agenda of Islamic education studies in the last few decades. This study aims to comprehensively understand the efforts to deradicalize Islamic Education conducted by the Annuqayah Islamic boarding school in Madura, East Java, Indonesia. Researchers used qualitative methods with a case study. Data collection was done through in-depth interviews, documentation studies, and observations. The results of this study found ten efforts at deradicalization conducted by Annuqayah Islamic boarding school, i.e. (1) Reactualization of learning resources; (2) Strengthening anti-radicalism; (3) Increasing literacy and discussion skills; (4) Strengthening the spirits of nationalism; (5) Promoting the principle of wasathiyah (moderatism); (6) Applying the theological concept of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama’ah (the group who perform the sunnah); (7) Initiating anti-radicalism curriculum; (8) Implementing progressive manhaj; (9) Formulating halaqa (meetings) with ulama; and (10) Empowering friendship and brotherhood. The implications of this research provided considerations in evaluating the curriculum, teaching materials, and teaching and learning process to support the creation of Islamic education institutions that promote peace, non-violence, and rahmatan lil alamin.
Clinical features in adult multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Koprivnik Matej , Hojs Fabjan Tanja
Published: June 2020

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to identify possible correlations between the quality of life, neurological disability, and functional ability in patients with multiple sclerosis.Methods: 258 patients with multiple sclerosis were included in the cross-sectional study. They were assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Timed 25-Foot Walk Test (T25-FW), the 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT-3) and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Inferential statistics were used.Results: A positive correlation between the EQ-VAS and the BBS (r = 0.43, p < 0.01 ) and the PASAT-3 (r =¸0.19, p < 0.01), and a negative correlation between the EQ-VAS and the T25FW (r = –0.42, p < 0.01) and the 9-HPT (r = –0.40, p < 0.01) were shown. A negative correlation was also observed between the EDSS and the BBS (r = –0.77, p < 0.05) as well as the EDSS and the PASAT-3 (r = –0.25, p < 0.01), and a positive correlation between the EDSS and the 9 HPT (r = 0.67, p < 0.01) and the T25-FW (r = 0.80, p < 0.01).Discussion and conclusion: Associations between the variables indicate the need for complex, personalized and rational monitoring of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Konversi Limbah Plastik Menjadi Bahan Bakar
Authors: Helmy Baharudin , Windarta Jaka , Giovanni Erick Hardian
Published: June 2020

Pertumbuhan ekonomi saat ini sangat tergantung pada energi fosil seperti minyak bumi, gas alam, atau batubara. Ada banyak alternatif untuk pengganti energi fosil seperti biomassa, tenaga air, energi matahari dan energi angin. Selain itu aspek penting lainnya adalah strategi alternatif pengelolaan limbah. Perkembangan dan modernisasi membawa perubahan besar dalam produksi semua jenis komoditas, yang secara tidak langsung menghasilkan limbah. Plastik telah menjadi salah satu bahan untuk berbagai aplikasi karena fleksibilitas dan biaya yang relatif murah. Makalah ini menyajikan skenario konsumsi plastik saat ini dengan tujuan agar pembaca dapat melakukan analisis tentang teknik daur ulang limbah plastik padat. Daur ulang dapat dibagi ke dalam empat kategori: primer, sekunder, tersier, dan kuater. Karena nilai kalor plastik setara dengan bahan bakar fosil, maka plastik ini menjadi alternatif bahan bakar yang lebih baik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membahas metode mengubah plastik menjadi bahan bakar dengan metode pirolisis, degradasi katalitik, serta gasifikasi.
Functional divergence and adaptive selection of KNOX gene family in plants
Authors: Meng Lingyan , Liu Xiaomei , He Congfen , Xu Biyao , Li Yaxuan , Hu Yingkao
Published: June 2020

KNOTTED-like homeodomain (KNOX) genes are transcriptional regulators that play an important role in morphogenesis. In the present study, a comparative analysis was performed to investigate the molecular evolution of the characteristics of theKNOXgene family in 10 different plant species. We identified 129KNOXgene family members, which were categorized into two subfamilies based on multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree reconstruction. Several segmental duplication pairs were found, indicating that different species share a common expansion model. Functional divergence analysis identified the 15 and 52 amino acid sites with significant changes in evolutionary rates and amino acid physicochemical properties as functional divergence sites. Additional selection analysis showed that 14 amino acid sites underwent positive selection during evolution, and two groups of co-evolutionary amino acid sites were identified by Coevolution Analysis using Protein Sequences software. These sites could play critical roles in the molecular evolution of theKNOXgene family in these species. In addition, the expression profiles ofKNOXduplicated genes demonstrated functional divergence. Taken together, these results provide novel insights into the structural and functional evolution of theKNOXgene family.
MiR-223-3p regulates cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells by targeting RHOB
Authors: Li Shufang , Feng Yuping , Huang Yuxia , Liu Yu , Wang Yanxi , Liang Yan , Zeng Hui , Qu Hong , Wei Ling
Published: June 2020

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer with a high fatality rate in men and women worldwide. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in NSCLC. MiR-223-3p was proved to act as a promoter in NSCLC progression. However, the regulatory mechanism of miR-223-3p in NSCLC remains little known. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism between miR-223-3p and its target gene Ras homolog family member B (RHOB) in NSCLC. The mRNA level of miR-223-3p and RHOB was measured by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Furthermore, cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Flow cytometry was conducted to analyze cell apoptosis. Transwell assays and wound healing assay were employed to examine migration and invasion. The target relationship between miR-223-3p and RHOB was predicted by starBase online database and verified by dual-luciferase assay. The protein level of RHOB was tested by western blot. Our data suggested that miR-223-3p was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines and high level of miR-223-3p contributed to a poor survival in NSCLC patients. Knockdown of miR-223-3p exerted inhibitory effects on NSCLC cell viability, migration, and invasion and promotion effect on cell apoptosis. Furthermore, RHOB was directly targeted by miR-223-3p and constrained NSCLC progression. Moreover, knockdown of RHOB rescued the effect of anti-miR-223-3p on NSCLC progression. In vivo experiments indicated that miR-223-3p deletion suppressed tumor growth. MiR-223-3p could regulate the NSCLC cellular processes through targeting RHOB.
Eccentricity based topological indices of siloxane and POPAM dendrimers
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Azhar , Imran Muhammad , Zaighum Muhammad Asad
Published: June 2020

A massive of early drug tests indicates that there is some strong inner connections among the bio-medical and pharmacology properties of nanostar dendrimers and their molecular structures. Topological descriptors are presented as fundamentally transforming a molecular graph into a number. There exist various categories of such descriptors particularly those descriptors that based on edge and vertex distances. Topological descriptors are exercised for designing biological, physico-chemical, toxicological, pharmacologic and other characteristics of chemical compounds. In this paper, we study infinite classes of siloxane and POPAM dendrimers and derive their Zagreb eccentricity indices, eccentric-connectivity and total-eccentricity indices.
Towards an Anxiety-Buffer Disruption Approach to Depression: Attachment Anxiety and Worldview Threat Heighten Death-Thought Accessibility and Depression-Related Feelings
Authors: Mikulincer Mario , Lifshin Uri , Shaver Phillip R.
Published: June 2020

Introduction: In two studies, we tested an anxiety-buffer disruption approach to depression, examining the effects of attachment insecurities, worldview threat, and death concerns on depression-related feelings.

Method: In both studies, Israeli undergraduates reported on their attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance), were exposed to a worldview threat or a no-threat condition, and then rated their current level of depression-related feelings.

Results: In Study 1 (N = 124), we also measured death-thought accessibility and found that a worldview threat (versus no-threat) heightened death-thought accessibility and depression feelings only among participants scoring relatively high on attachment anxiety, and that death-thought accessibility mediated the effects of worldview threat and attachment anxiety on feelings of depression. In Study 2 (N = 240), we randomly assigned participants to a mortality salience or a control condition and found that heightened death concerns caused more depression only when a worldview threat was present and participants' attachment anxiety was high.

Discussion: The roles that disruption of anxiety buffering systems and death-related concerns play in depression were discussed.
Joint Speech and Its Relation to Joint Action
Authors: Russo Frank A.
Published: June 2020

In his article “The Territory Between Speech and Song: A Joint Speech Perspective,” Cummins (2020) argues that research has failed to adequately recognize an important category of vocal activity that falls outside of the domains of language and music, at least as they are typically defined. This category, referred to by Cummins as joint speech, spans a range of vocal activity so broad that it is not possible to define it using musical or phonetic terms. Instead, the feature that draws the varied examples together is vocal activity that is coordinated across participants and embedded in a physical and social context. In this invited commentary, I argue that although joint speech adds an important thread to the discourse on the relations between speech and song by putting an emphasis on the collective, it is ultimately related to a wider class of joint action phenomena found in the animal kingdom.