bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of culture age on exopolymeric substances from common laboratory bacterial strains: a study on yield, profile and Cu(II) biosorption
Authors: Chia Le Wei , Ting Adeline Su Yien
Published: January 2024

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by laboratory strains Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were extracted from cultures incubated at various incubation periods (24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h). At each sampling time, the EPS were analysed for yield, quality, functional groups present, and their efficacies in copper (Cu(II)) biosorption (using 30 and 50 ppm EPS). Results revealed that EPS yield was influenced by incubation period, with 48-h culture of B. cereus and 96-h culture of P. aeruginosa producing the highest yield of EPS at 8.30 mg and 6.95 mg, respectively. The EPS produced at various incubation periods have similar characteristics in solubility, quality and major functional groups (C-O, CH3, C=C, O-H) present. Efficacy of Cu(II) biosorption was influenced by the amount of EPS used and the EPS-metal incubation time. Although Cu(II) removal was higher for EPS from 24-h B. cereus (18.96%) and 48-h P. aeruginosa (19.19%) when 30 ppm was used, application of 50 ppm EPS demonstrated no distinct differences in amount of Cu(II) removed. This suggested that higher biomass of EPS used and longer EPS-metal incubation period, superseded the efficacy of EPS from various incubation periods.
Comprehensive review of
Mycobacterium ulcerans
and Buruli ulcer from a bioinformatics perspective – what have we learnt?
Authors: Sur Saubashya , Pal Biswajit
Published: January 2024

Mycobacterium ulcerans is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium responsible for causing Buruli ulcer. This is a neglected tropical disease characterized by ulceration, necrotization and scarring of the soft tissues in human limbs. Pathogenesis of M. ulcerans is mediated by a cytotoxic and immunosuppressive compound called mycolactone. This steadily evolving mycobacteria has adapted itself with the aquatic insect ecosystem. Human communities in wetland ecosystems are prone to Buruli ulcer and several endemic regions have been identified. So far, there is no vaccine and surgery or prolonged treatment with antibiotic cocktail has been mandated to overcome resistance patterns. Application of bioinformatics tools in M. ulcerans and Buruli ulcer research during the post genomic era, has provided immense opportunities. In this review, we summarize the outcome of genome studies, comparative genomics, population genomics, genetic diversity analysis, phylogenetic studies and proteomics research pertaining to this disease. We also highlight the implications of in silico vaccine design and computational studies on natural products. Resultant findings are conducive for interpreting genome architecture, pathogenomic evolution and intraspecific divergence due to phylogeographic and virulence factors of M. ulcerans. Moreover, the outcome of population genomics studies in disease management, coupled with the efforts in discovering vaccine candidates and novel lead compounds, will enrich our understanding of Buruli ulcer.
Expression of sialyltransferases from the
St3gal
,
St6gal
and
St6galnac
families in mouse skeletal muscle and mouse C2C12 myotubes
Authors: Milcheva Rositsa S. , Georgieva Any K. , Todorova Katerina S. , Petkova Svetlozara L.
Published: January 2024

In skeletal muscles, the sialic acids have a great significance for their functional maintenance and proper structural organization. Our work described the expressions of St3gal, St6gal and St6galnac sialyltransferases specific for glycoproteins in mouse skeletal muscles and murine C2C12 myotubes. Lectin histochemistry, cytochemistry and lectin blot were used to demonstrate the membrane localization and the electrophoretic profiles of α-2,3- and α-2,6-sialylated glycoproteins. The expression levels of sialyltransferases were analysed by real time RT-PCR and western blot. The enzymes St6gal2 and St6galnac1 were not expressed in skeletal muscle tissue and C2C12 myotubes. In both experimental groups, mRNAs of the St3gal family prevailed over the mRNA expressions of the St6gal and St6galnac families. The profiles of sialyltransferase expressions showed differences between the two experimental groups, illustrated by the absence of expressions of the mRNA for the St3gal6 and St6galnac3 genes in the C2C12 cell samples and by the different shares of the enzymes St3gal3 and St3gal4 in both experimental groups. The different patterns of enzyme expressions in both experimental groups corresponded with differences between their α-2,3- and α-2,6-sialylated glycoprotein profiles. These results could be a useful addendum to the knowledge concerning the glycosylation of the skeletal muscle tissue.
Predatory mites fauna on medicinal and aromatic plants from Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, West Bengal, India
Authors: Samaddar Indrani , Podder Sanjoy , Chakrabarti Santanu , Biswas Himani
Published: January 2024

A regular survey was conducted in different places of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) region of West Bengal on 32 different medicinal and aromatic plants. A total of 41 species of predatory mites belonging to 19 genera, 7 families, under 2 orders were observed during this study. Collection data, distribution and keys are given for all taxonomic categories. Many of the species and habitats reported here are new records. Ecological and behavioral remarks on all the predatory mite species reported from Sundarban Biosphere Reserve are also presented.
Aflatoxin Contamination in Animal-Derived Foods and Health Risks
Authors: Aydin Rahim
Published: January 2024

Aflatoxins (AFs)B1, B2, G1, and G2 are important hepatotoxic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. nominus. They are converted into metabolites of AFM1, AFM2, B2a, and aflatoxicol by cytochrome P450-related enzymes in the liver after digestion of the feed. These metabolites accumulating in the animal-derived food products such as eggs, milk, cheese, and honey cannot be destroyed by pasteurization or heating process and may influence public health negatively. Therefore, it is very important to prevent or limit the aflatoxin contamination in the animal feeds to decrease the risk of contamination of these metabolites in animal-derived foods.
Validation of 12 Rapid Antigen Tests for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Yu Minghang , Xiong Yang , Liang Pu , Chen Danying , Zhang Yuting , Liu Huan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhao Xuesen , Jin Ronghua , Wang Xi
Published: January 2024

The rapid identification SARS-CoV-2 virus has become the basis for the control of the COVID-19 outbreak. The rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 are quick, widely available, and inexpensive. Rapid antigen tests have gradually replaced the time-consuming and costly RT-PCR. Currently, although several RAT kits have been extensively used for the diagnosis of COVID-19, validity data are limited due to the inconsistent sensitivity and poor reproducibility. Meanwhile, WHO does not recommend specific commercial RAT kits. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a method to evaluate the effectiveness of different rapid antigen tests kits. This study aimed to develop an evaluation system for rapid antigen tests to provide an efficient and accurate technique for screening SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection kits. Given large number of rapid antigen tests kits available, this study only focused on those that are representative and commonely used in China. By minimzing biases through randomization, concealment, and blinding, we eventually found that the Test 1 had the lowest sensitivity and the Test VI had the highest sensitivity. This study provided an evaluation platform that can potentially serve as a reference for COVID-19 diagnostic strategies.
Editorial
Authors: Skřejpková Petra
Published: January 2024

Editorial
Republikán a volnomyšlenkář? Složitý život Leopolda Heyrovského mezi státem, rodinou a společností
Authors: Kober Jan
Published: January 2024

The article deals with the characterization of Leopold Heyrovský (1852–1924), professor of Roman law at the Law Faculty of the Charles University in Prague, as a “republican” and “freethinker”, as preserved by the memories of his descendants. Using the memories of his daughter Klára Heyrovská and of his colleague Jan Krčmář, the author focuses on religion, political and social ideas and the paternal role of Leopold Heyrovský. On the basis of partial sources, he is trying to reconstruct the political, religious, and social habitus of the hitherto less researched Prague university professor. It turns out that the characterization of Heyrovský as a republican and freethinker basically corresponds to reality, but with the caveat that Heyrovský was well aware of the risks that such opinions would bring him, and therefore expressed them only very carefully. His religious situation – he remained formally Catholic but did not participate in any religious ceremonies – was complicated not only by his position as a university professor, but also by his marriage to a fervent Catholic wife who raised their children in this faith. Nevertheless, he tried to pass on his free-spirited and patriotic views to his children, to whom he devoted a lot of time as a committed father.
Dva notářské instrumenty z roku 1419 k dějinám řeholních kanovníků sv. Augustina v Kladsku. Pramenná edice
Authors: Krafl Pavel
Published: January 2024

During the 14th century, canon law gained considerable influence. All cases which related to clergy and Church property were dealt with solely by the ecclesiastical courts. During the preparatory phases of court proceedings, public notaries were very important. They were mainly involved in appointing legal representatives and producing verified copies of important documents. The objective of this article is to present two notarial instruments produced by public notaries: Materna, the son of Doctor Martin of Kladsko, and Nicolas, called Naso, the son of Henry of Chojnów. Both instruments were produced in 1419 and relate to the monastery of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine in Kladsko. The documents are kept in the Kladsko parish archive under numbers A 4 b and A 12 i. Attached is a critical edition of both notarial instruments. The first instrument incorporates documents of Wenceslas IV, King of Bohemia, Charles IV, King of Bohemia, and Arnošt of Pardubice, Archbishop of Prague, which show the ownership of properties in the Kladsko region and outside it. The second instrument records the appointment of legal representatives of the convent at the ecclesiastical courts. We do not have any direct evidence of the subject of the monastery’s dispute, but one can assume that it related to long-term disputes with the holders of fiefs in the Kladsko region. These disagreements related to economic immunity (unauthorised attempts to collect royal taxes for the monastery’s properties) and, to a lesser extent, other matters.
Quasiconformal, Lipschitz, and BV mappings in metric spaces
Authors: Lahti Panu
Published: January 2024

Consider a mapping

f
:

X
→
Y

{f\colon X\to Y}

between two metric measure spaces.
We study generalized versions of the local Lipschitz number

Lip
⁡
f

{\operatorname{Lip}f}

,
as well as of the distortion number

H
f

{H_{f}}

that is used to define quasiconformal mappings.
Using these numbers, we give sufficient conditions for f being a BV mapping

f
∈

BV
loc

⁢

(
X
;
Y
)

{f\in\mathrm{BV}_{\mathrm{loc}}(X;Y)}

or a Newton–Sobolev mapping

f
∈

N
loc

1
,
p

⁢

(
X
;
Y
)

{f\in N_{\mathrm{loc}}^{1,p}(X;Y)}

, with

1
≤
p
<
∞

{1\leq p<\infty}

.
Round-robin measurement of surface tension of high-temperature liquid platinum free of oxygen adsorption by oscillating droplet method using levitation techniques
Authors: Seimiya Yusaku , Tomita Shuto , Kawaguchi Tohei , Kobatake Hidekazu , Brillo Jürgen , Shiratori Suguru , Sugioka Ken-ichi , Ishikawa Takehiko , Ozawa Shumpei
Published: January 2024

Round-robin measurement of surface tension of high-temperature liquid platinum was conducted free of any contamination from the supporting materials and oxygen adsorption, using an electrostatic levitator (ESL), two electromagnetic levitator (EML), and an aerodynamic levitator (ADL). The measured temperature dependences of the surface tension using ESL and two EMLs were in good agreement and were expressed as

σ
=
1,798
±
74.3
−
(
0.12
±
0.0445
)
×

(

T
−
2,041

)

\sigma =\mathrm{1,798}\pm 74.3-(0.12\pm 0.0445)\times (T-\mathrm{2,041})

[10–3 N·m–1] (1,900–2,600 K). However, the surface tension values measured with ADL were slightly lower than those exceeding the uncertainty of the measurement plots at high temperatures.
Higher education students’ attitudes towards English as a lingua franca in virtual exchange settings
Authors: Gruber Alice , Bailey Angela C. , Eady Jeries H. , Weinberg Linda R. , Brath Brigitte , Carroza Jorge
Published: January 2024

Mentored online intercultural and international collaboration projects using English as a lingua franca (ELF) in tertiary curricula are a valuable pedagogical approach to develop intercultural communicative competence. However, students’ perceptions of ELF in virtual exchange (VE) projects remain largely unexplored. This mixed-methods study investigates students’ attitudes towards ELF interactions in the context of online collaborations involving four countries in the Global North and South. The students participated in a six-week VE and collaboratively completed tasks set by their teachers. Results of the qualitative and quantitative data show that the students’ attitudes towards ELF interactions varied in different contexts and that the experience encouraged reflections, for instance, on students’ linguistic effectiveness in intercultural situations. The findings show a (re)evaluation of native and non-native English and attitudinal shift for some students. The results indicate that online intercultural exchanges can be a catalyst for students to reflect on international English usage and global ownership. The article provides implications for setting up ELF-VE projects regarding its potential to (trans)form ELF identities and gives advice for ELF practitioners.
Preparing university students for multilingual EMI contexts in Türkiye
Authors: Kurt Yavuz , Bayyurt Yasemin
Published: January 2024

English-medium instruction (EMI) is a growing phenomenon among universities in Türkiye, with higher numbers of local and international students registering for programs offered in English each year. This situation suggests that students should get prepared for multilingual contexts before they start taking faculty courses; however, institutions usually ignore this when offering linguistic support to students. This study explored the potential ways of adopting a more inclusive approach to language education offered to students preparing for EMI. The in-class teaching practices of language instructors and the views of students who attended these lessons were explored through classroom observations and focus-group interviews. The results revealed that the instructors preferred several different methods to modify their teaching in English-as-a-lingua-franca-compatible ways, and students found their instructors’ practices useful from multiple aspects for their future English-medium courses. The findings imply revisions on the nature of the language education offered in English preparatory schools in Türkiye.
The crystal structure of valinyl-N-ium-4-(5-(thiophen-2-yl)isoxazol-3-yl)phenyl trifluoroacetate
Authors: Hu Richa , Liao Changzhou , Tian Yao , Li Junkai , Zeng Zhigang
Published: January 2024

C18H18N2O3S⋅C2HF3O2, monoclinic, P21 (no. 4), a = 6.0979(2) Å, b = 32.3052(9) Å, c = 11.0805(3) Å, β = 99.5620(10)°, V = 2152.46(11) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0570, wR

ref
(F
2) = 0.1470, T = 200(1) K.
Crystal structure of diaqua-bis[1-(1-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-5-methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylato-κ
2
N,O)] manganese(II), C16H20MnN10O8
Authors: Ye Shu , Guo Jing-Jing , Zhu Linlin , Zhang Mengyi , Feng Chao
Published: January 2024

C16H20MnN10O8, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 11.1178(7) Å, b = 12.7838(6) Å, c = 15.6649(10) Å, β = 105.692(6)°, V = 2143.4(2) Å3, Z = 4, R

gt
(F) = 0.0638, ωR

ref
(F
2) = 0.2034, T = 293 K.
Rechte der Natur als kollektive Form
Authors: Lomfeld Bertram
Published: January 2024

Weltweit entstehen Eigenrechte der Natur. Ecuador verankert die Anerkennung von Rechten der Natur 2008 in der Verfassung (Art. 71-74, ECU Constitucion 2008). Gerichte in Kolumbien, Australien, Indien und Neuseeland sprechen Flüssen eigene Rechte zu (vgl. Gutmann 2021). Seit 2022 verleiht ein spanisches Gesetz auch in Europa der Lagune „Mar Menor“ rechtlichen Eigenstatus (ESP Ley 30.09.2022, 237 BOE I 135131). Diese Entwicklung resultiert aus starken kollektiven Protesten und interveniert tiefgreifend in bestehende soziale Strukturen und Weltsichten: (I) Was ist das Verhältnis des Menschen zur Natur und zum Recht? (II) Wo knüpfen Rechte der Natur an bestehende rechtliche Formen an? (III) Welches Verhältnis besteht zwischen Recht und Natur? (IV) Wie lassen sich Rechte der Natur ausgestalten und ausüben? (V) Warum sind Rechte der Natur begründet? (VI) Wann verändern solche Rechte die Natur oder uns? Die vorliegende Gedankenskizze will theoretische Linien der Figur von „Rechten der Natur“ abstecken. Philosophische und juristische Ansatzpunkte werden nur angerissen. Der Wert des Abrisses ist nicht vertiefte Argumentation, sondern Abtasten von Zusammenhängen und Fragen. Eigen-Rechte der Natur rütteln an Grundpfeilern des modernen, subjektiv geprägten Rechtsverständnisses (mindestens westlicher Kultur) und gehen konstruktiv gleichzeitig genau daraus hervor. Dieses strukturelle Paradox lässt sich durch ein auch kollektives Verständnis dieser Rechte auflösen oder mindestens systemisch produktiv aushalten und entfalten.
Beziehungsformen
Authors: Teune Simon
Published: January 2024

In sozialen Bewegungen hat Kunst immer wieder eine zentrale Rolle gespielt: als Ausdruck der in der Bewegung organisierten Erfahrung, als Repräsentation ihrer gesellschaftlichen Position oder als Identifikations- und Mobilisierungsangebot für Anhänger*innen und Sympathisant*innen. Gleichzeitig sind die Kämpfe sozialer Bewegungen ein wiederkehrendes Motiv der Kunst. Sie sind Sujet und Inspiration, Motivation und Treiber künstlerischer Auseinandersetzung mit der Welt. So einfach sich die Gegenüberstellung von Kunst und Bewegungen, Künstler*innen und Aktivist*innen zunächst liest, so unbefriedigend wird sie, sobald man sich empirisch mit dem Themenfeld beschäftigt. Wo hört Politik auf, wo fängt Kunst an? Wann werden Künstler*innen zu Aktivist*innen in sozialen Bewegungen?
Das Kollektiv und der (un)mögliche Exodus: Griechenland, die Krise und die Kunst1
Authors: Siouzouli Natascha
Published: January 2024

Das Kollektiv kann nicht anders als auf seine ambige Ontologie hinzuweisen bzw. diese zu wiederholen und immer wieder zu Tage zu fördern. Es muss sich formen, sich als Kollektiv verstehen und darstellen. Zugleich muss es sich abgrenzen; es formiert sich durch ein Zusammenkommen von ‚Individuen‘, die sich von anderen Zusammenhängen entfernen und ‚das Kollektiv‘ bilden. Sowohl treten die Individuen aus einem Kontext heraus als auch muss sich das Kollektiv von anderen explizit oder implizit sich artikulierenden Zusammenkünften unterscheiden. Das Kollektiv bildet sich sowohl in Relation zu als auch in Abgrenzung von anderen Zusammenkünften bzw. Individuen. Die Ambiguität des Kollektivs ist keine nachträgliche Qualität, sondern ein inhärentes Charakteristikum, das entsprechend sein Da- und Sosein, seine Form und Handlungen unausweichlich prägt.
Kollektive Entscheidungsprozesse in der Probenpraxis intervenierender Chöre
Authors: Pieper Judith Henrike
Published: January 2024

Philippe Urfalino sieht bei kollektiven Entscheidungen eine Verbindung zur Dramentheorie: Obwohl sie oft die Regeln der drei Einheiten befolgten, die in der französischen Tragödie im 17. Jahrhundert zu Normen geschmiedet worden seien – Einheit von Zeit, Ort und Handlung

In pandemischen und generell digitalen Zeiten könnte debattiert werden, ob die Einheit des Ortes weiterhin gilt – viele Entscheidungen werden in online-Sitzungen getroffen, wo alle im einheitlichen digitalen Raum zusammentreffen, dabei aber gleichzeitig an vielen heterogenen Orten sind.

– sei ihr Ablauf doch komplex genug, um undurchsichtig zu bleiben, selbst für die Beteiligten (Urfalino 2021, S. 193). Der Frage, wie Theaterkollektive Entscheidungen fällen und was diese mit Interventionen zu tun haben, nähert sich dieser Artikel anhand zweier Beispiele, um diese transparenter zu machen. Wie haben sich kollektive Entscheidungsprozesse auf die Entstehung der Protestoper Wem gehört Lauratibor? und Chöre der Angekommenen ausgewirkt? Dafür sollen drei Kollektive des Gegenwartstheaters beleuchtet werden, die intervenierende ortsspezifische Theaterdemonstrationen schaffen und verschiedene historische Bezüge aufweisen: zum einen zum Agitprop

So erinnert auch das erste Foto der Performancegruppe Schwabinggrad Ballett mit den elektronischen Megaphonen in Margarita Tsomous Artikel „Jenseits des Willkommens“ (Foto: Rasande Tysker) stark an das Filmstill aus Kuhle Wampe (1930), welches die Agitproptruppe „Rotes Sprachrohr“ mit ihren klassischen Flüstertüten zeigt in Konstanze Schmitts Essay „Staying with the trouble. Collective forms and methods in performing arts in the 1920s and today“ (vgl. Tsomou 2016, S. 23 und Schmitt 2023, S. 80).

und Arbeitertheater

Im Falle von Wem gehört Lauratibor?

der 1920er und 1930er Jahre, zum politischen Straßentheater der 1960er und 1970er Jahre als auch zu den neuen sozialen Bewegungen um 1968. Dabei handelt es sich um das Schwabinggrad Ballett mit ARRiVATi und das Lauratiborkollektiv. Es wird auf Urfalino 2021

Titel im Dt. Gemeinsam entscheiden: Die Herstellung der kollektiven Verpflichtung (Übers. JP, wie auch alle nachfolgenden Zitate aus dem Französischen).

und gegenwärtige Tendenzen im Theater eingegangen.
Entscheidungsfindung und Gewalt-Tun: Wie devising dissoziiert und kollektiviert
Authors: Boyce Naomi
Published: January 2024

Der Aufsatz betrachtet die Geschichte und Praxis des Devising als ein Feld, um die Dynamik zwischen der Gewalt der Entscheidungsfindung und dem Potenzial für Kollektivität und Dissoziation zu untersuchen. Insbesondere beleuchtet dieser Artikel die Tradition des devised theatre, wie sie im Gefolge der Theater- und Performancegruppen der 1960er Jahre entstanden ist, die Kollektivität als politische Ideologie in den Vordergrund stellten. Ausgehend von den jüngsten partizipatorischen Performances des New Yorker Künstlerduos 600 HIGHWAYMEN im Rahmen des Tryptichons A Thousand Ways wird der Begriff devised acts verwendet, um Facetten der Intervention und Entscheidungsfindung zu beschreiben. Der Aufsatz stellt dabei die Frage, wie die Kräfte der Gewalt durch devising transformiert werden können. Ausgehend von der Behauptung der US-amerikanischen Theaterregisseurin Anne Bogart, dass Entscheidungen eine generative Kraft der Gewalt hervorbringen können (2001, S. 45ff.), schaut dieser Beitrag auf Momente dieser „notwendigen Gewalt“ (ebd., S. 46), die sich nicht aus dem Prozess des Theatermachens und der Performance herauslösen lassen.
Choreographing in Context: Rehearsing Alternative Infrastructures
Authors: Maar Kirsten
Published: January 2024

Entlang der Verschiebungen des Kollektivbegriffs seit 1989 und seiner Verwendung in den performativen Künsten – und in Gegenüberstellung zu einer eher netzwerkartig organisierten Gesellschaft der Individuen – beschreibt der Beitrag, wie durch den Fokus auf Praktiken, die nicht das abgeschlossene Werk, sondern den gemeinsamen Prozess des Voneinander-Lernens unter Einbeziehung spezifischer Publika (z.B. aktivistischer Initiativen) fokussieren, die dem Kunstbetrieb zugrunde liegenden Infrastrukturen verändert werden können. Zeit als Infrastruktur spielt dabei eine wesentliche Rolle, um die Prozesse offen zu halten und nachhaltig zu gestalten. Am Beispiel der Tanzfabrik Berlin und einer selbst gesetzten Pause as Resistance nach der COVID-Pandemie fragt der Beitrag nach methodologischen Herausforderungen von Praktiken, welche die Möglichkeit einer Unterbrechung von Gewohnheiten durch den Einsatz von alternativen tools, wie z.B. Formen des Storytelling oder der Critical Fiction, mit sich bringen, indem sie andere Narrative etablieren.
Research on the application of molecular epidemiology in the prediction and prognosis of cancer
Authors:   ,   PTE ETK Egészségtudományi Doktori Iskola, Zhang Lu
Published: January 2024

Molecular epidemiology is a novel subject that integrates molecular biology and basic epidemiology. However, how it is used in specific practical studies, and how it helps to discover causes, explore risk factors, and ultimately protect, remains an unclear explanation. Hence, this study aims to display how molecular epidemiological runs in cancer research through two practical studies: ‘The relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms and skin cancer susceptibility’ and ‘The treatment effect of hydrogen gas on lung cancer’. Method: 1) We assessed the expression of LINC-PINT and lincRNA-P21 in lung cancer cells after 0%, 5% and 10% hydrogen gas in the three-time groups. 2) 275 SNPs associated with skin cancer were analysed by genotype and phenotype models. Results: 1) The expression of LINC-PINT and lincRNA-P21 upregulation with the H2 concentration; 2) LINC-PINT expression decreased in a relatively long H2 time; 3) The expression of lincRNA-P21 declined with the H2 concentration; 4)The minor alleles of rs2228570 and rs13181, wildtype and heterozygous genotypes of rs475007 and the mutated homozygous genotype of rs238406 were most likely to be associated with skin cancer. Conclusions: These two real research examples explained how molecular epidemiology works.
Nowak, M.J. et al.: Spatial Planning Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries. Review and Comparison of Selected Issues
Authors: Denysenko Olena
Published: January 2024

-
Felix beyond the Closet
Authors: Padilla Yolanda
Published: January 2024

This essay examines the uneasy relationship that Arturo Islas’s The Rain God has had with narratives of identity, focusing on how the representation of Felix’s sexuality makes him a problematic figure for certain strains of Chicana/o and queer studies. In other writings, Islas criticizes Quinto Sol, the chief publishing house of Chicano literature in the 1970s, for its emphasis on ethnonationalist novels that featured “positive images” of Chicanos, and he suggests that Quinto Sol rejected The Rain God for failing to conform to this mold. I speculate that the simple fact that the novel includes homosexual characters would have been enough for it to be deemed too negative in that era. I argue that Islas’s representations of homosexuality continue to disrupt notions of identity, but now the disjuncture is not that homosexuals are represented but that they are incoherent with the closet paradigm that is predominant in significant strains of queer studies. Drawing on recent scholarship that warns against a fixation on identity as the grounding principle for sexual experience and politics, I read Felix as a character whose transgressive expressions of homosexuality are shaped by a tangled web of power dynamics that are associated with his feelings of ethnic and masculine insecurity. Ultimately, I show that the very qualities that make Felix discomfiting to readers and resistant to narratives of identity are generative points of analysis for Chicano literary studies.
The Core Ideals of the Mexican American Gang
Authors: Durán Robert J.
Published: January 2024

Current approaches to designing antigang policies overemphasize the notion that criminality is the defining characteristic of gangs and that solutions require a get-tough approach. As an ex-gang member, I conducted a five-year ethnographic study and a fourteen-year informal study of Mexican American street gangs in two Southwestern states to understand the persistence of gangs. I found that the obstacles that have been imposed on low-income, ethnic minority neighborhoods have led to an adaptive strategy for survival in which gangs play a central, albeit destructive, role. Gangs maintain their cohesiveness and longevity through four core ideals: displaying loyalty, responding courageously to external threats, promoting and defending gang status, and maintaining a stoic attitude toward the negative consequences of gang life. State-sponsored opposition to gangs only further solidifies these ideals. Pragmatic solutions will require rechanneling the collective energy of current and former gang members toward community empowerment.
Contemporary Deportation Raids and Historical Memory
Authors: Hernández José Angel
Published: January 2024

The contemporary situation in the United States with respect to Mexican migrants has reached a level of intensity that harkens back to the mass expulsions of the 1930s and the 1950s, when millions were forcefully removed south across the border. Recent deportation raids have targeted food processing plants and other large businesses hiring migrant workers from Mexico and Central America. By portraying the current raids as something new, the U.S. media decontexualizes them and strips them of historical memory. In fact, the current raids can be reconstructed and historicized to the moment when Euro-American settlers first encountered Mexicans in the early 1800s. Evidence taken primarily from Mexican archives reveals that expulsions first occurred in the mid-1830s and continued throughout the nineteenth century, especially in areas where local populations were demographically overwhelmed. This period has traditionally been overlooked by U.S., Chicana/o, and Mexican historiographers alike. The contemporary expulsions serve to discourage the contribution of migrants and separate individuals from their families, and they ultimately contradict the time-honored idea that the United States is a “nation of immigrants.”
Los corridos de Juan Meneses
Authors: Ramírez-Pimienta Juan Carlos
Published: January 2024

En los últimos años del siglo XX y principios del XXI docenas de jefes policíacos mexicanos han muerto a manos del narcotráfico. Son pocos sin embargo, los corridos compuestos en honor a policías caídos; la gran mayoría de los corridos que tratan sobre el narcotráfico optan por la modalidad del narcocorrido panegírico, aquellos que glorifican la vida del narcotraficante. Este ensayo primero da un panorama breve de la historia y desarrollo del corrido de policía y luego estudia dos corridos dedicados a la memoria de Juan Meneses, un jefe policiaco de la ciudad de Mexicali, México, asesinado en 1947. Con estos corridos dedicados a la memoria de Juan Meneses, la cultura popular ayuda a preservar un pasaje prácticamente olvidado de la historia fronteriza. Los corridos de Juan Meneses nos ayudan a comprender la evolución del corrido con temática de narcotráfico pero asimismo nos ayudan a entender la evolución de la sociedad fronteriza y de su noción de heroicidad.
La venganza de Pancho Villa
Authors: Serna Laura Isabel
Published: January 2024

The compilation film La venganza de Pancho Villa (ca. 1930), created by itinerant exhibitor Félix Padilla, combines footage from two national cinematic traditions— those of the United States and Mexico—to construct a biographical film about the regional hero and revolutionary general Francisco “Pancho” Villa. The film’s use of found footage offers a retort to American films rife with stereotypical images of Mexican masculinity. However, a close reading of the film in the context of local practices of film distribution and exhibition finds that the film expresses an oppositional consciousness shaped by the structures and ideologies of the dominant film industries it draws from, including a masculinist nationalism that reinscribes racial and gender hierarchies.
“Jesus, When Did You Become So Bourgeois, Huh?”
Authors: Román Elda María
Published: January 2024

In Chicana/o cultural production, upward mobility has often signified cultural betrayal, and representations of middle-class Chicana/os have been largely absent. This essay surveys the historical and sociological reasons for that tendency, arguing that much of Chicana/o cultural production has exhibited anxiety around representations of class. However, Chicana/o texts that portray middle- and upper-class Mexican Americans, especially in the past decade, suggest the emergence of an alternative identity politics. Richard Rodriguez’s 1982 memoir, Hunger of Memory, articulates the psychic crisis that can arise when one negates a minority identity in order to identify as middle class. By contrast, The George Lopez Show (2002–7) suggests that Chicanos can ascend to the middle class while still retaining a working-class consciousness. Finally, Michele Serros’s young adult novel Honey Blonde Chica (2006) shows how transnational social hierarchies linking the United States and Mexico are also involved in expanding and policing the boundaries of ethnic identity. All three texts dramatize an anxiety about the instability of the class status they represent while also indexing the status of middle-class Mexican Americans in the contemporary Mexican American cultural imagination.
Toward a Mariposa Consciousness
Authors: Pérez Daniel Enrique
Published: January 2024

The representation of queer Chicanos and Latinos in cultural production has historically centered on negative stereotypes, depicting them as sick, passive, or hopeless, as psychopaths or victims of psychopaths, as tragic figures, or as comic relief. Nevertheless, a number of artists and writers have reconfigured queer Chicano and Latino identities by creating images that contest such stereotypes and by reclaiming and resignifying terms that have been used to denigrate these subjects, such as maricón, joto, and mariposa. This essay examines the use of butterfly iconography in cultural texts to demonstrate how butterflies as metaphors for queer Chicanos and Latinos—or mariposas—can facilitate a mariposa consciousness, a decolonial site grounded in an awareness of the social location, social relations, and history of the mariposa subject. An examination of the works of writer Rigoberto González and artist Tino Rodríguez shows how butterflies can be used to reimagine identities in innovative and positive social locations. Such sites function as discursive spaces where queer Chicanos and Latinos can overcome the multiple forms of oppression that shape their subjectivities: patriarchy, homophobia, and racism.
Quotidian Inequality
Authors: Ulibarri Kristy L.
Published: January 2024

This essay examines narratives about class and inequality in Helena María Viramontes’s Their Dogs Came with Them (2007) and Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez’s The Dirty Girls Social Club (2003). These two novels entered the literary scene during a period of increased market neoliberalization, which has produced extreme social and economic inequality. Drawing on Latinx literary criticism and theories about neoliberalism and the free market, this essay maps out how these two novels reproduce and interrogate the market structures that make inequality appear normal and quotidian. One novel narrates the bourgeois sensibilities of six affluent Latinas; the other tells of the social injustice imposed upon and internalized by the racialized poor through the stories of four women in East Los Angeles. Although their characters are seemingly at opposite ends of the class spectrum, the novels nevertheless share the same ideologies about class. Indeed, these literary representations of latinidad and chicanidad directly engage the many structural mechanisms that ultimately normalize growing class disparity as part of our everyday lives. By narrating the neoliberal discourses of “success” and “failure,” the novels lay bare certain determining features of inequality, such as marketable ethnicity, social mobility, and entrepreneurship. For Their Dogs and Dirty Girls, rich and poor become embodied states of being that ultimately make inequality the standard social order.
Correlation analysis between mass loss of wood due to thermal modification and equilibrium moisture content of thermally modified wood
Authors: Park Yonggun , Han Yeonjung , Choi Yong-Seok , Lee Hyun-Mi , Yoon Sae-Min , Yeo Hwanmyeong , Eom Chang-Deuk
Published: January 2024

This study was conducted to determine the correlation between the mass loss (ML) of wood due to thermal modification and the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of thermally modified wood. After thermal modification of larch lumber under various temperature and time conditions, ML according to treatment temperature and time was measured, and the (EMC) of the thermally modified wood was evaluated for each treatment condition. As the treatment temperature increased and the treatment time became longer, the ML of wood due to thermal modification increased. In addition, as the treatment temperature increased, the difference in EMC between the non-treated wood and the thermally modified wood tended to increase. Finally, a robust logarithmic correlation was observed between the ML due to thermal modification and the EMC of the thermally modified wood. These results suggest that the EMC of thermally modified wood can be predicted by simply measuring the weight of wood before and after thermal modification.
Interlaboratory comparison of two homemade pencil type ionization chambers
Authors: Castro Maysa Costa , Silva Natália Fiorini , Caldas Linda Viola Ehlin
Published: January 2024

Computed tomography (CT) is a diagnostic exam responsible for the highest dose values received by the patients during the procedure. Over the years, this kind of equipment has been improved to ensure that the patients do not receive unnecessary doses. For this reason it is important to keep a quality control program for the CT equipment. To perform the dosimetry in CT beams, the instrument used is usually a pencil type ionization chamber with a sensitive volume length of 10 cm. However, this kind of detector is available with different sensitive volume lengths. The aim of this study was to compare the response of two homemade pencil type ionization chambers with sensitive volume lengths of 10 cm and 30 cm in the laboratories of Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN, Brazil) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL, UK). The characterization tests were performed, and the results obtained are within the international recommended limits. The only difference observed in the response of the two chambers in both laboratories is the fact that the ionization current obtained in all the tests at the IPEN is higher than at the NPL, because of the beam characteristics.
Critical add-on SEM observations on oral armature and life cycle of raphidascaridoid worm, Indospinezia multispinatum Jaiswal and Malhotra (2017)
Authors: Yadav Anita , Malhotra Sandeep K
Published: January 2024

Additional observations of taxonomic significance with unique life cycle details were recorded after the publication of specialized liver-inhabiting roundworms, Indospinezia multispinatum Jaiswal and Malhotra (2017) in the Gangetic gar-fish, Xenentodon cancila from Prayagraj riverine ecosystems. Typically strong musculature supporting triangularly placed one dorsal and two ventro-lateral lips has been observed and their characteristics recorded. The muscular complement that comprised each of the 3 lips, was 3-layered, each of which was stacked one over the other, around a medial furrow. The 2nd stage larva armed with cephalic tooth was the specific discovery which was extracted by Pepsin Digestion method, during compilation of various larval stages that made up complete life-cycle of the roundworm under study. Presumption based conclusions derived on larval stages in the life cycle of Goezia bangladeshi by Akther,1 et al led to erroneous interpretations and hence made the taxonomic position of Goezia bangladeshi circumspect unless appropriate larvae are studied. Therefore, Goezia bangladeshi is termed as species inquirendae pending complete description of its larvae.
Exploring Hadith Hasan: A Fresh Perspective al-Jami' al-Sahih al-Sunan al-Tirmidzi
Authors: Anam Wahidul , Sulaeman Mubaidi
Published: January 2024

This study aims to evaluate the quality of the traditions classified as ḥasan in Sunan Al-Tirmidzi's Al-Jami' Al-Ṣaḥīh, a topic that has attracted considerable attention among ḥadīth scholars. Using a literature review methodology combined with a qualitative approach, this study has not only discovered a new qualification for assessing the quality of traditions in Abū Isa Al-Tirmidzi's Al-Jami’ Al-Ṣaḥīh, referred to as ḥasan ṣaḥīh traditions but also expanded its scope beyond the existing findings. This research has revealed that the emergence of the ḥasan ḥadīth has prompted strong scholarly engagement, signalling the ever-evolving nature of ḥadīth studies. This evolution requires researchers to always be ready to re-evaluate classical texts, encourages continuous exploration of new perspectives and promotes acceptance of the potential for new classifications to emerge within the field. Furthermore, this study has illustrated Al-Tirmidzi's pioneering efforts to reshape the categorisation of ḥadīth. More than simply introducing the ṣaḥīh ḥadīth, Al-Tirmidzi cleverly combined this classification with other existing categories, including the ṣaḥīh gharib ḥadīth and the ṣaḥīh gharib ḥadīth thus enriching the intricacies of ḥadīth classification methodology. The implications of this innovative approach go beyond Al-Tirmidzi's work and affect the broader landscape of ḥadīth scholarship. Moreover, the findings of this study have substantial legal ramifications in Islamic jurisprudence. The revelation that certain traditions classified as ḥasan have the status of ṣaḥīh implies that these texts can serve as a valid legal basis despite their initially inferior category. This discovery underscores the dynamic interaction between ḥadīth scholarship and Islamic jurisprudence, where ḥadīth classification has a real impact on the legal framework of faith. In sum, this study underscores the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the field of ḥadīth studies as well as the important role played by scholars such as Al-Tirmidzi in reshaping the classification. It emphasises the need for constant exploration of classical texts and readiness to adapt to evolving perspectives to ensure that the field remains at the forefront of Islamic scholarship and jurisprudence.
Formulation and Specification of Regional Hadith Studies
Authors: Assagaf Ja’far
Published: January 2024

The study of regional hadith is an essential aspect of hadith scholarship but still poses some challenges that need to be addressed to clarify terminology while integrating the concept with Western area studies theory. This article aims to formulate a robust framework for area hadith, focusing on formulation and specification. In this study, the author integrates some of the fundamental theories of hadith science and applies the analysis of the philosophy of al-Tarikh to unpack the stages of regional hadith studies from historical, ideological, and geographical aspects which are linked to the theory of area studies which not only deals with regionalism in particular but critically analyses the roots, the spread of hadith in several geographies and their specifics. The results of this study reveal that regional hadith studies have deep roots, beginning with the discussion on ‘ismah (the impossibility of making mistakes) and the emergence and spread of hadith in Mecca and Medina during the time of the Prophet Muhammad as its formulation. Subsequently, the study expanded to other regions. In addition, it identifies three main specific aspects of regional hadith studies: first, specifications related to the Sanad (chain of narrators), involving narrators from the same or different geographies; second, specifications of narrators based not only on their geographical location but also on their roles and contributions; third, specifications related to the matan (content of the hadith) and its implementation in one or more regions and its relation to certain aspects. This article provides a clear and comprehensive framework for the study of regional hadith, outlining the key elements that should be considered in this research. The findings have significant implications for a deeper understanding of regional hadith, which can enrich hadith science
Prophetic Communication in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: Efforts to Convey Comprehensive Islamic Messages
Authors: Ridwan Aang
Published: January 2024

The study essentially aims to analyze the changes occurring within the practice of dakwah as a form of communicating Islamic messages in the era of digital technology and artificial intelligence. The practice of dakwah must retain its prophetic communication dimension even as it adjusts to new communication formats brought about by the digital era and artificial intelligence. This study employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical method. This method was chosen for its capacity to provide a profound understanding of complex phenomena within their contexts, aligned with the research objective to analyze the changes in communication patterns and their effects on dakwah practices. Data is gathered through documentation and observation of dakwah practices across various platforms and digital media. The study indicates that the shifts in dakwah communication patterns in the digital era and the advancement of artificial intelligence have significant and intricate impacts on the comprehensive communication of Islamic prophetic messages. Key points include: (1) Changes in the meaning and practice of dakwah depict a shift in focus from the spiritual and moral aspects to the dissemination of Islamic messages through technological platforms; (2) Changes in dakwah communication formats and platforms reflect the adaptation of preachers to digital trends and audience preferences; (3) The influence of social media in dakwah practices opens broad avenues for disseminating Islamic messages; (4) Artificial intelligence (AI) has notably contributed to presenting dakwah content to the public; (5) Normative dynamics in digital-era dakwah communication reveal the challenges in maintaining a balance between popularity and the integrity of religious teachings; (6) Ethical challenges and controversies in digital dakwah underscore the need to uphold moral and ethical values in religious communication; and (7) Education and supervision emerge as pivotal in addressing the challenges of digital dakwah. Content creators, preachers, and society at large must be equipped with a proper understanding of technology usage aligned with scholarly and ethical responsibility, ensuring that the conveyance of religious messages remains accurate, substantial, and consistent with Islamic values.