bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility role of soluble HLA-G and HLA-G 14-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Abdul-Hussein Sarah S. , Ali Ekhlass N. , Alkhalidi Nawal M. F. , Zaki Neihaya H. , Ad’hiah Ali H.
Published: December 2020

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. It is fundamentally related to a dysregulated immune response in the intestinal mucosa against microbiota in genetically predisposed individuals. Among the genetic and immunological factors that are suggested to have role in etiology and pathogenesis of IBD are human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G molecules. Therefore, soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) serum level and genetic association with HLA-G 14-bp insertion (Ins)/deletion (Del) polymorphism was analyzed in 100 IBD patients; 50 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 50 Crohn’s disease (CD), and 100 controls.

Results

sHLA-G level was significantly elevated in IBD patients compared to controls (174.7 ± 27.1 vs. 126.8 ± 15.1; corrected probability [pc] < 0.001). The level was also elevated in UC patients compared to CD patients but the difference was not significant (180.5 ± 27.1 vs. 168.9 ± 26.3; p = 0.059). Receiver operating characteristic analysis confirmed the significance of sHLA-G in total IBD, UC, and CD patients (area under curve = 0.944, 0.961, and 0.927, respectively). The genetic association was analyzed under five genetic models (allele, recessive, dominant, overdominant, and codominant). At the allele level, Del allele frequency was significantly increased in total IBD patients (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27–2.94; pc = 0.018) and CD patients (OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.23–3.54; pc = 0.042) compared to controls. Among UC patients, a similar increased frequency was observed, but the pc value was not significance (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.07–3.00; p = 0.031). At the genotypic level, Del/Del genotype was associated with a significantly increased IBD-risk in total patients under codominant model (OR = 4.06; 95% CI = 1.56–10.56; pc = 0.024). sHLA-G level was not influenced by the Ins/Del polymorphism.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated a significant increase in serum level of sHLA-G in UC and CD patients. Further, HLA-G 14-bp Ins/Del polymorphism may be associated with susceptibility to IBD, particularly CD.
Teaching and Learning Science through Multiple Representations: Intuitions and Executive Functions
Authors: Hansen Janice , Richland Lindsey Engle
Published: December 2020

The results presented here provide new recommendations for helping students make connections across visual representations of science concepts. It was found that comparing diagrams of processes such as mitosis and meiosis leads to better learning than when they are presented separately. At same time, instructors tend to believe others learn better from visual representations presented separately.
Renal Artery Aneurysm Due to Fenestration of a Branch of the Renal Artery: A Case Study
Authors: Karashima Shigehiro , Kometani Mitsuhiro , Aono Daisuke , Higashitani Takuya , Nishimoto Yuya , Konishi Seigoh , Demura Masashi , Takeda Yoshiyu , Yoneda Takashi
Published: December 2020

Artery fenestration is a congenital vascular malformation, often of the intracranial arteries, that causes an aneurysm. However, there have been no reports of artery fenestration causing renal aneurysm. We present the case of a 58-year-old man who developed renin-dependent hypertension. He was aware of heaviness of the head, and his blood pressure was 196/134 mm Hg on 5 mg of amlodipine. Laboratory tests showed hypokalemia, hyperreninemia, and hyperaldosteronemia. An enhanced 3-dimensional computed tomography scan showed a 19-mm renal aneurysm in a branch of the left renal artery, and renal arteriography showed a fenestration in the aneurysm-forming branch. Coil embolization was performed on the central side of the artery forming the aneurysm and fenestration, after which blood pressure, serum potassium, and plasma renin levels improved. The patient in the present case had renin-dependent hypertension as a result of decreased renal blood flow caused by the renal aneurysm and fenestration, which is considered an extremely rare etiology of hypertension.
Efetividade do uso de capas em reservatórios de água para prevenção de Aedes aegypti
Authors: Figueiredo Maria Aparecida Araújo , Da Silva Gerluce Alves Pontes , Monteiro Jorge Luiz , Maia Zuinara Pereira Gusmão
Published: December 2020

Introdução: a intermitência ou deficiência da oferta de água pode ser considerada uma condição de vulnerabilidade para a reprodução do Aedes aegypti. Objetivo: avaliar a efetividade do uso de capas para proteção de reservatório de água, como estratégia de controle do Aedes aegypti. Metodologia: estudo de intervenção não controlado, realizado entre os anos 2015 e 2016, em um bairro do município de Riachão do Jacuípe, localizado na macrorregião centro-leste do estado da Bahia, Brasil. A coleta de dados aconteceu em quatro momentos: visita inicial para avaliação da necessidade de capas e pesquisa de larvas nos reservatórios existentes, seguida de três visitas para monitoramento e inspeção dos reservatórios de água beneficiados com as capas protetoras. O tratamento químico foi aplicado, quando necessário. As visitas foram realizadas durante nove meses, com intervalos de 45 a 60 dias. O estudo foi aprovado pelo CEP/UNEB, Parecer número 1.066.424, CAAE 33095114.0.0000.0057. Resultados: foram pesquisados 273 reservatórios de água (capacidade de 200L, 250L, 500L e 1000L) destes, 87,2% permaneceram com as capas em todas as três visitas de monitoramento. Entre os que apresentaram larvas de mosquitos, incluindo Aedes aegypti, 55,6% não apresentavam capa ou estavam dispostas de maneira inadequada. Observou-se, também, incremento de positividade da presença de larvas entre aqueles que se encontravam com capas colocadas, adequadamente, no momento da visita. Conclusão: a aplicação de capas de poliéster em reservatórios de água como estratégia de controle vetorial pode não ser efetiva se não ocorrer uma vigilância constante sobre o uso correto.
Is vitamin D a modifiable risk factor for dental caries?
Authors: Dodhia Serena A. , West Nicola X. , Thomas Steven J. , Timpson Nicholas J. , Johansson Ingegerd , Lif Holgerson Pernilla , Dudding Tom , Haworth Simon
Published: December 2020

Background: Prior observational studies have reported that higher levels of vitamin D are associated with decreased caries risk in children. However, these studies are prone to bias and confounding so do not provide causal inference. Genetic variants associated with a risk factor of interest can be used as proxies, in a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, to test for causal association with an outcome. The objective was to estimate the causal association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) (the commonly measured vitamin D metabolite in blood) and dental caries using a MR approach which estimates the causal effect of an exposure on an outcome.

Methods: A total of 79 genetic variants reliably associated with 25(OH)D were identified from genome-wide association studies and used as a proxy measure of 25(OH)D. The association of this proxy measure with three outcome measures was tested; specifically: caries in primary teeth (n=17,035, aged 3-12 years), caries in permanent teeth in childhood and adolescence (n=13,386, aged 6-18 years), and caries severity in adulthood proxied by decayed, missing and filled tooth surfaces (DMFS) counts (n=26,792, aged 18-93 years).

Results: The estimated causal effect of a one standard deviation increase in natural log-transformed 25(OH)D could be summarized as an odds ratio of 1.06 (95%CI: 0.81, 1.31; P=0.66) for caries in primary teeth and 1.00 (95%CI: 0.76, 1.23; P=0.97) for caries in permanent teeth in childhood and adolescence. In adults, the estimated casual effect of a one standard deviation increase in natural log-transformed 25(OH)D was 0.31 fewer affected tooth surfaces (95%CI: from 1.81 fewer DMFS to 1.19 more DMFS; P=0.68)

Conclusions: The MR-derived effect estimates for these three measures are small in magnitude with wide confidence intervals and do not provide evidence against the null hypothesis of no effect.
CLINICAL OBSERVATION OF UNTREATED SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS WITH INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS AND FATAL OUTCOME
Authors: Barieva B.
Published: December 2020

Among rheumatic diseases, a special place is occupied by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), this is due to its variety of clinical nonspecific manifestations, which leads to diagnostic difficulties in the early stages.This article presents a clinical case of severe SLE, previously not diagnosed and untreated, with the rapid progression of multiple organ failure (damage to the lungs, cardiovascular system, kidneys), which led to death. Previously, the patient was treated in the oncology and surgical departments with an abscess of the omental bursa and steatopancreonecrosis, later she was hospitalized in the hematology department with three-growth pancytopenia and hemolytic anemia, and from there transferred to the rheumatology department. This clinical situation demonstrates the importance of timely diagnosis, diagnosis and treatment of SLE.
CHROMATOGRAPHY AND MASS SPECTROMETRY OF CHLOROFORM EXTRACT OF YARROW (ACHILLED MILLEFOLIUM L. COMMON DANDELION) (message III)
Authors: Hadarcev Aleksandr , Suhih G. , Platonov V. , Volochaeva M. , Dunaev V. , Frankevich V. , Datieva Fatima
Published: December 2020

The purpose of the study is to detail the information about the peculiarities of the chemical composition and structural organization of different groups of compounds of organic matter, yarrow, revealing the influence of nature of the extractant on the qualitative composition and quantitative content of extractable compounds in the obtained chloroform extract, and identifying new pharmacological actions of the latter, the extension of the range of compounds already known in the literature on herbal medicine. Materials and methods of research. The chemical composition of the chloroform extract was studied by chromatography-mass spectrometry under the following conditions. The chemical composition of the ethanol extract of yarrow was used by chromatography-mass spectrometry under the following conditions. GC-2010 gas chromatograph connected to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer GCMS-TQ-8030 running GCMS Solution 4.11 software. Identification and quantitative determination of the content of compounds were performed under the following chromatography conditions: sample input with flow division (1:10), ZB-5MS column (30m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 mm), injector temperature 280 °C, carrier gas-helium, gas velocity through the column 29 ml/min. Conclusion. For the first time, the chemical composition of chloroform extract, a product of sequential exhaustive extraction of yarrow by chromatography —  mass spectrometry, was studied, which allows identifying 94 individual compounds for which mass spectra and structural formulas were obtained, the quantitative content was determined, and the structural and group composition of the extract was calculated. The basis of the composition of the chloroform extract is determined by hydrocarbons enriched with arenes, alkenes and alkynes, esters formed mainly by oxalic and benzoic acids, polyunsaturated fatty carboxylic acids, steroid compounds, alcohols, nitrogen-containing structures that include individual fragments of natural alkaloids, as well as a variety of organosilicon compounds that determine the main directions of pharmacological action of various yarrow preparations, including chloroform extract.
La Segunda Crónica Anónima de Sahagún: Estructura, redacción y correcciones de un texto.
Authors: Reglero de la Fuente Carlos Manuel
Published: December 2020

La Segunda Crónica Anónima de Sahagún narra las disputas entre el monasterio y el concejo de Sahagún por la jurisdicción de la villa entre 1229 y 1255. Se compone de sendas crónicas de cuatro abades y de dos prólogos, el primero sobre Alfonso VI y el segundo sobre los precedentes en el siglo XII de esta querella. Este artículo analiza varios aspectos de su contenido y lenguaje a partir del manuscrito más antiguo conocido –de mediados del siglo XV– para estudiar su proceso de redacción. Fue compuesta por uno o varios autores, en latín, en varias fases desde mediados del siglo XIII, luego traducida al castellano y, finalmente, corregido su estilo en el siglo XV, primero por el copista del manuscrito más antiguo y luego por otros monjes en la segunda mitad de siglo. En
este largo proceso sufrió alteraciones e interpolaciones que no desvirtúan su valor
como fuente histórica.
Front Matter: Volume 1
Authors: Hájek Petr , Vít Ondřej
Published: December 2020

This PDF file contains the front matter of the Proceedings of CBU in Proceedings of CBU in Economics and Business Volume 1 including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and Conference Committee listing.
Front Matter: Volume 1
Authors: Hájek Petr , Vít Ondřej
Published: December 2020

This PDF file contains the front matter of the Proceedings of CBU in Proceedings of CBU in Medicine and Pharmacy Volume 1 including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and Conference Committee listing.
Multidimensional poverty in Kolkata’s slums: towards data driven decision making in a medium-sized NGO
Authors: Lange Maurice
Published: December 2020

Calcutta Rescue (CR) is a medium-sized NGO based in Kolkata, India that focuses on supporting the residents of the city’s slums. In 2019, CR launched its first multidimensional poverty survey seeking to understand the degree to which, and in what ways, the populations they work with were deprived. It was hoped that this would also contribute to the measurement of the impact of their interventions. This piece introduces and discusses the composition of the survey and the data collection method. It then presents some of the results, and discusses how they are informing, and will inform, CR’s work.
New images of thought: on two kinds of speculative realism
Authors: Kleinherenbrink Arjen
Published: December 2020

Speculative realism is a major element of the recent speculative turn in the humanities. The four original speculative realist philosophers are united in their rejection of correlationism. Correlationism implies that there can be no knowledge of reality beyond knowledge of how human beings happen to experience reality. This article reconstructs the main tenets of correlationism and the consequences for research once it gains axiomatic status. It then discusses the four original speculative realists and explores the consequences of adapting their respective theories, rather than a correlationist perspective, as guiding frameworks for research. It turns out that two of these theories – Grant’s naturephilosophy and Meillassoux’s speculative materialism – are ‘non-interventionist’ in that they do not prescribe any significant changes to current practices in fields beyond philosophy. Conversely, Harman’s object-oriented ontology and Brassier’s eliminativist nihilism are highly ‘interventionist’ in that they explicitly prescribe significant (though very different) changes to a variety of fields.
Sandstorm effect on experimental optical camera communication
Authors: Matus Vicente , Guerra Victor , Zvanovec Stanislav , Rabadan Jose , Perez-Jimenez Rafael
Published: December 2020

Sandstorms can severely affect the reliability of outdoor optical wireless communications (OWC) by diminishing large regions’ visibility. In this work, the effect of a real sandstorm on optical camera communications (OCC) links is experimentally evaluated. Two link ranges are essayed using a cost-efficient telescope-based camera setup with commercial LEDs. Using on–off keying modulation, a data rate of 1035 and 630 bps with error probabilities of

9.14
⋅

10

−
5

and

4.1
⋅

10

−
3

for 100 m and 200 m, respectively, can be achieved. The signal-to-noise ratio of the links was optimized by tuning the analog amplifier’s gain of the camera, increasing it by up to 9 dB. It is shown that scattering due to the sandstorm can even be beneficial for increasing the data rate in OCC (contrary to classical photodetector-based OWC links), thanks to an increment of 33% on the region of interest dimensions compared to the expected clear air link.
Optimization method of manufacturing for diamond turning soft-brittle materials’ harmonic diffractive optical elements
Authors: Gao Xiang , Xue Changxi , Chao Yang , Liu Yue
Published: December 2020

Single-point diamond turning is a high-efficiency, low-cost method for manufacturing harmonic diffractive optical elements (HDOEs). Generally, in order to ensure high diffraction efficiency of HDOEs, a half-round tool is used to reduce surface-relief profile errors and a super small feed rate is selected to control surface roughness when hard-brittle materials are turning. However, this method is no longer suitable for soft-brittle materials, which have a strict requirement for the range of the feed rate. It limits the types of materials available for HDOEs. Therefore, according to the range of the feed rate and the cutting depth for soft-brittle materials, an optimized turning model is proposed in this paper. It overcomes the high surface roughness caused by the half-round tool; meanwhile, the advantage of the half-round tool is kept in terms of surface-relief profile errors. On this basis, a mathematical model is proposed to reveal the relationship among diffraction efficiency, period widths, tool radius, and feed rate with different soft-brittle optical materials. As a typical soft-brittle material, barium fluoride (

B
a
F

2

) was selected to be the material for manufacturing HDOEs. By using the optimized model, the turning experiment of

B
a
F

2

HDOEs was completed, and then the

B
a
F

2

HDOEs with

R
a

=
2.75

n
m

were obtained. The optimized model is verified to be effective and further provides theory guidance and engineering application in the optical manufactory field of soft-brittle materials for HDOEs. The range of application materials for HDOEs is enriched, and the freedom of advanced optical design is broadened.
Effect of scattering anisotropy on the properties of photon density waves
Authors: Luchinin Alexander G. , Kirillin Mikhail Yu.
Published: December 2020

The frequency characteristics of spherical photon density waves excited in media with different degrees of scattering anisotropy are studied. Statistical modeling of the frequency and phase responses of the spatial irradiance of the light field emitted by a point-sized isotropic source were performed employing the Monte Carlo technique. The scattering anisotropy of the medium was determined by the Henyey–Greenstein phase function with different values of the mean scattering cosine. It is shown that the scattering anisotropy factor determines the frequency range, in which the effect of the photon path length distribution on the magnitude of the photon density wave dispersion is maximal. In media with quasi-isotropic scattering, dispersion effects are manifested at lower frequencies as compared to those for anisotropic media. The simulation results are compared with the analytical solution for the asymptotic regime of the light field in an isotropically scattering medium.
Modified rigorous coupled-wave analysis for grating-based plasmonic structures with a delta-thin conductive channel: far- and near-field study
Authors: Lyaschuk Yurii M. , Kukhtaruk Serhii M. , Janonis Vytautas , Korotyeyev Vadym V.
Published: December 2020

The modified rigorous coupled-wave analysis technique is developed to
describe the optical characteristics of the plasmonic structures with
the grating-gated delta-thin conductive channel in the far- and
near-field zones of electromagnetic waves. The technique was applied
for analysis of the resonant properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures
combined with a deeply subwavelength metallic grating, which
facilitates the excitation of the two-dimensional plasmons in the
terahertz (THz) frequency range. The convergence of the calculations
at the frequencies near the plasmon resonances is discussed. The
impact of the grating’s parameters, including filling factor and
thickness of the grating, on resonant absorption of the structure was
investigated in detail. The spatial distributions of the
electromagnetic field in a near-field zone were used for the
evaluation of total absorption of the plasmonic structures separating
contributions of the grating-gated two-dimensional electron gas and
the grating coupler.
Continuous variable tripartite entanglement and steering using a third-order nonlinear optical interaction
Authors: Peña-Armendáriz Tarek , Ramírez Alarcón Roberto , Rosales-Zárate L. E. C.
Published: December 2020

Nonlinear optical devices are very useful for generating entanglement. One proposal for the generation of genuine tripartite entanglement [Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 043601 (2018)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.120.043601] is to use a third-order nonlinear optical interaction. Here, we investigate a generalization of this, where we consider the quantum nature of all modes; moreover, we also investigate quantum steering, which is a stronger and asymmetric non-local correlation. We show that the final state presents not only tripartite continuous variable entanglement but also tripartite steering.
Computation of canting errors in heliostats by flux map fitting: experimental assessment
Authors: Sánchez-González Alberto , Grange Benjamin , Caliot Cyril
Published: December 2020

In solar tower plants, thousands of heliostats reflect sunlight into a central receiver. Heliostats consist of a subset of mirrors called facets that must be perfectly oriented (i.e., canted) to concentrate as much solar radiation as possible. This study presents and validates the so-called flux map fitting technique to detect and correct canting errors. The computed distributions were matched to a series of images through an optimization algorithm. According to the sensitivity analysis, three images spread along a single day provide sufficient information for the algorithm to succeed. Using this methodology, four heliostats at the THEMIS research facility were recanted, thereby substantially increasing the optical quality in three of them. The procedure to infer the heliostat aimpoint was assessed.
Erbium dopants in nanophotonic silicon waveguides
Authors: Weiss Lorenz , Gritsch Andreas , Merkel Benjamin , Reiserer Andreas
Published: December 2020

We perform resonant spectroscopy of erbium implanted into nanophotonic silicon waveguides, finding 1 GHz inhomogeneous broadening and homogeneous linewidths below 0.1 GHz. Our study thus introduces a promising materials platform for on-chip quantum information processing.
5G als Schlüsseltechnologie für mehr Nachhaltigkeit in der Logistik?
Authors: Ruess Patrick , Litauer Rebecca
Published: December 2020

Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird aufgezeigt, wie der Mobilfunkstandard 5G zur ökologischen Nachhaltigkeit im Kombinierten Verkehr beitragen kann. Als Anwendungsbeispiel dient der Einsatz von 5G zur Umsetzung des automatisierten Rangierens auf einem Umschlagsbahnhof im Großraum Ulm. Dem Beitrag liegt die Prämisse zu Grunde, dass Treibhausgasemissionen im schienengebundenen Güterverkehr deutlich geringer ausfallen, als auf dem Verkehrsträger Straße und demnach Rahmenbedingungen geschaffen werden sollten, die eine entsprechende Verlagerung möglich machen. Aus einer quantitativen Datenanalyse des Straßengüterverkehrs auf Basis der Quell-Ziel-Verkehre im Großraum Ulm werden eine mögliche Verkehrsreduktion und CO2-Einsparungen abgeleitet und diskutiert. Zudem werden mögliche Wechselwirkungen durch den Aufbau und den Betrieb der zusätzlichen 5G-Infrastruktur beleuchtet. Um das Verlagerungspotential und die systemischen Effekte des automatisierten Rangierens darzulegen, werden diese entlang von drei What-If-Szenarien beschrieben. Hierbei wird deutlich, dass die relevante Straßengüterverkehrsmenge bereits vollständig durch die geschaffenen Kapazitäten in Szenario 1 abgedeckt werden kann. Mit den weiteren Szenarien wird ein zusätzliches Verlagerungspotential geschaffen. Digitalisierung und Automatisierung nehmen somit die Rolle als „Ermöglicher“ für einen Wechsel auf die Schiene als deutlich emissionsärmeren Verkehrsträger ein. Der Artikel veranschaulicht, dass sich größere Hebeleffekte erzielen lassen, wenn IT nicht allein zur Effizienzsteigerung, sondern zu einem weitreichenderen Systemwechsel eingesetzt wird. Somit wird verhindert, dass positive Effekte schnell wieder von Rebound-Effekten „aufgefressen“ werden.
Mortality and major disease risk among migrants of the 1991–2001 Balkan wars to Sweden: A register-based cohort study
Authors: Thordardottir Edda Bjork , Yin Li , Hauksdottir Arna , Mittendorfer-Rutz Ellenor , Hollander Anna-Clara , Hultman Christina M. , Lichtenstein Paul , Ye Weimin , Arnberg Filip K. , Fang Fang , Holmes Emily A. , Valdimarsdottir Unnur Anna
Published: December 2020

Background

In recent decades, millions of refugees and migrants have fled wars and sought asylum in Europe. The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of mortality and major diseases among migrants during the 1991–2001 Balkan wars to Sweden in comparison to other European migrants to Sweden during the same period.

Methods and findings

We conducted a register-based cohort study of 104,770 migrants to Sweden from the former Yugoslavia during the Balkan wars and 147,430 migrants to Sweden from 24 other European countries during the same period (1991–2001). Inpatient and specialized outpatient diagnoses of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and psychiatric disorders were obtained from the Swedish National Patient Register and the Swedish Cancer Register, and mortality data from the Swedish Cause of Death Register. Adjusting for individual-level data on sociodemographic characteristics and emigration country smoking prevalence, we used Cox regressions to contrast risks of health outcomes for migrants of the Balkan wars and other European migrants. During an average of 12.26 years of follow-up, being a migrant of the Balkan wars was associated with an elevated risk of being diagnosed with CVD (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.34–1.43, p < 0.001) and dying from CVD (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.29–1.62, p < 0.001), as well as being diagnosed with cancer (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08–1.24, p < 0.001) and dying from cancer (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.15–1.41, p < 0.001), compared to other European migrants. Being a migrant of the Balkan wars was also associated with a greater overall risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.14–1.23, p < 0.001), particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (HR 9.33, 95% CI 7.96–10.94, p < 0.001), while being associated with a reduced risk of suicide (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48–0.96, p = 0.030) and suicide attempt (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.51–0.65, p < 0.001). Later time period of migration and not having any first-degree relatives in Sweden at the time of immigration were associated with greater increases in risk of CVD and psychiatric disorders. Limitations of the study included lack of individual-level information on health status and behaviors of migrants at the time of immigration.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that migrants of the Balkan wars faced considerably elevated risks of major diseases and mortality in their first decade in Sweden compared to other European migrants. War migrants without family members in Sweden or with more recent immigration may be particularly vulnerable to adverse health outcomes. Results underscore that persons displaced by war are a vulnerable group in need of long-term health surveillance for psychiatric disorders and somatic disease.
Detection of large extracellular silver nanoparticle rings observed during mitosis using darkfield microscopy
Authors: Zucker Robert M. , Ortenzio Jayna , Degn Laura L. , Boyes William K.
Published: December 2020

During studies on the absorption and interactions between silver nanoparticles and mammalian cells grown in vitro it was observed that large extracellular rings of silver nanoparticles were deposited on the microscope slide, many located near post-mitotic cells. Silver nanoparticles (AgNP, 80nm), coated with citrate, were incubated at concentrations of 0.3 to 30 μg/ml with a human-derived culture of retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) and observed using darkfield and fluorescent microscopy, 24 h after treatment. Approximately cell-sized extracellular rings of deposited AgNP were observed on the slides among a field of dispersed individual AgNP. The mean diameter of 45 nanoparticles circles was 62.5 +/-12 microns. Ring structures were frequently observed near what appeared to be post-mitotic daughter cells, giving rise to the possibility that cell membrane fragments were deposited on the slide during mitosis, and those fragments selectively attracted and retained silver nanoparticles from suspension in the cell culture medium. These circular structures were observable for the following technical reasons: 1) darkfield microscope could observe single nanoparticles below 100 nm in size, 2) a large concentration (108and 109) of nanoparticles was used in these experiments 3) negatively charged nanoparticles were attracted to adhesion membrane proteins remaining on the slide from mitosis. The observation of silver nanoparticles attracted to apparent remnants of cellular mitosis could be a useful tool for the study of normal and abnormal mitosis.
Quality assessment of RNA in long-term storage: The All Our Families biorepository
Authors: Stephenson Nikki L. , Hornaday Kylie K. , Doktorchik Chelsea T. A. , Lyon Andrew W. , Tough Suzanne C. , Slater Donna M.
Published: December 2020

Background

The All Our Families (AOF) cohort study is a longitudinal population-based study which collected biological samples from 1948 pregnant women between May 2008 and December 2010. As the quality of samples can decline over time, the objective of the current study was to assess the association between storage time and RNA (ribonucleic acid) yield and purity, and confirm the quality of these samples after 7–10 years in long-term storage.

Methods

Maternal whole blood samples were previously collected by trained phlebotomists and stored in four separate PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes (PreAnalytiX) between 2008 and 2011. RNA was isolated in 2011 and 2018 using PAXgene Blood RNA Kits (PreAnalytiX) as per the manufacturer’s instruction. RNA purity (260/280), as well as RNA yield, were measured using a Nanodrop. The RNA integrity number (RIN) was also assessed from 5–25 and 111–130 months of storage using RNA 6000 Nano Kit and Agilent 2100 BioAnalyzer. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and response feature analysis using linear regression were used to assess the association between various predictor variables and quality of the RNA isolated.

Results

Overall, RNA purity and yield of the samples did not decline over time. RNA purity of samples isolated in 2011 (2.08, 95% CI: 2.08–2.09) were statistically lower (p<0.000) than samples isolated in 2018 (2.101, 95% CI: 2.097, 2.104), and there was no statistical difference between the 2011 (13.08 μg /tube, 95% CI: 12.27–13.89) and 2018 (12.64 μg /tube, 95% CI: 11.83–13.46) RNA yield (p = 0.2964). For every month of storage, the change in RNA purity is -0.01(260/280), and the change in RNA yield between 2011 and 2018 is -0.90 μ g / tube. The mean RIN was 8.49 (95% CI:8.44–8.54), and it ranged from 7.2 to 9.5. The rate of change in expected RIN per month of storage is 0.003 (95% CI 0.002–0.004), so while statistically significant, these results are not relevant.

Conclusions

RNA quality does not decrease over time, and the methods used to collect and store samples, within a population-based study are robust to inherent operational factors which may degrade sample quality over time.
Sensitivity to social norm violation is related to political orientation
Authors: Désilets Élise , Brisson Benoit , Hétu Sébastien
Published: December 2020

Human behavior is framed by several social structures. In the present study, we focus on two of the most important determinants of social structures: social norms and political orientation. Social norms are implicit models of shared expectations about how people should behave in different social contexts. Although humans are very sensitive to violations in social norms, there are important individual differences in our sensitivity to these violations. The second concept this study focuses on is political orientation that is define by a continuum from left (liberal) to right (conservative). Individual political orientation has been found to be related to various individual traits, such as cognitive style or sensitivity to negative stimuli. Here, we propose to study the relation between sensitivity to social norm violation and political orientation. Participants completed a task presenting scenarios with different degrees of social norm violation and a questionnaire to measure their political opinions on economic and identity issues. Using hierarchical regressions, we show that individual differences in sensitivity to social norm violation are partly explained by political orientation, and more precisely by the identity axis. The more individuals have right-oriented political opinions, the more they are sensitive to social norm violation, even when multiple demographics variables are considered. Our results suggest that political orientation, especially according to identity issues, is a significant factor of individual differences in social norm processing.
Hysterectomies are associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture: A population-based cohort study
Authors: Yeh Ying-Ting , Li Pei-Chen , Wu Kun-Chi , Yang Yu-Cih , Chen Weishan , Yip Hei-Tung , Wang Jen-Hung , Lin Shinn-Zong , Ding Dah-Ching
Published: December 2020

Aim

This study investigated the risk of osteoporosis or bone fractures (vertebrae, hip and others) in hysterectomized women in Taiwan.

Materials and methods

This is a retrospective population-based cohort study from 2000 to 2013. Women aged ≥30 years who underwent hysterectomy between 2000 and 2012 were included in this study. The comparison group was randomly selected from the database with a 1:4 matching with age and index year. Incidence rate and hazard ratios of osteoporosis and bone fracture between hysterectomized women and the comparison group were calculated. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

We identified 9,189 hysterectomized women and 33,942 age-matched women without a hysterectomy. All women were followed for a median time of about 7 years. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of subsequent osteoporosis or bone fracture was higher in the hysterectomy women (2.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.09–2.44) than in the comparison group. In the subgroup analysis, oophorectomy and estrogen therapy increase the risk of osteoporosis or fracture in both groups. Regarding the fracture site, the aHR of vertebral fracture (4.92, 95% CI = 3.78–6.40) was higher in the hysterectomized women than in the comparison group. As follow-up time increasing, the aHR of vertebral fracture in hysterectomized women were 4.33 (95% CI = 2.99–6.28), 3.89 (95% CI = 2.60–5.82) and 5.42 (95% CI = 2.66–11.01) for <5, 5–9 and ≥9 years of follow-up, respectively.

Conclusions

In conclusion, we found that hysterectomized women might be associated with increased risks of developing osteoporosis or bone fracture.
Demography and productivity during the recovery time sequence of a wild edible bamboo after large-scale anthropogenic disturbance
Authors: Katayama Noboru , Kishida Osamu , Miyoshi Chikako , Hayakashi Shintaro , Ito Kinya , Sakai Rei , Naniwa Aiko , Takahashi Hiroyuki , Takagi Kentaro
Published: December 2020

Anthropogenic disturbances in forest management practices can affect wild edible plants. Soil scarification is a large-scale disturbance that may cause long-term reduction in productivity of edible dwarf bamboo, Sasa kurilensis, in northern Japan. For their effective and sustainable use, we need to understand the recovery process after such disturbances. At 14 study sites in the Teshio Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University where soil scarification had been conducted between 2 and 44 years prior, the number and stem diameter of old and young (newly emerged, edible) culms was recorded. At sites that were within 11 years of soil scarification, the proportion of old culms (<11%) was lower than in the control area where soil scarification had never been conducted. At sites where more than 15 years had passed since soil scarification, the relative number of old culms was nearly equal to that in control area. Additionally, the number of young culms increased with an increasing number of old culms. These results suggest that recovery of productivity (in term of number) of edible culms may take a few decades. In contrast, the culm diameter of young culms increased linearly with time since soil scarification, but the 95% confidence interval in this relationship suggests that dwarf bamboo can produce thick edible culms soon after soil scarification. These findings will provide useful insights into how to obtain high quality bamboo culms following anthropogenic disturbances in future.
Patriotism as critique: Youth responses to teaching about injustice
Authors: Parkhouse Hillary
Published: December 2020

The view that patriotism is characterized by unquestioning loyalty to one’s country remains common in the United States despite its anti-democratic implications. From this standpoint, classroom discussions of past and present injustices are a threat to patriotism because they raise doubts about national superiority and exceptionality. Through an ethnographic study in two critical, culturally diverse US history classrooms, I investigated students’ attitudes towards their country and the notion of patriotism. As opposed to fomenting disaffection among students, candid discussions of injustices led students to view their teachers and curriculum as more trustworthy than what they had encountered in prior classrooms. Moreover, they believed that this approach to curriculum was necessary for fostering the type of critical democratic patriotism that they advocated.
Dancing with Parkinson’s, Sara Houston (2019)
Authors: Stancliffe Rebecca
Published: December 2020

Review of: Dancing with Parkinson’s, Sara Houston (2019)

Bristol: Intellect, 203 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78938-120-7, p/bk, £30
WhatsApp audios and the remediation of radio: Disinformation in Brazilian 2018 presidential election
Authors: Kischinhevsky Marcelo , Vieira Itala Maduell , dos Santos João Guilherme Bastos , Chagas Viktor , Freitas Miguel de Andrade , Aldé Alessandra
Published: December 2020

This article brings the results of an investigation into the role of WhatsApp audio messages in the 2018 Brazilian presidential elections, proposing that instant voice messaging borrows elements from radio language. We started from a broader research, conducted by the Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy (INCT.DD, in its Portuguese acronym), which identified a network composed of 220 WhatsApp groups – all of them with open-entry links – supporting six different candidates. Those groups put together thousands of anonymized profiles linked through connections to similar groups, configuring an extensive network. More than 1 million messages, including 98,000 audios, were gathered and downloaded during 2018 Brazilian electoral period (from June to October). We focused on eighteen audios with major circulation (totalling 3622 appearances) among the ones shared at least 100 times, which were extracted and analysed. The use of radio content analysis techniques pointed out strong evidence that audio messaging remediate radiophonic elements such as intimacy and colloquial language to accelerate disinformation campaigns.
Humor en tiempos de pandemia. Análisis de memes digitales sobre el coronavirus
Authors: Sola-Morales Salomé
Published: December 2020

Se exploran las formas de humor desarrolladas en el contexto de la actual situación sanitaria provocada por el Covid-19, durante el período de confinamiento en España. A través del análisis de 360 memes digitales se busca comprender cuáles son las características principales de estas formas de humor digital. La metodología empleada es el análisis de contenido, herramienta que ha permitido estudiar la estructura, intertextualidad, retórica del humor, temáticas y protagonistas de los memes seleccionados. Se observa, por una parte, que la emocionalidad es la forma de persuasión preferida de los memes y que la ironía es la estrategia retórica más común. Por otra parte, que el confinamiento y la gestión política son los temas más aparecidos. Finalmente, que el protagonista más frecuente es la comunidad –el público– al que van dirigidos los memes.
El product placement inverso como ejercicio de relaciones públicas: el caso de Rick’s Café
Authors: Álvarez Rodríguez Víctor
Published: December 2020

Este trabajo es una aproximación teórico-práctica a la herramienta publicitaria de product placement inverso como elemento desarrollador de las relaciones públicas. Hemos planteado una metodología exploratorio-descriptiva dividida en fases. La primera consiste en una exploración bibliográfica. Seguidamente se ha tomado como muestra el caso del restaurante Ricks Café en Casablanca. Para su estudio hemos entrevistado a Kathy Kriger, fundadora del proyecto. Finalmente, se efectúa un análisis cualitativo del caso considerando los resultados de las fases previas. Como resultado, obtenemos una investigación que conceptualiza la aplicación de esta herramienta en el mercado publicitario actual atendiendo a todas sus dimensiones.
The Aesthetic and Discursive Presence of Television on Pedro Almodóvar’s Cinema
Authors: Iturbe Tolosa Andoni
Published: December 2020

El artículo se centra en la presencia regular y constante de la televisión en las películas de Pedro Almodóvar. La televisión que, desde su primer largometraje (Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón, 1980) cobra una importancia relevante, será objeto de estudio desde el punto de vista discursivo y estético. La metodología consistirá en la revisión bibliográfica, el análisis de los guiones y los borradores, los dosieres de prensa y el análisis fílmico de las películas. Entre ellas, destaca Kika (1993) ya que la televisión forma parte destacada de su universo diegético. El artículo incide en dos resultados: el valor objetual de la pantalla televisiva y la posición del cuerpo frente a la televisión. Además, realizaremos un itinerario sobre los discursos puestos en práctica en torno a la televisión.
La representación de identidades queer adolescentes en ‘Sex Education’ (Netflix, 2019-)
Authors: Vázquez-Rodríguez Lucía-Gloria , García-Ramos Francisco-José , Zurian Hernández Francisco A.
Published: December 2020

Este artículo aborda la representación de las identidades LGBTIQ+ adolescentes en las dos primeras temporadas de la serie ‘Sex Education’ (Netflix, 2019-). Partiendo de una metodología de análisis anclada en la Teoría Queer y en el concepto de interseccionalidad se estudiará la construcción de aquellos personajes cuya expresión de género y/u orientación sexual trascienden los límites establecidos por la cisheteronormatividad, además de aquellos cuyos deseos (heterocoincidentes o no) no encajan dentro de lo que las sociedades occidentales entienden como «normal», puesto que se parte del rechazo a la norma como elemento constitutivo de lo queer. Los objetivos principales se concretan en: a.) determinar qué imágenes, conocimientos y construcciones epistemológicas se difunden en la serie en torno a la diversidad sexogenérica; y b.) definir qué discurso articula la serie sobre (no)identidades queer y la violencia que sufren las personas LGBTIQ+.
La caracterización musical transmedia de las identidades juveniles: el caso de la serie Stranger Things
Authors: Alaminos-Fernández Antonio Francisco
Published: December 2020

Las producciones audiovisuales, como las series televisivas, utilizan estereotipos juveniles que reflejan tanto la realidad como la construyen difundiendo modelos simplificados que son usados como herramientas de etiquetado social. Los personajes son caracterizados con un conjunto de rasgos personales, ambiente social, vestuario, estilo de vida, forma de expresarse, etc. En la caracterización de los personajes se ha estudiado en menor medida el uso de recursos musicales. La serie Stranger Things destacó especialmente por la utilización de música diegética y extradiegética tanto en la ambientación de época como en la caracterización de personajes. En la caracterización de personajes, ha sido pionera en el empleo de recursos transmedia que los humaniza e intensifica la conexión emocional con las audiencias. Netflix y Spotify diseñaron y publicaron playlists de sus personajes atribuyéndoles gustos musicales. Analizamos aquí las playlists de los adolescentes y jóvenes en Strange Things explorando, mediante análisis de correspondencias, qué estilos los caracterizaban y a qué tipo de adolescente y joven describen. El análisis triangula operativamente la caracterización audiovisual con la musical. Las tipologías de jóvenes se articulan en dos cleavages: la primera es la raza (define dos tipos) y la segunda el grado de ajuste social (define cuatro tipos de joven adolescente).
An Attempt to Design and Implement Contiki and Cooja Regression Test Suites using Combinatorial Testing
Authors: Patil Abhinandan H
Published: December 2020

Although several studies have been conducted on regression test selection, augmentation, prioritization, and pruning, regression test suite creation is performed in an ad hoc manner for most software systems by selecting a few crucial parameters and their combinations. Regression test suite creation can be rigorously approached by using the combinatorial testing (CT) method. Although this approach is advantageous, it has been used in only a few cases. This paper presents a practical approach for applying CT and augmenting the Contiki and Cooja base regression test suites with the National Institute of Standards and Technology tools.
Functional Test Case Generator for Contiki Operating System and Cooja Simulator
Authors: Patil Abhinandan H
Published: December 2020

Evolving multi-parameter, multi-configuration systems require regression test suite that can be customized. This is in terms of run time. Run time can be customized by generating the combinations using combinatorial techniques. For systems like Contiki operating system, the test cases need to be executed in its simulator Cooja. Executing test cases in a simulator requires functional test cases to be generated from the combinatorial parameter combinations obtained. In this work we present a methodology to generate the functional test cases. We present Functional Test Case Generator for Contiki and Cooja (FTCGCC), which is a tool developed using our methodology. We demonstrate use of our tool by generating customizable regression test suite for Contiki and Cooja using code coverage as criteria. FTCGCC is developed for the test case generation when target System Under Test is IoT operating system Contiki and its simulator Cooja.