bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Producción neolítica de sal marina en La Marismilla (La Puebla del Río, Sevilla). Datos renovados e hipótesis complementarias
Authors: Escacena Carrasco José Luis , García Rivero Daniel
Published: October 2019

El trabajo presenta los resultados de las intervenciones arqueológicas llevadas a cabo en el yacimiento prehistórico de La Marismilla (La Puebla del Río). Éste está situado en la orilla occidental de la comarca de Las Marismas, en la provincia de Sevilla. Esta zona era a mediados del Holoceno la costa de un gran golfo en el que desembocaba el Guadalquivir. Labores agrícolas pusieron fortuitamente de manifiesto restos de recipientes cerámicos, hallazgo que conllevó una excavación. Los trabajos arqueológicos detectan diecisiete hogares colmatados por potentes conglomerados de fragmentos de vasijas, que constituían los residuos de la actividad antrópica en el lugar. El análisis exhaustivo de la estratigrafía y de la cultura material exhumada permite obtener los resultados de la primera explotación salina prehistórica conocida en la península ibérica, hallazgo al que se han sumado posteriormente otros a lo largo de la geografía peninsular. La Marismilla se fecha actualmente en la segunda mitad del IV milenio cal BC., en el periodo conocido como Neolítico final, y constituye todavía una de las factorías más antiguas en Europa occidental donde se produjo sal mediante cocción de agua marina en grandes recipientes cerámicos.
La influencia mediterránea en el valle medio del Ebro durante la Primera Edad del Hierro: imitaciones de holmoi, soportes y thymiateria
Authors: Royo Guillén José Ignacio
Published: October 2019

La aparición en varios poblados y necrópolis protohistóricos del valle medio del Ebro de unas piezas cerámicas tipologicamente asimilables a los Holmoi etruscos, junto a otros ejemplares de soportes cerámicos y Thymiateria metálicos, nos permite analizar su contexto material, cronológico y cultural, así como comprobar cómo los estímulos del comercio mediterráneo, no sólo se extendieron por la costa mediterránea y tierras aledañas, sino que a través del intercambio y de procesos de aculturación, las poblaciones indígenas del valle medio del Ebro muy pronto asimilaron dichos influjos, especialmente en lo que respecta a las élites sociales, al ritual relacionado con el banquete en el ámbito funerario y a los cambios en la vajilla relacionada con la comensalidad en el ámbito doméstico, al menos desde mediados del siglo VII hasta finales del  siglo VI y primera mitad del V a.
La etapa arcaica de la ciudad fenicia de Gadir
Authors: Niveau de Villedary y Mariñas Ana María
Published: October 2019

El objetivo de este trabajo es intentar reconstruir la topografía y la morfología de la antigua fundación tiria a partir de los datos materiales aportados por las intervenciones arqueológicas más recientes. A los primeros restos aislados y descontextualizados, se han incorporado en los últimos quince años una serie de contextos y secuencias estratigráficas que confirman la ubicación y antigüedad de la ciudad de Gadir de acuerdo a la tradición literaria e historiográfica y hacen posible, si bien de forma preliminar, desentrañar el entramado urbano de la misma y la articulación de los diferentes elementos y sectores reconocidos: áreas residenciales, zonas periurbanas, puertos, necrópolis, espacios de culto, etc.
Nuevos datos sobre la fabricación de ánforas turdetanas. Una revisión de las fases y manufacturas de producción de Cerro Macareno (La Rinconada, Sevilla)
Authors: Moreno Megías Violeta
Published: October 2019

Cerro Macareno (La Rinconada, Sevilla) es un yacimiento emblemático para la Protohistoria de la península ibérica y, particularmente, para el estudio de los recipientes anfóricos. La historiografía tradicional había asignado a este yacimiento la función de centro productor para las ánforas turdetanas, al menos aquellas del tipo Pellicer BC, sin ninguna evidencia clara y sin haber emprendido un análisis detallado de la presencia de desechos cerámicos de cocción en asociación con los hornos documentados. Una revisión de los materiales procedentes de Cerro Macareno depositados en el Museo Arqueológico de Sevilla ha permitido la identificación de algunos de estos desechos con formas cerámicas concretas, confirmando así el rol productor del yacimiento en distintos momentos cronológicos. Además, se ha confirmado que el recurso a las marcas por incisión presente en este tipo de ánforas puede tener procedencia local y se han aportado pruebas que sugieren la presencia de una fase de hornos cerámicos posteriores a los documentados en las campañas de 1974-1976. Por último, nuevos análisis arqueométricos han permitido caracterizar los tipos de pastas locales recurrentes en Cerro Macareno, aportando datos para la reflexión del papel económico del yacimiento.
Arqueología virtual en la terra sigillata y aplicaciones estadísticas. Láser escáner vs. Fotogrametría
Authors: Esquivel Francisco Javier , Alarcón Moreno Laura , Esquivel José Antonio , Fernández-García María Isabel
Published: October 2019

El potencial de la denominada ‘Arqueología virtual’ es amplio y diverso. Una de las principales aplicaciones es que permite la construcción de registros 3D de piezas y es totalmente abierto, preciso, y muy fácil de compartir. Esto se traduce en un gran salto divulgativo, tanto de carácter educativo como científico, que permite realizar estudios analíticos muy fiables, imágenes de perfiles o secciones, reconstrucciones digitales, aplicaciones museológicas, etc.Este trabajo surge como continuación de un estudio previo de caracterización estadística de terra sigillata isturgitana (Esquivel et al., 2019) en el que se mostró el problema de realizar estudios cuantitativos dimensionales a piezas que son, fundamentalmente, fragmentos del objeto original. En este artículo se fijan tres objetivos principales: la creación de una base de datos 3D de terra sigillata isturgitana y su divulgación, la realización de un estudio comparativo que muestre que metodología de modelado 3D es más conveniente en el registro de terra sigillata, y la extracción de medidas dimensionales de forma autónoma y precisa para realizar estudios estadísticos cuantitativos. Para ello, en este trabajo se resumen los pasos de modelado utilizando las metodologías de láser escáner y fotogrametría realizando una discusión de las ventajas e inconvenientes de cada una, se crea un entorno web 3D que permite de manera rápida y ágil la visualización gráfica de las piezas, y se analiza el grado de perfeccionamiento alcanzado por el taller isturgitano mediante un estudio estadístico de datos dimensionales obtenidos a partir del modelo 3D de una de las piezas.
El ambiente epigráfico del foro “colonial” de Tarraco durante las épocas augustea y julio-claudia
Authors: Ruiz Julio C.
Published: October 2019

La reciente actualización del corpus epigráfico de Tarraco por Géza Alföldy es un excelente punto de partida para desarrollar planteamientos como el que aquí se presenta. Este estudio se basa en un análisis de las inscripciones, poniendo especial atención a sus contextos topográficos originales y a la manufactura de sus soportes monumentales, siguiendo la hipótesis original de G. C. Susini. Por lo tanto, se presenta una perspectiva de los monumentos epigráficos erigidos en el foro de la colonia Tarraco en la época augustea y julio-claudia, un período trascendental en la configuración de la imagen pública de la ciudad. Los principales objetivos de esta contribución son determinar las tipologías, los comitentes y los usuarios de la epigrafía forense en la ciudad a comienzos del siglo I d. C.
Transformación social y agrosistema en el interior peninsular durante la Alta Edad Media (s. VI-VIII d. C.): nuevas evidencias desde Recópolis (Zorita de los Canes, Guadalajara)
Authors: Olmo-Enciso Lauro , Castro Priego Manuel , Diarte Blasco Pilar
Published: October 2019

Recópolis es la única fundación visigoda conocida arqueológicamente en la Península Ibérica. Creada durante el reinado del rey Leovigildo en el año 576, la ciudad jugó un papel crucial en el paisaje y se mantuvo como el punto focal del territorio hasta el siglo VIII. En este artículo presentamos los resultados más recientes del proyecto realizado en torno a Recópolis, en el que el paisaje se ha explorado como una construcción social, lo que permite una comprensión más completa del agrosistema. De hecho, considerando los datos paleo-biológicos y ambientales, junto con los arqueológicos, ha sido posible analizar la evolución de este complejo territorio de la Meseta Central de la Península Ibérica en la Alta Edad Media.
Rituximab in steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Chaki Agomoni , Rahman Farhana , Arju Jahanara , Al Mamun Abdullah- , Jesmin Tahmina , Huque Sayed Saimul , Begum Afroza , Rahman Habibur , Uddin Goam Muin , Roy Ranjit Ranjan
Published: October 2019

Background Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is one of the most common glomerular disease in children, characterized by massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, dyslipidemia and edema. Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) and steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) present challenges in pharmaceutical management. Patient need several immunosuppressant for optimal control, each of which has significant side effect and difficult to get  desired results. Rituximab (RTX) is a monoclonal antibody that targets B cells and has been shown to be effective for patients with SRNS and SDNS.

Objective To see efficacy of RTX in pediatric patients with SRNS.

Method This retrospective study took place in Pediatric Nephrology Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University from July 2017 to June 2019. Patients diagnosed with SRNS who were treated with RTX and followed up for 6 months were enrolled in this study. Primary endpoint was achievement of remission after rituximab infusion; secondary endpoint was relapse-free survival rate in 6 months period following rituximab infusion.

Results Total  7 patients were recruited in this study. Among them 4 were male. Clinical and lab parameters of all patients before and after RTX  were compared. Complete remission achieved in 4/7 patients, partial remission in 2/7 patients and no response in 1/7 patient. Mean number of relapse in 3 patients before RTX infusion was 3.67 (SD 0.57) and after 0.33 (SD 0.00) (P=0.038).

Conclusion RTX is a biological agent that is effective and promising drug in children with SRNS. Rituximab is useful to induce and maintain remission.
Growth of HIV-exposed infants from birth to 6 months in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission program
Authors: Priskila Maria , Kumarawati Ketut Dewi , Purniti Ni Putu Siadi
Published: October 2019

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global health issue. Most cases of HIV infection in children are acquired through transmission from HIV-infected mothers. Maternal HIV infection affects infant  growth.

Objective To evaluate the first six months of growth in HIV-exposed infants born to mothers in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program.

Methods This prospective cohort study was done in 40 HIV-exposed infants born in Sanglah General Hospital, Bali. Subjects’ underwent weight and length measurements at birth and monthly for 6 months. Data analyses used were repeated ANOVA test with Bonferonni post-hoc analysis for normally distributed data and Friedman test with Wilcoxon post-hoc analysis for abnormally distributed data. Correlations between birth weight and length to weight and length at 6 months of age were analyzed with Spearman’s test.

Results Subjects’ mean birth weight was 2,900 (SD 546) grams and median birth length was 48 (range 36-52) cm. Subjects’ body weight and length increased monthly throughout the measurement period (P<0.001). There was a strong negative correlation between birth weight and infant weight gain at 6 months of age (r=-0.678), and a moderate negative correlation between birth length and infant length gain at 6 months of age (r=-0.564).

Conclusion HIV-exposed infants born to mothers in the PMTCT program have a significant body weight and body length growth in the first 6 months of life, and followed general WHO weight and length curves for age.
Influence of Sowing Date on Growth and Yield Components of Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) in Semi-Arid Zone
Authors: Anga Hilwa, D. Abu , Marajan Wael A. , Mohammed Abu backer H. , Idris Baha Eldin M
Published: October 2019

The main objective of this study was to quantify the influence of sowing date on growth and yield components of hybrid sunflower (Hysun33) cultivar in semi-arid zone. This experiment was conducted during the seasons 2014/2015-2015/2016 at the farm of the College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Shambat, Khartoum- Sudan. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications and three treatments. Different parameters were considered including plant height, leaf area index (LAI), filled sees number/head, head diameter, dry weight and yield components. The collected data were statistically analyzed. The results revealed that crop sown in May and July showed significant increase in plant height, LAI, head diameter, dry weight, field seed number/head, weight of 100 seeds; yield, and yield; compared to crop sown in March. However, crop sown in the second season showed an increase in growth and yield components compared to the crop of the first season.
KSZTAŁTOWANIE KOMPETENCJI KOMUNIKACYJNEJ W KLASIE JĘZYKA OBCEGO. PERSPEKTYWA UCZNIA
Authors: Sowa Magdalena
Published: October 2019

This article attempts to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of foreign language teaching in Polish schools by giving learners’ views on the process of the teaching of languages. The opinions presented come from a questionnaire carried out among pupils who learn various languages. The results of the survey are intended to show the learning situation as seen by students themselves. Their description and assessment of school learning enable us, to judge whether being taught a language in school satisfies their needs and expectations, and also to assess whether and to what extent this learning is consistent with European language policy.
KOMPETENCJA MEDIALNA UCZNIÓW I NAUCZYCIELI JĘZYKÓW OBCYCH JAKO CZYNNIK WPŁYWAJĄCY NA POZIOM ICH KOMPETENCJI INTERKULTUROWEJ
Authors: Chudak Sebastian
Published: October 2019

Intercultural competence is an expected outcome in language learning and teaching in our contemporary world. However, studies show foreign language teachers are not always aware of the importance of this goal for many reasons, the most important of which seems to be the low level of their own intercultural competence. The aim of this article is to discuss the possibilities of increasing the intercultural competence of foreign language teachers and students. The correlation between media literacy and the development of intercultural competence is discussed.
TRUDNOŚCI (SAMO)OCENY W NAUCZANIU JĘZYKA POLSKIEGO JAKO OBCEGO W BIZNESIE
Authors: Komorowska Ewa
Published: October 2019

Teaching business Polish to foreign businessmen in Poland has its specificity: lessons often take place in learners’ offices on a one-to-one basis or in very small groups. Learners are usually very demanding and autonomous. They want to have control over their language learning process but are unwilling to take any tests. Therefore, process of evaluation has to be organized in a less conventional manner. The article reflects on the needs of such learners and describes the most effective ways which, according to its author, measure their skills: formative assessment and task-based assessment.
Multi-site performance evaluation and Sigma metrics of 20 assays on the Atellica chemistry and immunoassay analyzers
Authors: Fasano Tommaso , Bedini Jose Luis , Fle Pierre-Antoine , Jlaiel Malik , Hubbert Karl , Datta Harish , Chicha-Cattoir Valerie , Mansour Hayfa , Mira Aurea , de la Presa Bernardino González , Rico Nayra , de Pedro Maria Sanz , Diaz-Garzon Jorge , Buño Soto Antonio , Vecchia Luigi , Peoc’h Katell
Published: October 2019

Background

The Atellica Solution comprises chemistry (CH) and immunoassay (IM) analyzers. Recently, six early adopter clinical laboratories across Europe evaluated the analytical performance of 20 CH and IM assays. To measure analytical performance quality, Sigma metrics were calculated for individual-site and pooled-site results.

Methods

Precision, detection capability, linearity, and method comparison studies were performed according to Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute protocols. Global Sigma metrics across sites were calculated from pooled data at the medical decision level using total allowable error (TEa) goals from CLIA for CH assays, and TEa goals from RiliBÄK for IM assays; and, the equation:

Sigma metrics=%TEa–%bias/%CV.

A pooled %CV was calculated by combining the imprecision obtained from individual sites. Bias calculations were performed against the ADVIA Chemistry system or ADVIA Centaur system using Deming regression analysis (Passing-Bablok regression for electrolytes) on the pooled-site data. The 103 individual-site Sigma metric calculations used individual-site imprecision and pooled-bias.

Results

The limits of blank and detection results agreed with the manufacturer’s claims. Most assays were linear across the assay range tested. Pooled Sigma metrics were good or better (>4 Sigma) for 18 of 20 assays; and, acceptable for urea nitrogen (3.1) and sodium (3.9), the latter values attributable to higher imprecision at one of five sites.

Conclusions

Sigma metrics for data generated across multiple real-world sites evaluating the Atellica Solution demonstrated good or better performance of greater than 4 Sigma for 18 of 20 assays tested. Overall, results verified the manufacturer’s claims that methods were fit for use in clinical laboratories.
Applying mass spectrometry-based assays to explore gut microbial metabolism and associations with disease
Authors: Heaney Liam M.
Published: October 2019

The workings of the gut microbiome have gained increasing interest in recent years through the mounting evidence that the microbiota plays an influential role in human health and disease. A principal focus of this research seeks to further understand the production of metabolic by-products produced by bacteria resident in the gut, and the subsequent interaction of these metabolites on host physiology and pathophysiology of disease. Gut bacterial metabolites of interest are predominately formed via metabolic breakdown of dietary compounds including choline and ʟ-carnitine (trimethylamine N-oxide), amino acids (phenol- and indole-containing uremic toxins) and non-digestible dietary fibers (short-chain fatty acids). Investigations have been accelerated through the application of mass spectrometry (MS)-based assays to quantitatively assess the concentration of these metabolites in laboratory- and animal-based experiments, as well as for direct circulating measurements in clinical research populations. This review seeks to explore the impact of these metabolites on disease, as well as to introduce the application of MS for those less accustomed to its use as a clinical tool, highlighting pertinent research related to its use for measurements of gut bacteria-mediated metabolites to further understand their associations with disease.
Crashworthiness performance of stiffened bottom tank structure subjected to impact loading conditions: Ship-rock interaction
Authors: Rio Prabowo Aditya , Sohn Jung Min , Putranto Teguh
Published: October 2019

Shipping time, cargo handling and quality as well as operational cost are main aspects of success in trading and shipping, which leads to high demand for ship safety. During freight shipping is conducted for various cargoes, the ship structure is subjected to numbers of loads, which several of them have been predicted during ship design. Nevertheless, incidental type in form of impact load can deliver massive blow to ship safety and cause immense loss. This phenomenon may be worse than initial condition if structure of chemical-oil carrier experiences impact, which possibly evokes environmental damage to maritime territory. This work is addressed to assess crashworthiness performance of structural part, i.e. bottom tank of chemical carrier. This part is one of center point of oil spill during occurrence of the impact load. The loading conditions are defined as configuration of interaction between ship structure and rock when the ship is stranded on shallow water. A series of data observations produced by finite element analysis (FEA) provide a prediction regarding local member’s motions during the rock breaches lower parts of the bottom tank. Consequences of the plate towards failure are quantified to obtain effect of the selected impact loading conditions to directly involved (main) member and other affected local member.
Mechanical characteristics, as well as physical-and-chemical properties of the slag-filled concretes, and investigation of the predictive power of the metaheuristic approach
Authors: Borodin Kirill , Zhangabayuly Zhangabay Nurlan
Published: October 2019

Our article is devoted to development and verification of the metaheuristic optimisation algorithm in the course of selection of the compositional proportions of the slag-filled concretes. The experimental selection of various compositions and working modes, which ensure one and the same fixed level of a basic property, is the very labour-intensive and time-consuming process. This process cannot be feasible in practice in many situations, for example, in the cases, where it is necessary to investigate composite materials with equal indicators of resistance to aggressive environments or with equal share of voids in the certain range of dimensions. There are many similar articles in the scientific literature. Therefore, it is possible to make the conclusion on the topicality of the above-described problem. In our article, we will consider development of the methodology of the automated experimental-and-statistical determination of optimal compositions of the slag-filled concretes. In order to optimise search of local extremums of the complicated functions of the multi-factor analysis, we will utilise the metaheuristic optimisation algorithm, which is based on the concept of the swarm intelligence. Motivation in respect of utilisation of the swarm intelligence algorithm is conditioned by the absence of the educational pattern, within which it is not necessary to establish a certain pattern of learning as it is necessary to do in the neural-network algorithms. In the course of performance of this investigation, we propose this algorithm, as well as procedure of its verification on the basis of the immediate experimental verification.
The linguistic sources of offense of taboo terms in German Sign Language
Authors: Loos Cornelia , Cramer Jens-Michael , Napoli Donna Jo
Published: October 2019

Taboo terms offer a playground for linguistic creativity in language after language, and sign languages form no exception. The present paper offers the first investigation of taboo terms in sign languages from a cognitive linguistic perspective. We analyze the linguistic mechanisms that introduce offense, focusing on the combined effects of cognitive metonymy and iconicity. Using the Think Aloud Protocol, we elicited offensive or crass signs and dysphemisms from nine signers. We find that German Sign Language uses a variety of linguistic means to introduce and enhance offense, many of which rely on iconic properties of the taboo sign. In conjunction with cross-linguistically common metonymic word-formation strategies, the degree of visual explicitness of a sign increases its potential to offend. Semantically similar taboo signs based on the same metonymic anchor but differing in their degree of iconicity also differ in offensiveness. This allows for creating dysphemisms and euphemisms via phonological changes to a sign. We further show that embodiment creates modality-enhanced ‘vicarious embarrassment’ in the viewer that results in the respective signs being judged obscene or offensive. Further, lexical blending and non-manual enhancement play a role in the creation of dysphemisms in DGS. Lastly, we propose that iconicity as a cognitive structuring principle of linguistic expressions constrains the possible semantic extensions of iconic taboo terms.
Improvement of the Temperature Parametric (TP) Method for Fast Tracking of Maximum Power Point in Photovoltaic Modules
Authors: El Mentaly Lahcen , Amghar Abdellah , Sahsah Hassan
Published: October 2019

In this work we have presented a generalization of the Temperature Parametric (TP) Method which is based on the detection of the maximum power point by the prediction of the corresponding optimal voltage. This operating voltage is determined by the continuous measurement of the ambient temperature and solar irradiation. This new approach is based on a 3D linear regression model linking these quantities and which allows to our method to realize the maximum power point tracking in real time. The simulation shows that this new technique has a better MPPT efficiency compared to Hill Climbing technique.
Retrieving Experience: On the Phenomenology of Experience in Hegel and Kierkegaard, Arendt and Gadamer
Authors: Holst Jonas
Published: October 2019

The purpose of the present contribution is to develop an understanding of experience that accounts for its need to be continuously uncovered and recovered in order to consolidate itself. Through critical dialogue with modern phenomenological and hermeneutical traditions I posit that this consolidation process proves porous and discontinuous as experience contains caesuras and limits, which break open and even fracture what is already known by individual consciousness so as to make room for something new to appear over the horizon. Thinking about how to engage with the phenomena given in experience draws us into a dynamic movement at the limits of singular subjectivity and the world which transcends it to all sides. After following and exploring this movement, it remains a question, which will be discussed in the end, whether all experience can be retrieved.
A Too-Future Eschatology? The Limits of the Phenomenology of Liturgy in Jean-Yves Lacoste
Authors: Černý Jan
Published: October 2019

The article first outlines Jean-Yves Lacoste’s phenomenological description of “liturgy”, i.e. the encounter between God and the human being. It argues that Lacoste’s rejection of the religious apriori on the side of the human being and emphasis on God’s transcendence and otherness leads to decontextualization of the experience of Christian faith, as his strongly future eschatology does not allow for the real transformation of both the individual and social lives of believers. In the second step, the article gives two counterexamples to Lacoste’s attitude that represent an attempt to recontextualize the experience of Christian faith within concrete historical and cultural coordinates. The examples come from the work of American theologian William Cavanaugh and Czech philosopher Robert Kalivoda, whose focus lies in the hermeneutics of a sacramental experience and the question of the history-making of Christian faith. Cavanaugh recontextualizes the understanding of the sacramental experience in terms of globalization. Kalivoda interprets the transformation of Christian eschatological ideas into a program of real social changes with special attention devoted to the Hussite revolution of the 15th century and the Hussite conception of the Lord’s Supper. The article concludes that Kalivoda’s emphasis on present eschatology stands in opposition to Lacoste’s emphasis on future eschatology, whereas Cavanaugh holds a middle position with balanced emphasis on both poles of Christian eschatology.
Chitosan surface modified PLGA nanoparticles loaded with brigatinib for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Mohammed Muqtader , Alnafisah Mansour S. , Anwer Md. Khalid , Fatima Farhat , Almutairy Bjad K. , Alshahrani Saad M. , Alshetaili Abdullah S. , Alalaiwe Ahmed , Fayed Mohamed H. , Alanazi Ahmad Z. , Al Zahrani Mohammed , Hailat Mohammad M. , Al-Shdefat Ramadan
Published: October 2019

In the current study, surface-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) of brigatinib (BRB) were prepared by studying the variables PLGA (polymer), PVA (stabilizer) and chitosan (coater) against experimentally obtained responses. The optimized NPs (F2) were evaluated in vitro for differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size, polydispersity index (PDI) and drug entrapment (EE), in vitro release, hematocompatibility and in vitro anticancer studies. The optimized NPs’ (F2) composition, PLGA (75 mg), PVA (0.55% w/v), chitosan (0.75% w/v) and 30 mg of BRB was found to be optimum with particle size (406.3 ± 5.1 nm), PDI (0.277), ζ potential (30.4 ± 3.3 mV) and %EE (82.32%). The in vitro release profile showed a sustained release pattern of the F2 nanoparticles of BRB. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay revealed a significant anticancer activity for F2 NPs against A549 cell lines in comparison to free BRB. The result obtained in this work indicated the immense potential of nanoparticles to effectively deliver the BRB to the cancer site for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.
Optics/instrumentation
Authors: de Bettignies Philippe
Published: October 2019

Raman spectroscopy has undercome a major development during the last decades, making it more and more popular. One of the reason is that the instrumentation has become more accessible, by making the Raman microscopes much more affordable, reliable and user-friendly. Although the fundamental design has not really changed since the origins, it is important to know what the different components are made of and what is their purpose. Is that sense this chapter about the Optics of the Raman microscope will help to understand how the instrument works and what are the specifications and the useful characteristics.
The Europe of Scary Metaphors: The Voices of the British Right-Wing Press
Authors: Islentyeva Anna
Published: October 2019

The United Kingdom’s (UK) relationship with the European Union (EU) and the ongoing Brexit negotiations have become the primary focus of both media and public attention. The decision to leave the EU marks not only a crucial point in the UK’s history, it also indicates the current political developments in both Britain and Europe. Brexit can be seen as a manifestation of right-wing populism. In the context of the EU membership referendum, it is particularly revealing to trace the linguistic representation of Europe in the national British press. The present corpus-based analysis focuses on metaphorical patterns and related discursive strategies employed in the construction of the idea of Europe in The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Sun in the years 2016–2018. The analysis aims to identify the linguistic mechanisms that ensure the adaptability of the right-wing ideology promoted by these newspapers in the changing social and political environment of contemporary Britain. Methodologically, the research applies a mixed approach involving discourse analysis and corpus linguistics with a focus on the metaphorical patterns employed in the construction of the idea of Europe. The analysis reveals a wide range of metaphors applied in reference to Europe, with EUROPE AS A CONTAINER, EUROPE AS A UNION and EUROPE AS A HUMAN occurring most frequently and DEATH OF EUROPE, EUROPE AS SUICIDAL and RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPE AS A (BROKEN) MARRIAGE as the most creative as well as the most negative.
Delivering a Brexit Deal to the British People: Theresa May as a Reluctant Populist
Authors: Stefanowitsch Anatol
Published: October 2019

There is widespread agreement that the so-called ‘Brexit’ – the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union – is a fundamentally populist project. However, the language of the public face of this project, Prime Minister Theresa May, has not, so far, been studied with respect to populist speech patterns. This paper presents a series of quantitative case studies aimed at closing this research gap. The first study attempts to identify evidence of populist speech patterns by means of a keyword analysis, the second study looks at the phrase the (British) people, the third study at the phrase the will of the people, and the fourth at references to the past and the future. While these are based on a priori hypotheses about populist speech patterns, a fifth case study looks at the verb deliver and the noun deal, which are inductively identified as typical of May’s statements concerning Brexit, and shows how they allow May to construct a populist discourse without taking the role of the populist. All case studies are based on a dedicated corpus of almost 270,000 tokens consisting of speeches and other spoken and written statements by Theresa May.
Populist Elements in the Election Manifestoes of AfD and UKIP
Authors: Kranert Michael
Published: October 2019

The term populism is omnipresent in current political science and political discourse. This paper discusses how so-called “populist” discourse is linguistically construed in the 2017 election manifestos of the German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and the British United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). It does so by operationalising populism concepts from political science, specifically the difference between exclusive and inclusive populism. In order to investigate how “populist” discourses depend on the respective political culture of a discourse community, these categories are employed in a corpus based comparative politico-linguistic analysis. Based on a corpus of German and British election manifestos from 2017, the paper demonstrates that both UKIP and the AfD combine elements of in inclusive populism based on demands of a democratic renewal, and an exclusive populism based on the idea the people as a homogeneous ethnos. The discursive realisation, however, differs because of general historic and political differences such as Britain being a state of four nations and the AfD aiming to avoid a rhetoric known from Germany’s past. Particularly pronounced are differences in the delineation to the enemy “European Union” as both parties link their euro-sceptical discourse to different central signifiers of the German and British political culture.
Sphingosine Kinase 2 Potentiates Amyloid Deposition but Protects against Hippocampal Volume Loss and Demyelination in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Lei Mona , Teo Jonathan D. , Song Huitong , McEwen Holly P. , Yup Lee Jun , Couttas Timothy A. , Duncan Thomas , Chesworth Rose , Bertz Josefine , Przybyla Magdalena , Van Eersel Janet , Heng Benjamin , Guillemin Gilles J. , Ittner Lars M. , Fath Thomas , Garner Brett , Ittner Arne , Karl Tim , Don Anthony S.
Published: October 2019

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a potent vasculoprotective and neuroprotective signaling lipid, synthesized primarily by sphingosine kinase 2 (SK2) in the brain. We have reported pronounced loss of S1P and SK2 activity early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, and an inverse correlation between hippocampal S1P levels and age in females, leading us to speculate that loss of S1P is a sensitizing influence for AD. Paradoxically, SK2 was reported to mediate amyloid β (Aβ) formation from amyloid precursor protein (APP)in vitro. To determine whether loss of S1P sensitizes to Aβ-mediated neurodegeneration, we investigated whether SK2 deficiency worsens pathology and memory in male J20 (PDGFB-APPSwInd) mice. SK2 deficiency greatly reduced Aβ content in J20 mice, associated with significant improvements in epileptiform activity and cross-frequency coupling measured by hippocampal electroencephalography. However, several key measures of APPSwInd-dependent neurodegeneration were enhanced on the SK2-null background, despite reduced Aβ burden. These included hippocampal volume loss, oligodendrocyte attrition and myelin loss, and impaired performance in Y-maze and social novelty memory tests. Inhibition of the endosomal cholesterol exporter NPC1 greatly reduced sphingosine phosphorylation in glial cells, linking loss of SK2 activity and S1P in AD to perturbed endosomal lipid metabolism. Our findings establish SK2 as an important endogenous regulator of both APP processing to Aβ, and oligodendrocyte survival,in vivo. These results urge greater consideration of the roles played by oligodendrocyte dysfunction and altered membrane lipid metabolic flux as drivers of neurodegeneration in AD.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTGenetic, neuropathological, and functional studies implicate both Aβ and altered lipid metabolism and/or signaling as key pathogenic drivers of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we first demonstrate that the enzyme SK2, which generates the signaling lipid S1P, is required for Aβ formation from APPin vivo. Second, we establish a new role for SK2 in the protection of oligodendrocytes and myelin. Loss of SK2 sensitizes to Aβ-mediated neurodegeneration by attenuating oligodendrocyte survival and promoting hippocampal atrophy, despite reduced Aβ burden. Our findings support a model in which Aβ-independent sensitizing influences such as loss of neuroprotective S1P are more important drivers of neurodegeneration than gross Aβ concentration or plaque density.
Altered Recruitment of Motor Cortex Neuronal Activity During the Grasping Phase of Skilled Reaching in a Chronic Rat Model of Unilateral Parkinsonism
Authors: Hyland Brian I. , Seeger-Armbruster Sonja , Smither Roseanna A. , Parr-Brownlie Louise C.
Published: October 2019

Parkinson's disease causes prominent difficulties in the generation and execution of voluntary limb movements, including regulation of distal muscles and coordination of proximal and distal movement components to achieve accurate grasping. Difficulties with manual dexterity have a major impact on activities of daily living. We used extracellular single neuron recordings to investigate the neural underpinnings of parkinsonian movement deficits in the motor cortex of chronic unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion male rats performing a skilled reach-to-grasp task the. Both normal movements and parkinsonian deficits in this task have striking homology to human performance. In lesioned animals there were several differences in the activity of cortical neurons during reaches by the affected limb compared with control rats. These included an increase in proportions of neurons showing rate decreases, along with increased amplitude of their average rate-decrease response at specific times during the reach, suggesting a shift in the balance of net excitation and inhibition of cortical neurons; a significant increase in the duration of rate-increase responses, which could result from reduced coupling of cortical activity to specific movement components; and changes in the timing and incidence of neurons with pure rate-increase or biphasic responses, particularly at the end of reach when grasping would normally be occurring. The changes in cortical activity may account for the deficits that occur in skilled distal motor control following dopamine depletion, and highlight the need for treatment strategies targeted toward modulating cortical mechanisms for fine distal motor control in patients.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWe show for the first time in a chronic lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease movement deficits that there are specific changes in motor cortex neuron activity associated with the grasping phase of a skilled motor task. Such changes provide a possible mechanism underpinning the problems with manual dexterity seen in Parkinson's patients and highlight the need for treatment strategies targeted toward distal motor control.
Differential Song Deficits after Lentivirus-Mediated Knockdown of FoxP1, FoxP2, or FoxP4 in Area X of Juvenile Zebra Finches
Authors: Norton Philipp , Barschke Peggy , Scharff Constance , Mendoza Ezequiel
Published: October 2019

Mutations in the transcription factors FOXP1 and FOXP2 are associated with speech impairments. FOXP1 is additionally linked to cognitive deficits, as is FOXP4. These FoxP proteins are highly conserved in vertebrates and expressed in comparable brain regions, including the striatum. In male zebra finches, experimental manipulation of FoxP2 in Area X, a striatal song nucleus essential for vocal production learning, affects song development, adult song production, dendritic spine density, and dopamine-regulated synaptic transmission of striatal neurons. We previously showed that, in the majority of Area X neurons FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 are coexpressed, can dimerize and multimerize with each other and differentially regulate the expression of target genes. These findings raise the possibility that FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 (FoxP1/2/4) affect neural function differently and in turn vocal learning. To address this directly, we downregulated FoxP1 or FoxP4 in Area X of juvenile zebra finches and compared the resulting song phenotypes with the previously described inaccurate and incomplete song learning afterFoxP2knockdown. We found that experimental downregulation ofFoxP1andFoxP4led to impaired song learning with partly similar features as those reported forFoxP2knockdowns. However, there were also specific differences between the groups, leading us to suggest that specific features of the song are differentially impacted by developmental manipulations ofFoxP1/2/4expression in Area X.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWe compared the effects of experimentally reduced expression of the transcription factors FoxP1, FoxP2, and FoxP4 in a striatal song nucleus, Area X, on vocal production learning in juvenile male zebra finches. We show, for the first time, that these temporally and spatially precise manipulations of the three FoxPs affect spectral and temporal song features differentially. This is important because it raises the possibility that the different FoxPs control different aspects of vocal learning through combinatorial gene expression or by acting in different microcircuits within Area X. These results are consistent with the deleterious effects of humanFOXP1andFOXP2mutations on speech and language and addFOXP4as a possible candidate gene for vocal disorders.
ApoE4 Alters ABCA1 Membrane Trafficking in Astrocytes
Authors: Rawat Varun , Wang Shaowei , Sima Jian , Bar Roni , Liraz Ori , Gundimeda Usha , Parekh Trusha , Chan Jamie , Johansson Jan O. , Tang Chongren , Chui Helena C. , Harrington Michael G. , Michaelson Daniel M. , Yassine Hussein N.
Published: October 2019

TheAPOEε4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). ApoE protein aggregation plays a central role in AD pathology, including the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ). Lipid-poor ApoE4 protein is prone to aggregate and lipidating ApoE4 protects it from aggregation. The mechanisms regulating ApoE4 aggregationin vivoare surprisingly not known. ApoE lipidation is controlled by the activity of the ATP binding cassette A1 (ABCA1). ABCA1 recycling and degradation is regulated by ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6). We found that ApoE4 promoted greater expression of ARF6 compared with ApoE3, trapping ABCA1 in late-endosomes and impairing its recycling to the cell membrane. This was associated with lower ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux activity, a greater percentage of lipid-free ApoE particles, and lower Aβ degradation capacity. Human CSF fromAPOEε4/ε4 carriers showed a lower ability to induce ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux activity and greater percentage of aggregated ApoE protein compared with CSF fromAPOEε3/ε3 carriers. Enhancing ABCA1 activity rescued impaired Aβ degradation in ApoE4-treated cells and reduced both ApoE and ABCA1 aggregation in the hippocampus of male ApoE4-targeted replacement mice. Together, our data demonstrate that aggregated and lipid-poor ApoE4 increases ABCA1 aggregation and decreases ABCA1 cell membrane recycling. Enhancing ABCA1 activity to reduce ApoE and ABCA1 aggregation is a potential therapeutic strategy for the prevention of ApoE4 aggregation-driven pathology.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTApoE protein plays a key role in the formation of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). ApoE4 is more aggregated and hypolipidated compared with ApoE3, but whether enhancing ApoE lipidationin vivocan reverse ApoE aggregation is not known. ApoE lipidation is controlled by the activity of the ATP binding cassette A1 (ABCA1). In this study, we demonstrated that the greater propensity of lipid-poor ApoE4 to aggregate decreased ABCA1 membrane recycling and its ability to lipidate ApoE. Importantly, enhancing ABCA1 activity to lipidate ApoE reduced ApoE and ABCA1 aggregation. This work provides critical insights into the interactions among ABCA1, ApoE lipidation and aggregation, and underscores the promise of stabilizing ABCA1 activity to prevent ApoE-driven aggregation pathology.
Violência sobre a pessoa idosa: um estudo documental
Authors: Alarcon Miriam Fernanda Sanches , Damaceno Daniela Garcia , Lazarini Carlos Alberto , Braccialli Luzmarina Aparecida Doretto , Sponchiado Viviane Boacnin Yoneda , Marin Maria José Sanches
Published: October 2019

Objetivo: associar as características sociodemográficas de idosos vítimas de violência e dos agressores com os tipos de violência. Métodos: trata-se de um estudo transversal, analítico, retrospectivo, desenvolvido em uma Delegacia. Foram analisados 346 boletins de ocorrência, sendo que as análises estatísticas relativas às comparações foram realizadas com o software Statistical Package for Social Sciences versão 25.0.0.0. Resultados: observou-se associação positiva entre região da cidade, sexo, estado conjugal, escolaridade, idade, local de ocorrência, embasamento legal e forma de notificação da vítima com o tipo de violência, com predomínio da violência financeira em homens e das mulheres nos outros tipos, de cor de pele branca, com companheiro, no domicílio da vítima. Houve predomínio de agressores do sexo masculino. Conclusão: os boletins de ocorrência indicaram a associação de diferentes dados sociodemográficos da vítima e do agressor com os tipos de violência.
Programmed Cell Death inNeurospora crassaIs Controlled by the Allorecognition Determinantrcd-1
Authors: Daskalov Asen , Gladieux Pierre , Heller Jens , Glass N Louise
Published: October 2019

Programmed cell death preventing heterokaryon formation in fungi has been proposed to represent a defense mechanism against conspecific genome exploitation and mycoviruses. Here, Daskalov et al. identified a novel genetic determinant of allorecognition...

Nonself recognition following cell fusion between genetically distinct individuals of the same species in filamentous fungi often results in a programmed cell death (PCD) reaction, where the heterokaryotic fusion cell is compartmentalized and rapidly killed. The allorecognition process plays a key role as a defense mechanism that restricts genome exploitation, resource plundering, and the spread of deleterious senescence plasmids and mycoviruses. Although a number of incompatibility systems have been described that function in mature hyphae, less is known about the PCD pathways in asexual spores, which represent the main infectious unit in various human and plant fungal pathogens. Here, we report the identification of regulator of cell death-1 (rcd-1), a novel allorecognition gene, controlling PCD in germinating asexual spores of Neurospora crassa; rcd-1 is one of the most polymorphic genes in the genomes of wild N. crassa isolates. The coexpression of two antagonistic rcd-1-1 and rcd-1-2 alleles was necessary and sufficient to trigger cell death in fused germlings and in hyphae. Based on analysis of wild populations of N. crassa and N. discreta, rcd-1 alleles appeared to be under balancing selection and associated with trans-species polymorphisms. We shed light on genomic rearrangements that could have led to the emergence of the incompatibility system in Neurospora and show that rcd-1 belongs to a much larger gene family in fungi. Overall, our work contributes toward a better understanding of allorecognition and PCD in an underexplored developmental stage of filamentous fungi.