bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of social support and the built environment on diabetes management among structurally exposed populations in three regions in Ghana
Authors: Kangmennaang Joseph , Siiba Alhassan , Dassah Ebenezer , Kansanga Moses
Published: December 2023

Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing an epidemiological transition driven by rapid, unprecedented demographic, socio-cultural, and economic transitions. These transitions are driving increases in the risk and prevalence of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As NCDs rise, several attempts have been made to understand the individual level factors that increase NCDs risks, knowledge, and attitudes around specific NCDs as well as how people live and manage NCDs. While these studies are important, and enhance knowledge on chronic diseases, little attention has been given to the role of social and cultural environment in managing chronic NCDs in underserved settings. Using purposive sampling among persons living with Diabetes Mellitus (PLWD) and participating in diabetes programs from regional and municipal hospitals in the three underserved regions in Ghana (n = 522), we assessed diabetes management and supportive care needs of PLWDs using linear latent and mixed models (gllamm) with binomial and a logit(log) link function. The result indicates that PLWDs with strong perceived social support (OR = 2.27, p ≤ 0.05) were more likely to report good diabetes management compared to PLWDs with weak perceived social support. The built environment, living with other health conditions, household wealth, ethnicity and age were associated with diabetes management. Overall, the study contributes to wider discussions on the role changing built and socio-cultural environments in the rise of diet-related diseases and their management as many Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) experience rapid epidemiological and nutrition transitions.
Magnitude of flat foot and its associated factors among school-aged children in Southern Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Birhanu Asaminew , Nagarchi Khaleel , Getahun Firdawek , Gebremichael Mathewos Alemu , Wondmagegn Habtamu
Published: December 2023

Background

Flat foot, also known as pes planus, is a common condition among primary school children and is a leading cause of all clinical visits related to foot problems worldwide. It can cause skeletal problems and joint misalignment. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of flat foot and its associated factors among public primary school children.

Methods

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 1072 school children aged 11 to 18 years. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and the footprints were used to calculate the plantar arch index. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.6, and analyzed by STATA version 15. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regressions were conducted. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Statistical significance was declared at a P-value < 0.05.

Result

Out of 1022 participants, 105(10.27%) 95%CI: 8.5–12) had a flat foot. Being male (AOR = 2; 95%CI:1.22-3.30), living in highland altitude (AOR = 8.83; 95% CI: 4.64-16.79), living in midland altitude (AOR = 3.32;95% CI:1.75-6.29), living in an urban area (AOR = 2.42;95% CI:1.15-5.09), insufficient physical activity (AOR = 8.78;95% CI: 4.42-12.3), wearing closed-toe shoes (AOR = 2.33;95%CI:1.27-4.28), obesity (AOR = 6.30;95% CI:3.31-11.9), and foot pain (AOR = 3.52;95%CI:2.08-6.27) had a higher likelihood of flat foot as compared to their counterparts.

Conclusion

One in every ten children had a flat foot. Altitude, residence, sex, physical activity, foot pain, body mass index, and type of footwear were found to be factors statistically associated with flat foot. Integrated interventions for children to have sufficient physical activity, wearing sandals, maintaining a healthy body mass index, and flatfoot screening and monitoring are recommended.
The clinical efficacy of laminectomy fusion fixation and posterior single open-door laminoplasty in the treatment of multilevel cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL): a retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Qian , Guo Rudan , Fang Sanhua , Tong Shunyi , Fan Yuan , Wang Jun
Published: December 2023

Background

To compared the clinical efficacy of two surgical methods, posterior laminectomy fusion fixation, and posterior single open-door laminoplasty, in treating multilevel cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).

Methods

The study retrospectively included 102 patients treated between December 2016 and December 2020. The patients were included into an observation group (56 cases) treated with total laminectomy and lateral screw fixation, and a control group (46 cases) treated with single open-door laminoplasty.

Results

After 24 months, both groups showed significant improvement in Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, indicating better clinical symptoms and functional recovery. There was no significant difference in preoperative JOA and VAS scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). At 24 months after surgery, there was no significant difference in JOA and VAS scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the observation group had a significantly higher cervical curvature index (CCI) and lower range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The CCI in control group was lower than before surgery, while the CCI in observation group was higher than before surgery, and CCI in the control group was considerably lower than that in the observation group (P < 0.05). The complication rate was lower in the control group, with fewer cases of axial symptoms, fifth cervical nerve root palsy, and overall complications. The overall complication rate was 25.0% (14/56) in the observation group and 10.8% (5/46) in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Both posterior laminectomy fusion fixation and posterior single open-door laminoplasty yield positive outcomes in improving clinical neurological function, cervical curvature, range of motion of the cervical spine, and cervical sagittal balance. Although open-door laminoplasty is less effective than total laminectomy in maintaining CCI and sagittal balance, it excels in preserving cervical range of motion, less surgical trauma and complications. Thus, open-door laminoplasty may be a suitable first-choice treatment for multi-segmental cervical OPLL, especially for patients with lordotic cervical spine physiological curvature.
The mechanism of Sanzi Yangqin decoction for asthma treatment based on network pharmacology and experimental verification
Authors: Wu Yue , Ni Zhenhua , Wang Shiqiang , Sun Yipeng , Luo Xuming , Wang Xiongbiao , Liu Jinjin
Published: December 2023

Background

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterized by airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, airway hyper-reactivity. Sanzi Yangqin Decoction (SZYQD) is widely prescribed for asthma treatment. Its anti-asthma activities have been reported in animal model, but the exact mechanism and targets of SZYQD in asthma treatment have not been fully elucidated.

Methods

A network pharmacological approach was used to predict the active components, targets, and signalling pathways of SZYQD in asthma, including potential target prediction, protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network construction and analysis, and Gene Ont (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. The active ingredients were identified from the SZYQD, and were molecular docked according to the results of network pharmacology. A mouse model of asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was constructed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of SZYQD. Furthermore, the effects of SZYQD and its active ingredients were tested in vitro for regulating inflammation and MUC5AC expression (two main pathophysiologic abnormalities of asthma) in macrophages and airway epithelial cells by using Real-time PCR and western blotting.

Results

A total of 28 active ingredients and 111 HUB genes were screened in the relevant databases, including three key ingredients (luteolin, β-carotene, and Sinapine) and nine core target genes (JUN, CTNNB1, IL10, TP53, AKT1, STAT3, TNF, IL6 and EGFR). KEGG and GO analysis indicated that the potential anti-asthmatic mechanisms of SZYQD were related to PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and response to lipopolysaccharide, etc. In the in vivo asthmatic model, our findings demonstrated that SZYQD exerted a protective effect against asthmatic mice induced by OVA and LPS through the inhibition of inflammation and mucus overproduction. Consistently, cell experiments showed that the SZYQD extract or the key active ingredients luteolin significantly decreased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-6 expression and activation of the NF-κB pathway in macrophages. In addition, SZYQD extract or luteolin inhibited activation of the AKT pathway and expression of MUC5AC induced by EGF in airway epithelial cells.

Conclusion

The anti-asthmatic mechanism of SZYQD might be associated with inhibiting inflammation and airway mucus hypersecretion by regulating the NF-κB and AKT signalling pathways as predicted by network pharmacology, which provides more evidence for the application of SZYQD in asthma treatment.
Role of the P2 × 7 receptor in neurodegenerative diseases and its pharmacological properties
Authors: Hu Ziyan , Luo Yifan , Zhu Jinxi , Jiang Danling , Luo Zhenzhong , Wu Lidong , Li Jin , Peng Shengliang , Hu Jialing
Published: December 2023

Neurodegenerative diseases seriously affect patients’ physical and mental health, reduce their quality of life, and impose a heavy burden on society. However, their treatment remains challenging. Therefore, exploring factors potentially related to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and improving their diagnosis and treatment are urgently needed. Recent studies have shown that P2 × 7R plays a crucial role in regulating neurodegenerative diseases caused by neuroinflammation. P2 × 7R is an adenosine 5′-triphosphate ligand-gated cation channel receptor present in most tissues of the human body. An increase in P2 × 7R levels can affect the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, and the inhibition of P2 × 7R can alleviate neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we comprehensively describe the biological characteristics (structure, distribution, and function) of this gene, focusing on its potential association with neurodegenerative diseases, and we discuss the pharmacological effects of drugs (P2 × 7R inhibitors) used to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Association between COVID-19 and outstanding academic performance at a Spanish university
Authors: Amer Fares , López Tamara , Gil-Conesa Mario , Carlos Silvia , Ariño Arturo H , Carmona-Torre Francisco , Martínez-González Miguel A. , Fernandez-Montero Alejandro
Published: December 2023

Background

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 identified in December 2019, an acute infectious respiratory disease that can cause persistent neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, myalgias difficulty concentrating, among others including acute cerebrovascular disease with a prevalence of 1–35%. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 in undergraduate students on their academic performance as an indicator of their intellectual ability and performance in a university that maintained 100% face-to-face teaching during the 2020–2021 academic year.

Methods

A total of 7,039 undergraduate students were analyzed in a prospective cohort study at the University of Navarra. A questionnaire including sociodemographic and behavioral questions was sent. PCRs were performed throughout the academic year for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and students’ academic results were provided by the academic center, adjusted descriptive and multivariate models were performed to assess the association.

Results

A total of 658 (9.3%) participants were diagnosed with COVID-19, almost 4.0% of them achieved outstanding academic results, while uninfected students did so in 7.3%. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a significant decrease in having outstanding academic results (OR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.38–0.86).

Conclusion

Having COVID-19 disease, decreased academic performance in undergraduate students. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent infection even in the youngest sections of the population.
Plasma-activated water regulated transcriptome gene expression leading to high germination and growth of mung beans
Authors: Chou Yu-Jou , Ting Yuwen
Published: December 2023

Background

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a solution created by exposing water to cold atmospheric plasma discharge, resulting in a biocidal agent with unique biochemical properties attributed to highly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Plasma-activated water (PAW) has been the subject of research for its potential in promoting seed germination. While it has shown promising results, the exact mechanism by which PAW promotes seed growth remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the role of PAW in promoting mung bean germination, including its effects on vitality improvement and the triggering of plant stress responses to promote crop growth. Through the utilization of next-generation sequencing, we aim to explore the interaction between the properties of PAW and gene expression in mung beans. By deciphering the nature of PAW and analyzing gene expression patterns, we hope to uncover the underlying mechanisms that govern their interaction.

Results

The results revealed that nitrogen plasma-activated water (NPAW) treatment improves the vitality and hypocotyl length of mung beans and leads to a good overall growth state. Moreover, we identified numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including genes related to stress responses, growth regulation, and metabolic processes, that were upregulated or downregulated in response to PAW treatment. As a result of APAW treatment, 168 genes were upregulated and 90 genes were downregulated. Furthermore, 179 genes were upregulated in the NPAW compared to 125 genes that were downregulated in the control group. Gene expression analysis revealed involvement in stress signaling and metabolic processes.

Conclusions

PAW treatment can promote crop growth and serve as a reference for other seeds. This research provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms and benefits of PAW in sustainable agriculture.

Graphical Abstract
The Movies of Racial Childhoods
Authors: Shimizu Celine Parreñas
Published: December 2023

The Movies of Racial Childhoods Celine Parreñas Shimizu examines early twenty-first-century cinematic representations of Asian and Asian American children. Drawing on psychoanalysis and her own perspective as a mother grieving for a deceased child, Shimizu considers how cinema renders Asian American children through sexualized racial difference, infantilization, and premature adultification. She looks at how Asian American childhood is characterized in film through experiences of alienation and trauma and contends that childhood development requires finding freedom and self-sovereignty through agentic attunement. In analyzing films that focus on queer Asian American youth such as Spa Night (2016) and Driveways (2019) and those that explore the trauma of being an immigrant like Yellow Rose (2019) and The Half of It (2020), Shimizu demonstrates that films can prompt viewers to evaluate their own childhood development. They also allow the opportunity to understand the demands placed upon Asian American children, particularly in regard to race and sexuality. In this way, cinema becomes a vehicle for empowering our inner child and the children all around us.
A semasiosyntactic corpus study of sequence of tense in modern Greek
Authors: Φιωτάκη Αλεξάνδρα
Published: December 2023

Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι η σημασιοσυντακτική μελέτη του φαινομένου της Ακολουθίας των Χρόνων (ΑΧ) στα Ελληνικά με ειδικό πεδίο μελέτης την ακολουθία "κύρια πρόταση – να εξαρτημένη πρόταση" και παράλληλα, η υπολογιστική υλοποίηση σε μια γραμματική στο πλαίσιο της Λεξικής Λειτουργικής Γραμματικής (ΛΛΓ). Η ΑΧ ορίζεται ως το σύνολο των περιορισμών που επιβάλλει το ρήμα της κύριας πρότασης στον χρόνο του ρήματος της εξαρτημένης πρότασης και πώς αυτός ο χρόνος ερμηνεύεται. Συνεπώς, η μελέτη μου περιστρέφεται γύρω από τον προσδιορισμό των διαθέσιμων ερμηνειών του εξαρτημένου ρήματος και των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν τις ερμηνείες αυτές. Στο πλαίσιο της μελέτης της ΑΧ και δεδομένου ότι η μελέτη εντάσσεται στον τομέα της υπολογιστικής γλωσσολογίας, σχεδιάστηκε μια υπολογιστική γραμματική για τα Ελληνικά που να καλύπτει την συντακτική ανάλυση των ακολουθιών "κύρια πρόταση -να/ότι πρόταση" ακολουθώντας το γραμματικό φορμαλισμό της ΛΛΓ. Η υλοποίηση πραγματώνεται στην πλατφόρμα Xerox Linguistic Environment. Παρά το γεγονός ότι η γραμματική επικεντρώνεται σε ένα συγκεκριμένο υποσύνολο της Ελληνικής, οι προτεινόμενοι συντακτικοί κανόνες που εμπεριέχονται σε αυτήν, καλύπτουν μεγάλο εύρος γλωσσικών φαινομένων. Η υπολογιστική γραμματική που αναπτύχθηκε, περιλαμβάνει επίσης ένα λεξικό περίπου 40.000 λέξεων επισημειωμένων, όχι μόνο ως προς τα μορφολογικά χαρακτηριστικά τους, αλλά και με μια πρότυπη μετάφραση στα Αγγλικά. Για τη μελέτη του φαινομένου προς μελέτη δημιουργήθηκε ένα Σώμα Κειμένων (ΣΚ) με γλωσσολογικά επισημειωμένες ακολουθίες: α. κύρια πρόταση – εξαρτημένη ότι πρόταση και β. κύρια πρόταση – εξαρτημένη να πρόταση. Το ΣΚ που αναπτύχθηκε είναι μεγέθους 330.000 λέξεων και αντλήθηκε από τον Εθνικό Θησαυρό Ελληνικής Γλώσσας του Ινστιτούτου Επεξεργασίας του Λόγου. Τόσο η υπολογιστική γραμματική όσο και το λεξικό είναι επαναχρησιμοποιήσιμοι γλωσσικοί πόροι. Τέλος, από την παραπάνω μελέτη κατέληξα στο ότι οι διαθέσιμες χρονικές ερμηνείες του ρήματος της εξαρτημένης πρότασης, του ταυτόχρονου, του προτερόχρονου, του υστερόχρονου και της "διπλής πρόσβασης" (double access reading) επηρεάζονται συνδυαστικά από τον γραμματικό χρόνο, τη γραμματική όψη/άποψη, τη λεξική όψη αλλά και τη λεξική σημασία του κύριου και του εξαρτημένου ρήματος.
First record of alien gastropods Epitonium aranea Bonfitto, 2018 and Stosicia annulata (Dunker, 1860) (Mollusca) from the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Öztürk Bilal , Recevik Murat
Published: December 2023

In a benthic material taken from the Levantine coast of Türkiye, Epitonium aranea Bonfitto, 2018, a species previously known from the Red Sea only, and Stosicia annulata (Dunker, 1860) distributed in Japan Sea, Persian Gulf and Central and East Indian Ocean were recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea. Along with two unknown species from the region, herein have also been dealing with Melanella sp., Oscilla virginiae Peñas, Rolán and Sabelli, 2020 and Zafra pumila (Dunker, 1860) which are poorly known species from the area, and some remarks of the taxonomy and distribution of the studied taxa are discussed.
Religiosity, Economic Status, Environmental Concern, and Perceived Behavioral Effectiveness as Predictors of Buying Environmentally Friendly Products: A Quantitative Study of Turkish Muslims
Authors: ÇİÇEK Şule , AYTEN Ali
Published: December 2023

The aim of the present study was to examine the roles of religiosity, economic status, environmental concern, perceived behavioral effectiveness, and environmental dominance in purchasing environmentally friendly products. The study also examined the role of gender in relation to religiosity, environmental concern, environmental dominance, and the inclination to buy green products. This study was conducted among Turkish Muslims. The sample included 618 respondents who ranged in age from 18 to 84 years, with a mean age of 28 years (SD=10.1). An online questionnaire technique was used through Google Drive. The following scales were applied: a Personal Information Form, Environmental Orientation of Possessions Scale, Questions about Environmental Awareness, Religiosity Scale, and Purification of Environmental Products. The findings indicated that religiosity, economic status, environmental concern, and perceived behavioral effectiveness had positive effects on the purchase of environmentally friendly products. In addition, the research findings demonstrate that gender influences individuals’ religiosity, environmental concerns, stance in relation to nature, and perceived behavioral effectiveness in buying green products. The consequences of these findings and recommendations for forthcoming research are discussed.
Ad annos discretionis. Dorastanie w miastach późnośredniowiecznej Polski
Authors: Bartoszewicz Agnieszka
Published: December 2023

Celem artykułu jest analiza zagadnień związanych z postrzeganiem granicy pełnoletności w miastach polskich w XV i pierwszych dekadach XVI w. Osiągnięcie pełnoletności, czyli lat sprawnych (anni discretionis) było regulowane prawem, a termin ten występuje regularnie w rejestrach sądów miejskich i sądów wyższych prawa niemieckiego. Analiza materiału źródłowego umożliwia zatem odpowiedź na pytanie, jak wyglądał w praktyce proces wchodzenia w pełnoletność, jakie wiązały się z tym prawa i obowiązki oraz pozwala zaobserwować różnice i podobieństwa w sposobie traktowania dorastających dziewcząt i chłopców.
Czy Georg Forster nie lubił Polaków? Pendant do refleksji nad literaturą podróżniczą jako źródłem historycznym
Authors: Kordel Jacek
Published: December 2023

Obraz Polski i Polaków malowany ręką Georga Forstera, botanika i podróżnika, bawiącego w latach 1784–1787 w Wilnie, kolejne pokolenia historyków pokryły grubą warstwą werniksu. Zżółkł on, ściemniał i stracił przezroczystość, nie pozwalając dostrzec detali kompozycji. Analizując Forsteriańską korespondencję z okresu pobytu w Rzeczypospolitej na szerokim tle literackich zjawisk końca XVIII w., autor stara się tę zasłonę odsunąć. Podejmuje także polemikę z mitem Forstera jako obiektywnego obserwatora i kosmopolity.
Szkoła Szymona Askenazego: przypadek Kazimierza Woźnickiego (1878–1949)
Authors: Hoszowska Mariola
Published: December 2023

Szymon Askenazy był jednym z najwybitniejszych polskich historyków przełomu XIX i XX w. Na Uniwersytecie Lwowskim stworzył szkołę historyczną, z której wyszli wybitni badacze. Jej wizytówką była seria wydawnicza Monografie w zakresie dziejów nowożytnych. W prywatnym seminarium Askenazego uczestniczyli studenci reprezentujący szerokie spektrum poglądów politycznych. Silna była wśród nich grupa sympatyków endecji i członków Związku Młodzieży Polskiej ZET. Związany z nią Kazimierz Woźnicki we Lwowie nie studiował, ale podjął współpracę z Askenazym, który widział w nim dobrze wykształconego przedstawiciela młodego pokolenia, zdolnego sprostać nie tylko wyzwaniom naukowym, ale i zaangażować się w obronę sprawy polskiej.
Polscy żołnierze w Pawliszczew Borze (1939–1941) w świetle relacji powojennych
Authors: Weber Kamil
Published: December 2023

Artykuł dotyczy losów polskich żołnierzy, którzy znaleźli się w niewoli sowieckiej po 17 września 1939 r. Pewna ich liczba (w tym oficerowie rezerwy) trafiła do obozu NKWD Pawliszczew Bor (obwód smoleński). Obóz funkcjonował do wybuchu wojny sowiecko-niemieckiej.
The Wind That Shakes the Turbines: Analysis of Irish Energy Production and Sovereignty
Authors: Lefeuvre Elise
Published: December 2023

Ireland’s answer to transitioning, greening and securing energy production is essentially to develop offshore wind, thereby leveraging its large maritime territory. Ireland supplies and runs an all-island grid, and has export potential to other EU countries by means of interconnectors. This article argues that energy transition is an opportunity for Ireland to rank as a key energy supplier and technological leader for offshore wind. Reaching these positions requires a range of political and industrial measures to achieve strategic management of Irish waters. The Irish government, together with the national electricity company, the Electricity Supply Board, is now rolling out a roadmap of programmes and investments to dramatically increase offshore wind share in the national energy mix by 2030. A very clear governmental transition strategy, the recent launch of several infrastructure construction works and significant financial firepower, combined with strong EU support, give confidence that Ireland can deliver on its objectives.
Imperial Nuptials at Pompeii: CIL IV.1261, an Obscene Take on the Marriage of Nero and Pythagoras
Authors: Possanza D. Mark
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Among Pompeian wall inscriptions CIL IV.1261 is well known for its brisk obscenities and problems of text and interpretation. According to the text as it is currently printed, the graffito is generally understood to make a political statement of some kind about the mistreatment of the Roman citizen body; in what circumstances and by whom the collective of ciues Romani has been mistreated cannot be determined from the evidence of the graffito. In this paper, I present a revised text of the graffito, and I argue that the phrase ciuium Romanorum cunnus refers not to the Roman citizen body but to the emperor Nero and that the scene described in the text is the earliest extant testimony to an event that took place in 64 CE and was witnessed by persons unknown, Nero's marriage as bride to his freedman Pythagoras.
Plácido, el dilema del escritor afrodescendiente en una sociedad esclavista
Authors: Camacho Jorge
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Este ensayo se enfoca en los poemas de Gabriel de la Concepción Valdés, más conocido por el nombre de Plácido y en las acusaciones que le hicieron las autoridades españolas por conspirar contra la raza blanca. En esta lectura se subrayan dos tipologías: una referente a la sumisión y otra a la transgresión, argumentando que ambos conceptos describen actitudes opuestas ante el poder y proyecciones políticas ante la sociedad y los límites que esta le imponía a los afrodescendientes. Por tal motivo, subraya los elementos simbólicos que identifican uno y otro discurso y plantea, que, si bien los primeros muestran subordinación al estatus quo , los otros rompen con el imaginario social institucionalizado y jerárquico que como decía Bronislaw Baczko es constitutivo y controlado en cualquier sociedad por el poder. Para apoyar esta interpretación se comparan sus poemas con los de José María Heredia y otros escritores independentistas, quienes recurren a los mismos conceptos y figuras republicanas para hablar de la patria. Al final se discuten los artículos que Manuel Sanguily le dedicó a Plácido que enfatizan solamente un lado de esta retórica.
CRISPR loss of function screening to identify genes involved in human primordial germ cell-like cell development
Authors: Hwang Young Sun , Seita Yasunari , Blanco M. Andrés , Sasaki Kotaro
Published: December 2023

Despite our increasing knowledge of molecular mechanisms guiding various aspects of human reproduction, those underlying human primordial germ cell (PGC) development remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted custom CRISPR screening in an in vitro system of human PGC-like cells (hPGCLCs) to identify genes required for acquisition and maintenance of PGC fate. Amongst our candidates, we identified TCL1A, an AKT coactivator. Functional assessment in our in vitro hPGCLCs system revealed that TCL1A played a critical role in later stages of hPGCLC development. Moreover, we found that TCL1A loss reduced AKT-mTOR signaling, downregulated expression of genes related to translational control, and subsequently led to a reduction in global protein synthesis and proliferation. Together, our study highlights the utility of CRISPR screening for human in vitro-derived germ cells and identifies novel translational regulators critical for hPGCLC development.
Differential cellular immune responses against Orientia tsutsugamushi Karp and Gilliam strains following acute infection in mice
Authors: Thiriot Joseph D. , Liang Yuejin , Gonzales Casey , Sun Jiaren , Yu Xiaoying , Soong Lynn
Published: December 2023

Scrub typhus is a leading cause of febrile illness in endemic countries due to infection with Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot), a seriously understudied intracellular bacterium. Pulmonary involvement associated with vascular parasitism in patients is common and can develop into life threatening interstitial pneumonia. The diverse antigenicity of Ot genotypes and inter-strain differences in genome content are connected to varied virulence and clinical outcomes; however, detailed studies of strain-related pulmonary immune responses in human patients or small animal models of infection are lacking. In this study, we have used two clinically prevalent bacterial strains (Karp and Gilliam) to reveal cellular immune responses in inflamed lungs and potential biomarkers of disease severity. The results demonstrate that outbred CD-1 mice are highly susceptible to both Karp and Gilliam strains; however, C57BL/6 (B6) mice were susceptible to Karp, but resistant to Gilliam (with self-limiting infection), corresponding to their tissue bacterial burdens and lung pathological changes. Multicolor flow cytometric analyses of perfused B6 mouse lungs revealed robust and sustained influx and activation of innate immune cells (macrophages, neutrophils, and NK cells), followed by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, during Karp infection, but such responses were greatly attenuated during Gilliam infection. The robust cellular responses in Karp-infected B6 mice positively correlated with significantly early and high levels of serum cytokine/chemokine protein levels (CXCL1, CCL2/3/5, and G-CSF), as well as pulmonary gene expression (Cxcl1/2, Ccl2/3/4, and Ifng). In vitro infection of B6 mouse-derived primary macrophages also revealed bacterial strain-dependent immune gene expression profiles. This study provided the lines of evidence that highlighted differential tissue cellular responses against Karp vs. Gilliam infection, offering a framework for future investigation of Ot strain-related mechanisms of disease pathogenesis vs. infection control.
HIV treatment cascade among female sex workers in Ethiopia: Assessment against the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets
Authors: Abdella Saro , Demissie Meaza , Worku Alemayehu , Dheresa Merga , Berhane Yemane
Published: December 2023

Background

HIV treatment cascades for HIV-positive female sex workers (FSWs) have been challenged by the overlapping stigma and discrimination associated with both their sex work and HIV status. This study aims to assess the proportion of HIV-positive FSWs who access care and treatment in Ethiopia.

Method

A cross-sectional study with a respondent-driven sampling technique was used to enroll 6,085 female sex workers from January to June 2020. Interviews were conducted to assess the FSWs’ HIV status awareness and access to ART. A blood sample was drawn to determine the current HIV status and viral load level. Logistic regression was run to identify factors associated with FSWs’ HIV status awareness.

Results

Of the total 1140 HIV-positive FSWs, 50.38% knew they were HIV positive; 92.88% of those who knew their status were on ART, and 91.68% of those on ART had attained viral suppression of less than 1000 copies per milliliter. The adjusted odds of knowing HIV status was 3.20 (95% CI; 2.00, 5.13) among those aged 35 years and older, 1.81 (95% CI; 1.05, 3.12) among widowed, and 1.73 (95% CI; 1.28, 2.32) in those who did not perceive the risk of HIV acquisition.

Conclusion

Only about half of HIV-positive FSWs knew they were HIV positive. More than 90% of those who knew their status were put on ART and achieved viral suppression. The weakest point in achieving HIV control among FSWs is the identification of those living with HIV.
Determinants of human papillomavirus vaccine hesitancy among Lebanese parents
Authors: Zakhour Ramia , Tamim Hani , Faytrouni Farah , Makki Maha , Hojeij Rayan , Charafeddine Lama
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. HPV is responsible for cancer of cervix uteri. Despite its safety and immunogenicity, HPV vaccine hesitancy is one of the most challenging topics that pediatricians face.

Methods

We aimed to describe the impact of knowledge, attitude, and practice towards vaccines in general, on practice related to HPV vaccination in Lebanon. A questionnaire addressed to parents of students (3–18 years of age) was distributed in 2 public and 2 private schools randomly selected from the greater Beirut area during the school year 2017–2018. Questionnaires covered knowledge, attitude, and practices of vaccination in general and HPV vaccine in particular.

Results

Out of 400 distributed questionnaires, 306 (76.5%) were returned. Of the 185 parents aware of HPV vaccine, 60% hadn’t given or were not planning to give the HPV vaccine to their children. Of parents not in favor of HPV vaccine, 7.5 thought that vaccines aren’t necessary versus none among those in favor of HPV vaccine(p = 0.02). Thirteen percent of those not in favor of HPV vaccine thought that vaccines are not safe versus 2.7% in the group in favor (p = 0.02). An effect of gender on vaccine acceptance was noted: mothers vs fathers and daughters vs sons. Lack of recommendation by pediatricians and the thought that too little is known about the vaccine were the most selected reasons for parents not wanting to vaccinate their children against HPV, whereas cost and religious and cultural beliefs seemed to have no impact.

Conclusion

Most parents in our study did not vaccinate or weren’t willing to vaccinate their children against HPV even when they were in favor of vaccines in general. Physician recommendation was shown to be one of the most important predictors of vaccination. Effort should be put into educating parents about the importance of the vaccine and its well-established safety and efficacy regardless of gender. Lebanese physicians should also be educated and empowered to recommend HPV vaccine more strongly and consistently.
Representing queerness: Modes, manners and methods
Authors: Horvat Anamarija , Kelly Alice M.
Published: December 2023

Emerging from the Queer Representation: Pasts, Presents and Futures conference that the guest editors organized in 2021 with the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, the works in this issue theorize multiple ways queerness can be and has been represented on-screen, in print and online in recent years. In this introduction, the editors consider the myriad contexts at play in the construction of ‘queer’ and how ideas about queer temporality, spatiality, kinship and embodiment are surfacing in media across the world. Where each contributor to this Special Issue looks closely at specific examples of non-normative lives, gender non-conforming people and/or same-gender desires being depicted in media texts, the editors use this introduction to highlight the overlapping understandings of queer representation that these articles and reviews, as a collection, are proposing. Whether arising from narratives which subvert expectations of coming out as the sole way of legitimizing queerness, works which utilize colour and movement to signify queer potentiality or through queer performances which undercut established ways of being in the world, the authors and reviewers each posit a version of queerness, in this issue, that is capacious, expansive and plural. Together, as the editors explain in this introduction, their works probe what queer visibility means at a time when neither the presence of LGBTQIA+ stories on our screens nor the unending tide of worldwide anti-queer policies seem to be abating.
Setting the record ‘straight’: Captain America fanfiction, museums and queer narratives
Authors: Black Suzanne R.
Published: December 2023

Many of the largest and furthest-reaching media franchises today, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), opt not to represent a range of queer identities and relationships but instead perpetuate heteronormativity. Alternatively, an extensive site of queer historical recovery can be found in the fanfiction that is written in response to these popular media franchises. This article explores how fanfiction set in museums challenges the version of history presented in the MCU’s Captain America films by re-introducing queerness into historical narratives. I argue that while popular media franchises often continue to replicate a narrow definition of sexuality, we can turn to other sites of prolific literary production for more optimistic and pluralistic queer imaginaries. However, fanfiction is not immune to the systemic biases that occur in contemporary culture and, while these texts are successful at re-inscribing queer narratives, they reveal the complexities of attending to intersections of identities, especially in terms of according the same recuperative attention to race.
‘Unsticking’ Kid Cosmic: Lifting the burden of gendered certainty in children’s TV
Authors: Jenkins Abigail
Published: December 2023

In recent years, American children’s animated TV has slowly begun to depict queerness in explicit ways, with a handful of shows portraying gender non-conforming characters and same-gender relationships. Still others have provided pathways to reading queer alterity in an absence of apparent queerness by celebrating and embracing uncertainty, change and difference. This article focuses on the latter in relation to textual analysis, exploring ‘unsticking’ in Kid Cosmic, an animated show that turns over and complicates the neo-liberal, individualistic superhero tropes typical of many comic books and comic book movies. Following Kid and his three companions as they negotiate newfound powers, the show offers the opportunity to read queerness in children and children’s TV not as an additive quality or monolithic struggle but rather as a fluid, uncertain, unfixed and ever-changing process of motion. As Kid and his companions’ bodies are transcendently lifted from existing representational frameworks and thrown through space – unstuck from the ground and from their daily lives – they come to comprise something, I argue, quite radical.
Screening through silence: The representation of queerness in Retablo (2017)
Authors: Pérez-Osorio Javier
Published: December 2023

Retablo is a feature-length film, mostly shot in Quechua language, centred on an Indigenous family who lives in the Peruvian Andes and makes a living as artisans of the eponymous folk art. The main storyline is about Segundo, a 14-year-old only-child and apprentice, whose close relationship with his father and master, Noé, is drastically altered when it is revealed that the latter has sexual relationships with other men. Drawing from decolonial queer theory (Gomes-Pereira, Miskolci, Pelúcio), in this article I rehearse an analysis of Retablo as a case study to reconsider the notion of queer cinema and the representation of queer experiences on the continent. First, I review the use of ‘queer’ in Latin American film scholarship and argue for an understanding of the category not focused on issues such as identity, homophobia and machismo, but on the cinematic formal strategies used to portray local queer practices. Following this line of thought, I engage with Schoonover and Galt’s argument that film is a ‘queerly inflected medium’ to probe how Retablo’s attempt to incite a queer spectatorship using an Indigenous aesthetic grammar illustrates the intertwining between global queer cinema and local elaborations of sexual difference. Lastly, I use the category of ‘silence’ (Sifuentes-Jaúregui) to study Retablo’s alternative representation of queer sexuality. I suggest that the film’s depiction of queer desires resorting to unnaming and concealing is an example of an alternative figuration of queer subjectivity in Latin American cinema, one distanced from the Anglo-American narratives of ‘coming out’.
Wolfgang Beltracchi and the authenticity of forgery: Not a moral failure
Authors: Pyle Terri
Published: December 2023

Reiner Schurmann’s Broken Hegemonies is a philosophical approach to how humans have historically created a rhetorical framework of ideas to operate in their existence. For this article, I will discuss Schurmann’s text, specifically his Hegemonic Fantasms of Nature and Modern Consciousness (as well as the associated concepts of the tragic condition and tragic denial) in order to understand Wolfgang Beltracchi as a skilled albeit complicated artist, researcher and art forger. Beltracchi operates within the Hegemonic Fantasm of Nature as the law (per Marcus Tullius Cicero and Marcus Aurelius) as well as with nature as the destitution of the hegemonic construct of nature (per Meister Eckhart) and the Hegemonic Fantasm of Modern Consciousness of the subject ‘self’ (per Luther and Kant), as well as the diremption of hegemonic concepts (per Martin Heidegger). I will further discuss Nature as the law of authenticity and provenance within the twentieth-century art market as discussed in Anthony Amore’s The Art of the Con, Arne Birkenstock’s documentary, Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery, as well as articles from Deutsche Welle (DW) and Times Magazine, and then define diremption as the self-reflexive gaze as discussed in Martin Heidegger’s essays from Basic Writings and Schurmann’s interpretation of Heidegger’s text, Contributions. While I am of the opinion that Beltracchi is operating under the particulars of laws and ‘ethics of naturality’ (via Roman Stoicism), he is also operating outside of Nature and into the narration of singularity that contradicts the Hegemonic Fantasm of Modern Consciousness. I will argue that Beltracchi utilizes the fantasm of the art market to operate within the fantasm of forgery and, in doing so, becomes an ‘obedient spirit that lets itself be broken’ and re-subsumed by art itself.
Obtaining Glycyrrhiza uralensis “hairy” roots: primary assessment of growth characteristics and content of phenolic compounds
Authors: Andreychuk D. D. , Asbaganov S. V. , Ambros E. V. , Novikova T. I.
Published: December 2023

Widespread use and uncontrolled harvesting of wild plants of Ural licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC.) as a raw material for pharmacology and the food industry determines the promise of the system of “hairy” roots for obtaining valuable secondary metabolites. The aim of the research is to develop an effective protocol for the agrobacterial transformation of Rhizobium rhizogenes of various types of explants of 30-day-old G. uralensis microplants: cotyledons, primary shoots, hypocotyls, and primary roots. The effect of 100 цМ acetosyringone, variation of the cocultivation time (2 and 4 h) on the efficiency of the transformation process by two strains of R. rhizogenes 15834 SWISS and MSU 440 was studied. infection (2 h) and competent types of explants for transformation with the strain (cotyledons, primary shoots, primary roots). As a result of primary selection, 12 lines of stably growing BK cultures were selected. PCR analysis showed that all selected lines contain the rolB and rolC genes, while the virC gene is absent. It was determined that 4 lines are characterized by a high growth rate, 3 are characterized by a high total content of phenolic compounds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first protocol for obtaining a culture of hairy roots from G. uralensis using strains R. rhizogenes 15834 SWISS and MSU 440.
Use of visual and echo sounding surveys: case study of submerged aquatic vegetation of lake Kenon (Eastern Transbaikalia)
Authors: Bazarova B. B. , Kuklin A. P.
Published: December 2023

The paper presents the results of studying of the aquatic vegetation of Lake Kenon based on the integrated use of traditional methods of visual survey with an echo sounding. The use of echo sounding surveys makes it possible to study better the features of the distribution of submerged aquatic plants. It allows you to speed up the process of sampling in the field, and also facilitates office processing of the received data. Based on the measurement results, a bathymetric map was built, and the boundaries and areas of dominant phytocenoses were determined. It was revealed that at present the total area of thickets is 489 hectares, which is 33 % of the lake area. The maximum depth of plant growth was 5.1 m. The data obtained is higher than the percentage of overgrowth in 1993, but lower than the values for the 70s and 80s. At present, as in previous years, Chara algae are leading in terms of overgrowing area. The decrease in the distribution area of Nitella flexilis and Potamogeton crispus was revealed.
Genetic inventory of rare and endemic plant species of the Baikal Region
Authors: Kulakova N. V. , Verkhozina A. V. , Kondratov I. G.
Published: December 2023

Replenishment of databases with genetic information of various species is necessary to solve topical issues of their taxonomy and systematics. One way to obtain genetic data from herbarium vouchers is to determine the nucleotide sequences of individual nuclear and chloroplast regions, which are widely used for molecular identification and plant phylogeny. Rare and endemic plant species are often the least represented in the genetic databases. In this work, we studied endemic plant species: Astragalus angarensis, Hedysarum turczaninovii, Hedysarum zundukii, Oxytropis popoviana, Papaver popovii, Gueldenstaedtia verna, Tulipa uniflora, Eutrema cordifolium, Megadenia pygmaea, Mannagettaea hummelii which have different conservation status in the Irkutsk Region and in the Republic of Buryatia. For Papaver popovii and Astragalus angarensis, genetic data have been obtained for the first time; for other species, information on universal DNA barcodes has been supplemented. In addition, genetic differences between Mannagettaea from the Republic of Buryatia and the type species Mannagettaea hummelii Harry Sm. (China) were shown. More detailed study on Mannagettaea is necessary to clarify its species diversity. Thus, results obtained supplemented the genetic information of the vouchers of the species presented in the herbarium of the Siberian Institute of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SIPPB SB RAS). This DNA-barcoding expands application of the herbarium in integrative studies using genetic data and contributes to the further study of rare endemic species of the Baikal Region.
Diversity and preliminary phylogeny of ‘Circinaria transbaicalica’ group (lichenized Ascomycetes)
Authors: Paukov A. G. , Davydov E. A. , Kuzmina I. A. , Chusovitin A. A. , Ren Q. , Sohrabi М.
Published: December 2023

Circinaria transbaicalica - is a saxicolous dwarf-fruticose lichen species, with a range spreading from the Trans-Baikal territory and China to the Ural Mountains. The study of ITS and mtSSU sequences showed that it is relative to the crustose Circinaria arida, previously known from the USA only, and to the radiate C. maculata described from China. Specimens determined as Circinaria transbaicalica were split into two separate branches likely representing cryptic species that have no distinct morphological and anatomical differences but having a different distribution. The ‘Circinaria transbaicalica‘ group represents an example of an evolution of life forms of crustose lichens from the uniform cracked-areolate to the dwarf-fruticose morphology.