bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma Cell-Free DNA Integrity Assessed by Automated Electrophoresis Predicts the Achievement of Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer
Authors: Cirmena Gabriella , Ferrando Lorenzo , Ravera Francesco , Garuti Anna , Dameri Martina , Gallo Maurizio , Barbero Valentina , Ferrando Fabio , Del Mastro Lucia , Garlaschi Alessandro , Friedman Daniele , Fregatti Piero , Ballestrero Alberto , Zoppoli Gabriele
Published: February 2022

PURPOSE

The study of plasma cell-free DNA integrity (cfDI) has shown potential for providing useful information in neoplastic patients. The aim of this study is to estimate the accuracy of an electrophoresis-based method for cfDI evaluation in the assessment of pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-one patients with BC undergoing anthracycline-/taxane-based NACT were recruited. Plasma samples were collected from each patient at diagnosis (t0), after anthracycline administration (t1), and after NACT completion (t2). The concentration of differently sized cell-free DNA fragments was assessed by automated electrophoresis. cfDI, expressed as cfDI index, was calculated as the ratio of 321-1,000 bp sized fragment concentration to 150-220 bp sized fragment concentration assessed at t2. cfDI index was then used to build an exploratory classifier for BC response to NACT, directly comparing its sensitivity and specificity with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), through bootstrapped logistic regression.

RESULTS

cfDI index was assessed on 38 plasma samples collected from as many patients at t2, maintaining a 30/70 ratio between pCR and non-pCR patients. cfDI index showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in predicting the achievement of pCR of 81.6, with a cutoff above 2.71 showing sensitivity = 81.8 and specificity = 81.5. The combination of cfDI index and MRI showed, in case of concordance, an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 92.6 with a predictive value of complete response of 87.5 and a predictive value of absence of complete response of 94.7.

CONCLUSION

cfDI index measured after NACT completion shows great potential in the assessment of pCR in patients with BC. The evaluation of its use in combination with MRI is strongly warranted in prospective studies.
Clinical Opportunities for Germline Pharmacogenetics and Management of Drug-Drug Interactions in Patients With Advanced Solid Cancers
Authors: Shugg Tyler , Ly Reynold C. , Rowe Elizabeth J. , Philips Santosh , Hyder Mustafa A. , Radovich Milan , Rosenman Marc B. , Pratt Victoria M. , Callaghan John T. , Desta Zeruesenay , Schneider Bryan P. , Skaar Todd C.
Published: February 2022

PURPOSE

Precision medicine approaches, including germline pharmacogenetics (PGx) and management of drug-drug interactions (DDIs), are likely to benefit patients with advanced cancer who are frequently prescribed multiple concomitant medications to treat cancer and associated conditions. Our objective was to assess the potential opportunities for PGx and DDI management within a cohort of adults with advanced cancer.

METHODS

Medication data were collected from the electronic health records for 481 subjects since their first cancer diagnosis. All subjects were genotyped for variants with clinically actionable recommendations in Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines for 13 pharmacogenes. DDIs were defined as concomitant prescription of strong inhibitors or inducers with sensitive substrates of the same drug-metabolizing enzyme and were assessed for six major cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes.

RESULTS

Approximately 60% of subjects were prescribed at least one medication with Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium recommendations, and approximately 14% of subjects had an instance for actionable PGx, defined as a prescription for a drug in a subject with an actionable genotype. The overall subject-level prevalence of DDIs and serious DDIs were 50.3% and 34.8%, respectively. Serious DDIs were most common for CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C19, occurring in 24.9%, 16.8%, and 11.7% of subjects, respectively. When assessing PGx and DDIs together, approximately 40% of subjects had at least one opportunity for a precision medicine–based intervention and approximately 98% of subjects had an actionable phenotype for at least one CYP enzyme.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate numerous clinical opportunities for germline PGx and DDI management in adults with advanced cancer.
Clonidine Versus Midazolam Premedication and Postoperative Negative Behavioral Changes in Younger Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zickerman Caroline , Hult Ann-Catrin , Hedlund Lars , Winsö Ola , Johansson Göran , Haney Michael
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND:

Postoperative negative behavioral changes (NBCs) are common among children, but risk for this is thought to be reduced with premedication. Midazolam has for many years been a standard premedication for children. More recently, the alpha-2 adrenergic agonist clonidine has also become popular as a preanesthetic sedative. We hypothesized that clonidine was superior to midazolam for limiting new NBCs in children as assessed using the Post Hospital Behavior Questionnaire (PHBQ).

METHODS:

This was a prospective, randomized, controlled, blinded study, including 115 participants aged 24 to 95 months and their parents. The participants underwent ear, nose, or throat outpatient surgery and were randomly allocated to premedication with oral midazolam 0.5 mg/kg or oral clonidine 4 µg/kg. Participants were anesthetized by protocol. At home, later, parents were asked to complete the PHBQ assessment instrument for postoperative NBCs for the participants 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after the surgery. A secondary outcome, preinduction anxiety, was assessed using modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS).

RESULTS:

The primary outcome, more than 3 NBCs in an individual case at 1 week, showed no difference in proportions between treatment in the clonidine group compared to the midazolam group, (12/59 or 20% vs 7/56 or 13%, respectively, odds ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75–2.58; P = .32). A secondary result showed a higher preinduction anxiety level in the clonidine compared to the midazolam group (mYPAS >30, 43/59 or 71% vs 12/56 or 21%, respectively; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

These results did not show a clinical or statistically significant difference, with respect to the primary outcome of behavior changes at 1 week, between the cohorts that received midazolam versus clonidine as a premedication.
Initial parasitic behaviour of the temporary social parasitic ant Polyrhachis lamellidens can be induced by host-like cuticles in laboratory environment
Authors: Kurihara Yu , Iwai Hironori , Kono Nobuaki , Tomita Masaru , Arakawa Kazuharu
Published: February 2022

Polyrhachis lamellidens is a temporary social parasitic species. When a newly mated queen encounters a host worker, it opens its jaws and then mounts and rubs the body of the host worker, called rubbing behaviour. This behaviour is different from aggressive behaviour and is considered to be a preparatory action before invasion of the host colony. However, it is unclear what cues trigger rubbing behaviour. Therefore, in this study, we used glass beads that imitated the insect body surfaces and searched for triggers. Although P. lamellidens did not respond to the cuticular compounds only, cuticular compounds and chitin coatings on glass beads elicited responses that were similar to those towards live samples. The rubbing behaviour of P. lamellidens was elicited in response to a cuticle-like surface that mimicked a procuticle by combining the compounds with chitin. These results suggest that host recognition and nest-mate recognition are supported by different mechanisms.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Ocean acidification affects the expression of neuroplasticity and neuromodulation markers in seabream
Authors: Costa Rita A. , Olvera Aurora , Power Deborah M. , Velez Zélia
Published: February 2022

A possible explanation for acidification-induced changes in fish behaviour is that acidification interferes with neurogenesis and modifies the plasticity of neuronal circuitry in the brain. We tested the effects on the olfactory system and brain of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) to 4 weeks' exposure to ocean acidification (OA). Olfactory epithelium (OE) morphology changed shortly after OA exposure and persisted over the 4 weeks. Expression of genes related to olfactory transduction, neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, GABAergic innervation, and cell proliferation were unchanged in the OE and olfactory bulb (OB) after 4 weeks' exposure. Short-term changes in the ionic content of plasma and extradural fluid (EDF) returned to control levels after 4 weeks' exposure, except for [Cl−], which remained elevated. This suggests that, in general, there is an early physiological response to OA and by 4 weeks a new homeostatic status is achieved. However, expression of genes involved in proliferation, differentiation and survival of undifferentiated neurons were modified in the brain. In the same brain areas, expression of thyroid hormone signalling genes was altered suggesting modifications in the thyroid-system may be linked to the changes in neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. Overall, the results of the current study are consistent with and effect of OA on neuroplasticity.
The complete mitogenome sequence of clam (Corbicula fluminea)
Authors: Luo Qing , Pi Jie , Tang Yangxin , Zeng Cong , Li Deliang
Published: February 2022

The global invasion of the genus Corbicula has caused serious ecological and economic problems. The species of Corbicula fluminea stands out amongst the greater part of freshwater invaders around the world. Here, we sequenced the entire mitogenome of the Corbicula fluminea, which were gathered from Dongting Lake, in the Hunan province of central China. The circular genome is 17,073 bp long. The raw reads were obtained from the platform of Illumina HiSeq 2500, and assembled by the MITObim method followed by alignments to related species. The entire dataset was deposited at the NCBI Short Read Archive via accession number SRR14692229 and NCBI GenBank with accession number MZ231034.1.
Recommendations for the formatting of Variant Call Format (VCF) files to make plant genotyping data FAIR
Authors: Beier Sebastian , Fiebig Anne , Pommier Cyril , Liyanage Isuru , Lange Matthias , Kersey Paul J. , Weise Stephan , Finkers Richard , Koylass Baron , Cezard Timothee , Courtot Mélanie , Contreras-Moreira Bruno , Naamati Guy , Dyer Sarah , Scholz Uwe
Published: February 2022

In this opinion article, we discuss the formatting of files from (plant) genotyping studies, in particular the formatting of (meta-) data in Variant Call Format (VCF) files. The flexibility of the VCF format specification facilitates its use as a generic interchange format across domains but can lead to inconsistency between files in the presentation of metadata. To enable fully autonomous machine actionable data flow, generic elements need to be further specified.

We strongly support the merits of the FAIR principles and see the need to facilitate them also through technical implementation specifications. VCF files are an established standard for the exchange and publication of genotyping data. Other data formats are also used to capture variant call data (for example, the HapMap format and the gVCF format), but none currently have the reach of VCF. In VCF, only the sites of variation are described, whereas in gVCF, all positions are listed, and confidence values are also provided. For the sake of simplicity, we will only discuss VCF and our recommendations for its use. However, the part of the VCF standard relating to metadata (as opposed to the actual variant calls) defines a syntactic format but no vocabulary, unique identifier or recommended content. In practice, often only sparse (if any) descriptive metadata is included. When descriptive metadata is provided, proprietary metadata fields are frequently added that have not been agreed upon within the community which may limit long-term and comprehensive interoperability. To address this, we propose recommendations for supplying and encoding metadata, focusing on use cases from the plant sciences. We expect there to be overlap, but also divergence, with the needs of other domains.
Emvolio - A battery operated portable refrigerator preserves biochemical and haematological integrity of biological samples in preclinical studies
Authors: Maity Swastika , Aakriti Jaya , Manandhar Suman , Anchan Sharad B , Bhat Ashlesh , Shetty Mayur U , Nayak Yogendra
Published: February 2022

Background: Emvolio is a non-medical device, indigenously developed portable refrigeration for maintaining the internal temperature 2–8˚C. The Indian Patent Office has granted patent for applications such as preservation and transport of medicines, vaccines, food, beverages, dairy etc. Further, use of Emvolio can be utilized in transport and store biologicals to preserve their biochemical and cellular integrity.  The objective of this study was to evaluate the biochemical and haematological integrity of biological samples such as rat blood, serum and liver.

Methods: The steady temperature was maintained inside the Emvolio, and it was compared to that of thermocol and polypropylene boxes aided with frozen gel packs. The blood and liver samples were isolated from Wistar rats and kept in Emvolio, thermocol and polypropylene boxes for 10 hrs, and the temperature was monitored. The blood parameters, namely red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), platelets, haematocrit, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and red cell distribution width (RDW), serum parameters like alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, creatine kinase, blood urea nitrogen and liver parameters like superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase were estimated and compared.

Results: Emvolio maintained a constant inner temperature range of 2–8˚C, whereas a significant temperature variation was seen in thermocol and polypropylene boxes. There was no significant deviation in the parameters tested when samples were kept in Emvolio for six hours compared to the zero hour readings. In contrast, there was a significant deviation among the parameters for the samples kept in thermocol and polypropylene boxes for six hours compared to zero hour parameters.

Conclusions: Emvolio maintained constant temperature and preserved the biological integrity of rat blood, serum and liver. Thus, Emvolio can be efficiently used as a biological sample carrier, especially in preclinical studies.
Education research is still the hardest science: a proposal for improving its trustworthiness and usability
Authors: Fischman Gustavo , Amrein-Beardsley Audrey , McBride-Schreiner Stephanie
Published: February 2022

In this essay, we argue that colleges of education, particularly those at research-intensive institutions, favor simplistic notions of scholarly impact and that this trend has concerning implications for the field, for researchers, and for the public at large. After describing the challenges and shortcomings of the current models of research assessment in education, we outline an alternative proposal in which trustworthiness and usability of research would complement traditional metrics of scholarly relevance. This proposal encourages a twofold approach to research assessment that involves (1) a more thorough analysis of the limitations and problems generated by the use of simplistic notions of scholarly impact, and (2) a commitment to the implementation of more equitable systems based on a broader range of assessment measures to assess faculty research contributions.
Association between S-COMT activity and impulsive and premeditated aggression in a population of violent offenders: preliminary results of a cross sectional study
Authors: Azevedo Jacinto , Carvalho Cláudia , Serrão Maria Paula , Coelho Rui , Vieira-Coelho Maria Augusta , Figueiredo-Braga Margarida
Published: February 2022

Aggression can be conceptualised as a physical act towards another person, verbal offenses, destructive acts towards objects, and self-inflicted harmful acts. It is highly frequent in the context of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and has been correlated to disturbances in the dopaminergic system. In the prefrontal cortex, the dopamine metabolism depends on catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). DRD2 receptors also play a role in the expression of aggression by modulating dopamine metabolism, in the striatum. In this study, we evaluated the association between COMT activity and type of aggression, in a sample of violent male offenders. Participants were subjected to sociodemographic, clinical, and psychometric evaluation through standardised instruments. Erythrocyte S-COMT activity was measured, and COMT and the DRD2 genotypes were analysed. Individuals displaying impulsive aggression showed lower S-COMT erythrocyte activity (p=0.026) and lower frequency of Val/Val (rs4680) genotype than individuals with premeditated aggression (p=0.047). S-COMT erythrocyte activity was positively correlated with the PCL-R total score (r=0.34; p=0.018). In conclusion, our preliminary results indicate that COMT can be associated to different aggression types in violent offenders, and it can represent a possible pharmacological target for the treatment of impulsive and premeditated aggression, in incarcerated patients.
Economic evaluations of maternal health interventions: a scoping review
Authors: Eddy Katherine E. , Eggleston Alexander , Chim Sher Ting , Zahroh Rana Islamiah , Sebastian Elizabeth , Bykersma Chloe , McDonald Steve , Homer Caroline S. E. , Scott Nick , Chou Doris , Oladapo Olufemi T. , Vogel Joshua P.
Published: February 2022

Background

Evidence on the affordability and cost-effectiveness of interventions is critical to decision-making for clinical practice guidelines and development of national health policies. This study aimed to develop a repository of primary economic evaluations to support global maternal health guideline development and provide insights into the body of research conducted in this field.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to identify and map available economic evaluations of maternal health interventions. We searched six databases (NHS Economic Evaluation Database, EconLit, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycInfo) on 20 November 2020 with no date, setting or language restrictions. Two authors assessed eligibility and extracted data independently. Included studies were categorised by subpopulation of women, level of care, intervention type, mechanism, and period, economic evaluation type and perspective, and whether the intervention is currently recommended by the World Health Organization. Frequency analysis was used to determine prevalence of parameters.

Results

In total 923 studies conducted in 72 countries were included. Most studies were conducted in high-income country settings (71.8%). Over half pertained to a general population of pregnant women, with the remainder focused on specific subgroups, such as women with preterm birth (6.2%) or those undergoing caesarean section (5.5%). The most common interventions of interest related to non-obstetric infections (23.9%), labour and childbirth care (17.0%), and obstetric complications (15.7%). Few studies addressed the major causes of maternal deaths globally. Over a third (36.5%) of studies were cost-utility analyses, 1.4% were cost-benefit analyses and the remainder were cost-effectiveness analyses.

Conclusions

This review provides a navigable, consolidated resource of economic evaluations in maternal health. We identified a clear evidence gap regarding economic evaluations of maternal health interventions in low- and middle-income countries. Future economic research should focus on interventions to address major drivers of maternal morbidity and mortality in these settings.
Demoulding process assessment of elastomers in micro-textured moulds
Authors: Liarte Elias , Zambrano Valentina , A. Gracia Leticia , Amor José Ignacio , Borro Marcos , Hernández-Gascón Belén
Published: February 2022

Background: Micro-texturing is an increasingly used technique that aims at improving the functional behaviour of components during their useful life, and it is applied in different industrial manufacturing processes for different purposes, such as reducing friction on dynamic rubber seals for pneumatic equipment, among others. Micro-texturing is produced on polymer components by transfer from the mould and might critically increase the adhesion and friction between the moulded rubber part with the mould, provoking issues during demoulding, both on the mould itself and on the rubber part. The mould design, the coating release agent applied to the mould surface, and the operational parameters of the moulding/demoulding process, are fundamental aspects to avoid problems and guarantee a correct texture transfer during the demoulding process.

Methods: In this work, the lack of knowledge about demoulding processes was addressed with an in-house test rig and a robust experimental procedure to measure demoulding forces (DFs) as well as the final quality of the moulded part, between thermoset polymers and moulds. After the characterization of several Sol-Gel coating formulations (inorganic; hybrid) the influence of several parameters was analysed experimentally, i.e.: Sol-Gel efficiency, texture effects, pattern geometry, roughness and material compound.

Results: The results obtained from the experimental studies revealed that texture depth is the most critical geometrical parameter, showing high scatter among the selected compounds. Finally, the experimental results were used to compute a model through reduced order modelling (ROM) technique for the prediction of DFs.

Conclusions: The characterization of DFs in a laboratory, with a specific device operated by a universal testing machine (UTM), provided valuable information that allows a fast and optimized introduction of texturing in rubber components. Selection of a novel Sol-Gel coating and the use of the ROM technique contributed to speed up implementation for mass production.
Nuclear Power Plants in Russia. Texts for reading and discussion. Training manual in English language
Authors: Braslavskaya E.A. , Kabankova E.N.
Published: February 2022

В данном пособии представлены аутентичные тексты об атомных электростанциях России и особенностях их эксплуатации. Каждый текст сопровождается различными упражнениями, которые способствуют формированию навыков понимания и последующего обсуждения воспринятой в текстах информации на английском языке по специальности. Пособие может быть использовано на практических занятиях по английскому языку для всех уровней образования (бакалавриат, специалитет, магистратура и аспирантура) по направлению «Ядерная энергетика и технологии», а также на курсах повышения квалификации и переподготовки преподавателей и специалистов атомной области.
Luis Carlos Galán y el Nuevo Liberalismo en Colombia 1979-1989: la frustración de una alternativa política
Authors: Duque Daza Javier
Published: February 2022

El artículo presenta el análisis del caso del Nuevo Liberalismo (nl) en la política colombiana entre 1979-1989. Se trata de un estudio de caso con perspectiva histórica que se nutrió de los aportes del enfoque de las organizaciones aplicado a los partidos políticos. Este se basó en un enfoque organizacional sobre los partidos políticos y en cuatro ideas centrales: (a) en el contexto de la división faccional de los partidos políticos colombianos en la década de 1980 fue creada la facción del nl en el Partido Liberal, lo cual estremeció su organización interna y su mapa de poder; (b) el nl se inició como una agrupación más ideológica que pragmática pero, tras sus reveses electorales, dio un giro y combinó su condición de grupo de promoción de ideas con una clara propuesta ideológica con el pragmatismo; (c) el faccionalismo en Colombia a nivel nacional era incentivado por el tipo de liderazgo altamente personalista, las reglas electorales y la débil institucionalización organizativa de los partidos, algunos cambios en estos factores incidieron en el retorno de Luis Carlos Galán (lcg) al oficialismo de su partido, y (d) producto de la violencia política, la carrera de lcg se frustró y se impidió que un nuevo liderazgo muy crítico del régimen político, de los partidos y de los problemas sociales vigentes en el país pudiera acceder a la presidencia.
Treadmill exercise ameliorates ethanol with lipopolysaccharide and carbon tetrachloride-mediated liver injury in mice
Authors: Kim Sang-Hoon , Ko Il-Gyu , JIn Jun-Jang , Hwang Lakkyong , Yoon Hye-Sun , Baek Seung-Soo
Published: February 2022

We reported that application of ethanol with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) enhanced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level. In the current experiment, the protective effect of treadmill running on liver injury caused by ethanol with LPS and CCl4 in mice was studied. Liver injury severity was determined by measuring ALT and AST level in the blood. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, immunohistochemistry for caspase-3, and Western blotting for Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were performed to indicate hepatocyte apoptosis. In addition, to understand the mechanism, 5’-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation was studied by Western blotting. Treadmill exercise ameliorated ethanol with LPS and CCl4-mediated elevation of ALT and AST level. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl4-mediated elevation of the TUNEL-positive cell number and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Treadmill exercise suppressed ethanol with LPS and CCl4-mediated elevation of Bax expression and increased Bcl-2 expression suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl4. Treadmill exercise enhanced AMPK phosphorylation which was suppressed by application of ethanol with LPS and CCl4. Treadmill exercise has the effect of reducing liver damage caused by alcohol and or drug addiction.
Effects of vasopressor agents on the development of pressure ulcers in critically ill patients: a systematic review
Authors: McEvoy Natalie , Patton Declan , Avsar Pinar , Curley Ger , Kearney Cathal , Clarke Jennifer , Moore Zena
Published: February 2022

Objective:

The primary objective of this systematic review was to determine the effect of vasopressor agents on the development of pressure ulcers (PUs) among critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs). The secondary outcome of interest was length of stay in the ICU.

Method:

A systematic review was undertaken using the databases searched: Medline, Embase, CINAHL and The Cochrane Library. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to formulate the review. Data were extracted using a predesigned data extraction table and analysed as appropriate using RevMan. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the EBL Critical Appraisal Tool.

Results:

The inclusion criteria were met by 13 studies. Two studies provided sufficient data to compare the number of patients who developed a PU with and without the use of vasopressors. Consistently, within these two studies, being treated with a vasopressor increased the likelihood of PU development. RevMan analysis identified that shorter duration of administration of vasopressors was associated with less PU development (mean difference (MD) 65.97 hours, 95% confidence interval (CI): 43.47–88.47; p=0.0001). Further, a lower dose of vasopressors was also associated with less PU development (MD: 8.76μg/min, 95% CI: 6.06–11.46; p<0.00001). Mean length of stay increased by 11.46 days for those with a PU compared to those without a PU (MD: 11.46 days; 95% CI: 7.10–15.82; p<0.00001). The overall validities of the studies varied between 45–90%, meaning that there is potential for bias within all the included studies.

Conclusion:

Vasopressor agents can contribute to the development of PUs in critically ill patients in ICUs. Prolonged ICU stay was also associated with pressure ulcers in this specific patient group. Given the risk of bias within the included studies, further studies are needed to validate the findings of this review paper.
‘Islamisation of the Occident’: fear of Islam as a mobilising force of the European new right
Authors: Diefenbach Aletta , von Scheve Christian
Published: February 2022

Recent research has investigated the emotional underpinnings of support for the political new right. Some of these works focus on the supply-side of support, emphasising specific political styles and discourses, whereas others emphasise the demand-side, highlighting cultural, economic and emotional factors. Lacking from this research, in particular for the European context, is an understanding of how supporters of the new right experience and make sense of pertinent cleavages with regard to emotions. The present study sets out to acquire a more detailed understanding of the emotional narratives of supporters of the new right, in particular with regard to fear and religious cleavages. Using group interviews with supporters of new right parties and movements in Germany, we show that narratives involving fear pertain to the idea of a valued collective ‘We’ that consists of political and cultural elements, and serves as a reference point to collective identity and an antidote to existential insecurities. Further, the collective We is perceived to be threatened by cultural differences and changing majority-minority relations with respect to five domains of social life: demography, liberal democratic order, public majority culture, security and welfare.
La experiencia mística en Suma de claridades de Laureano Albán
Authors: Campos López Ronald
Published: February 2022

En el poemario Suma de claridades (1992), del costarricense Laureano Albán, la experiencia mística se desarrolla en torno a la mirada, el recuerdo, la visión onírica de la infancia, los paisajes de la niñez, la claridad, las figuras del niño, el padre, la madre y la hermana. Para el análisis hermenéutico, se define el concepto de misticismo. Se interpretan algunos símbolos según las estructuras antropológicas del imaginario de Gilbert Durand. Se establece el cronotopo de la experiencia mística del sujeto lírico. Se observa el paso desde la noche angustiante hasta el ambiente diurno y onírico donde trascienden las experiencias inconscientes y religiosas que llevan al sujeto lírico hasta una vivencia cósmica y sagrada. Igualmente, se observa la materialización de los arquetipos junguianos del niño, el padre, la madre y el anima, los cuales configuran una cuaternidad en la realidad imaginaria, ontológica, existencial y mística del sujeto lírico.
Globalizacja i jej odzwierciedlenie w procesach nominacyjnych języka rosyjskiego
Authors: Romanik Anna
Published: February 2022

Celem niniejszej publikacji jest zaakcentowanie wpływu procesów globalizacyjnych na współczesny język rosyjski, głównie na poziomie nominacji językowej. Autorka skupia się na dwóch sposobach nazewniczych takich, jak: zapożyczanie leksyki obcojęzycznej oraz słowotwórstwo kompozycyjne, których popularność ewidentnie wynika między innymi z nabierającej na sile tendencji umiędzynarodowienia kontaktów różnych narodów na świecie. Zarówno pożyczki, jak i derywowane na bazie modelu obcego złożenia są rezultatem dominacji języka z angielskiego w skali całego świata. Angielski w niniejszej publikacji jest rozpatrywany jako narzędzie globalizacji indukujące dość poważne dysproporcje w produktywności poszczególnych technik nazewniczych w systemie nominacyjnym języka rosyjskiego.
Barriers in teacher perception about the use of technology for evaluation in Higher Education
Authors: Romero Alonso Rosita , Riquelme Plaza Irma , Halal Orfali Carol
Published: February 2022

This article addresses perceptions that higher education teachers have on the integration of technology in evaluation processes, focusing on their beliefs about learning, evaluation and technology that enable or hinder this pedagogical innovation.This study considered teachers as part of a project using rubrics in Moodle to evaluate learning in a Chilean higher education institution in 2014, 2015 and 2016.Forming and evaluating in a competency-based approach involves challenges for the teaching staff and changes in their role that are accepted or resisted. The same happens in the face of innovation processes with information and communication technologies (ICT) integration in teaching practices.The primary results show a relationship between pedagogical beliefs and evaluation which is consistent with adoption and assessment of the digital tool used. In addition, it reveals the role of beliefs as secondary barriers to change in the face of access or primary barriers (Ertmert, 1999). The value of autonomy in student work and feedback are identified as key beliefs in technology adoption.
Emerging technologies. Analysis and current perspectives
Authors: Agreda Montoro Miriam , Ortiz Colón Ana Mª , Rodríguez Moreno Javier , Steffens Karl
Published: February 2022

The convergence in the use of technology in classrooms and the development of new methodologies have involved a redefinition of the different educational agents’ performance, for the upcoming Horizon reports to generate a radiography of the emerging technological trends that will have an impact in the upcoming years. As a consequence, we will focus on adaptative learning technologies based on the perspectives of profound learning, where the achievement of objectives will be reflected through generated learning analytics, whose association may produce consistent verifiable blockchains. For that matter, this work proposes a meta-analysis of 62 research studies indexed in the WOS and Scopus databases during 2013 and 2018, in the area of Social Sciences, taking as descriptors the technologies mentioned in those reports. A search strategy based on four different criteria has been used: public (target), topic, methodological design and main conclusions.
Voluntariado y acción social en Lleida.
Authors: Blàvia Carolina
Published: February 2022

En este artículo se reflexiona sobre el recurso llamado Punto de Voluntariado (PV) que acompaña, orienta y refuerza la labor de las entidades del Tercer Sector de Acción Social (TSAS). A partir de las entrevistas realizadas a los/las profesionales que gestionan los 5 puntos de voluntariado que hay actualmente en la provincia de Lleida, queremos ofrecer argumentos para reflexionar sobre la función del voluntariado social en nuestra comunidad y sobre los retos que se derivan para la Administración, que debe acompañar esta realidad. Los resultados obtenidos se ponen en relación con las demandas recogidas en el último estudio “El Panoràmic” del año 2019, donde se muestra la realidad del TSAS en Cataluña y expresan las necesidades que prioriza el sector para su desarrollo.
SS-net: split and spatial attention network for vessel segmentation of retinal OCT angiography
Authors: Jiang Yingjie , Qi Sumin , Meng Jing , Cui Baoyu
Published: February 2022

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has been widely used in clinical fields because of its noninvasive, high-resolution qualities. Accurate vessel segmentation on OCTA images plays an important role in disease diagnosis. Most deep learning methods are based on region segmentation, which may lead to inaccurate segmentation for the extremely complex curve structure of retinal vessels. We propose a U-shaped network called SS-Net that is based on the attention mechanism to solve the problem of continuous segmentation of discontinuous vessels of a retinal OCTA. In this SS-Net, the improved SRes Block combines the residual structure and split attention to prevent the disappearance of gradient and gives greater weight to capillary features to form a backbone with an encoder and decoder architecture. In addition, spatial attention is applied to extract key information from spatial dimensions. To enhance the credibility, we use several indicators to evaluate the function of the SS-Net. In two datasets, the important indicators of accuracy reach 0.9258/0.9377, respectively, and a Dice coefficient is achieved, with an improvement of around 3% compared to state-of-the-art models in segmentation.
Passively Q-switched Tm:YAP laser with a tantalum aluminum carbide saturable absorber
Authors: Zong Tianhao , Li Linjun , Gao Qiong , Liu Bangzheng , Yang Xining , Yang Yuqiang , Cui Haoyu
Published: February 2022

Tantalum aluminum carbide (

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) phase ceramic (MAX) material has attracted much attention because of its high conductivity, high strength, corrosion resistance, and good optical properties. However, there are too few reports on lasers with

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-based saturable absorbers (SAs). We prepared and characterized a

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-based SA whose nonlinear absorption performances were achieved at a 2 µm waveband range and which was used in a passively

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-switched (PQS) Tm:YAP laser. In the PQS mode, a maximum average output power of 0.78 W was achieved with the central output wavelength of 1991.86 nm from a PQS Tm:YAP laser, corresponding to a pulse duration of 926 ns at 143.8 kHz.
Modified astigmatic beam technique for laser writing
Authors: Lapointe Jerome , Bérubé Jean-Philippe , Dupont Albert , Bellec Matthieu , Vallée Réal
Published: February 2022

The ultrafast laser writing of optical waveguides and devices is increasingly ubiquitous among the photonics community, mostly for its flexibility and three-dimensional fabrication capability. The well-known astigmatic beam technique is the simplest method to inscribe near-circular cross-section waveguides. In this paper, we report on a significant enhancement to the widely used astigmatic beam technique that makes it more flexible and yields a more circular waveguide cross section. By simply superposing a long-focus lens before the laser inscription objective lens, we demonstrate that the normalized squared radial deviation from a perfectly circular waveguide cross section can be reduced to<4×10−4, which is a significant improvement compared to>0.1typically obtained using the standard astigmatic beam technique, or>0.7with a Gaussian beam. The modified technique also makes it easy to use the full power delivered by the laser, which is not usually the case with the standard technique. A technique to optimize the waveguide shape prior to the inscription byin situlaser-induced plasma emission imaging is also discussed.
Cylindrical-lens-embedded photonic crystal based on self-collimation
Authors: Xia Chun , Gutierrez Jesus J. , Kuebler Stephen M. , Rumpf Raymond C. , Touma Jimmy
Published: February 2022

Photonic crystals can be engineered so that the flow of optical power and the phase of the field are independently controlled. The concept is demonstrated by creating a self-collimating lattice with an embedded cylindrical lens. The device is fabricated in a photopolymer by multi-photon lithography with the lattice spacing chosen for operation around the telecom wavelength of 1550 nm. The lattice is based on a low-symmetry rod-in-wall unit cell that strongly self-collimates light. The walls are varied in thickness to modulate the effective refractive index so light acquires a spatially quadratic phase profile as it propagates through the device. Although the phase of the field is altered, the light does not focus within the device because self-collimation forces power to flow parallel to the principal axes of the lattice. Upon exiting the device, ordinary propagation resumes in free space and the curved phase profile causes the light to focus. An analysis of the experimentally observed optical behavior shows that the device behaves like a thin lens, even though the device is considerably thick.
The quantification of Simpson’s paradox and other contributions to contingency table theory
Authors: Teuscher Friedrich
Published: February 2022

The analysis of contingency tables is a powerful statistical tool used in experiments with categorical variables. This study improves parts of the theory underlying the use of contingency tables. Specifically, the linkage disequilibrium parameter as a measure of two-way interactions applied to three-way tables makes it possible to quantify Simpson’s paradox by a simple formula. With tests on three-way interactions, there is only one that determines whether the partial interactions of all variables agree or whether there is at least one variable whose partial interactions disagree. To date, there has been no test available that determines whether the partial interactions of a certain variable agree or disagree, and the presented work closes this gap. This work reveals the relation of the multiplicative and the additive measure of a three-way interaction. Another contribution addresses the question of which cells in a contingency table are fixed when the first- and second-order marginal totals are given. The proposed procedure not only detects fixed zero counts but also fixed positive counts. This impacts the determination of the degrees of freedom. Furthermore, limitations of methods that simulate contingency tables with given pairwise associations are addressed.
CREATOUR: Catalisando o turismo criativo em cidades de pequena dimensão e em áreas rurais
Authors: Duxbury Nancy , Silva Sílvia
Published: February 2022

O Projeto CREATOUR funcionou como fase de investigação e desenvolvimento, com vista à catalisação de uma rede de promotores de turismo criativo que, a nível local, mas simultaneamente conectados a nível nacional, trabalharam na conceção, projeção, testagem e implementação da sua oferta em cidades de pequena dimensão e zonas rurais de todo o País. O presente livro faz a apresentação do que foram as ideias e a viagem de cada um dos 40 projetos-piloto do CREATOUR. Cada capítulo versa o avanço da caminhada e a organização (ou parceria) e projetos a ela inerentes, as dificuldades encontradas, os êxitos, o balanço da viagem até ao momento e as aspirações e planos para o futuro. O processo de elaboração dos capítulos, escritos conjuntamente por investigadores e profissionais, traduziu-se em valiosas experiências de coaprendizagem e troca de conhecimentos, dando origem a narrativas em que se pretende terem ficado consubstanciados o sabor único e a especificidade de cada uma das organizações e iniciativas.

Além da introdução (com reflexões acerca da definição de turismo criativo, e um enquadramento do projeto CREATOUR – objetivos, componentes principais, investigação, alguns resultados e conclusões relevantes), o livro encontra-se organizado por região (Norte, Centro, Alentejo e Algarve), com uma breve panorâmica de cada uma das regiões, seguida de dez capítulos, por cada região, sobre os projetos-piloto nela levados a cabo. O último capítulo dá uma visão geral das dinâmicas do trabalho em rede e dos impactos observados no âmbito do projeto.
mRNA expression of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor in the lung tissue of Wistar rats according to age
Authors: Almhanna Hazem , Al-Mamoori Nabeel Abd Murad , Naser Hassan Hachim
Published: February 2022

Background and Aim: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is expressed and plays functional and physiological roles in different tissues of the body. This study aimed to distinguish the levels of expression of ACE2 in the lung tissue at different ages of rats.

Materials and Methods: In this study, 18 male rats were used and divided into three groups according to age. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to determine the levels of the quantification of eosinophil cationic protein mRNA transcript. In addition, tissue specimens of the lung were stained with routine hematoxylin and eosin stains.

Results: This study confirmed that RT-qPCR amplification plots of ACE2 gene exhibited clearly expression of the lung tissue of rats in the different groups and there are strong different threshold cycles numbers according to the age at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6-8 months. Consequently, the expression of ACE2 was completely different between groups depending on the age of the rats. The RT-qPCR results showed that the older animal group (age of 6-8 months) had a significantly higher expression of ACE2 than the other animal groups (ages of 2 weeks and 2 months). In the same way, the second group (age of 2 months) had a significantly higher expression of ACE2 than the first group (age of 2 weeks). This study confirmed that the ACE2 expression is influenced by the age of rats.

Conclusion: This study concluded that the expression of the ACE2 receptor of coronavirus disease 2019 would be different according to the age of rats, and this result suggested that expression of ACE2 in lung tissue could determine infection and pathogenesis of COVID-19 during different ages of rats or some individual differences.
THE CURRENT ECONOMIC STATE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN KAZAKHSTAN AND THE ASSESSMENT OF STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN ITS DEVELOPMENT (BASED ON MATERIALS FROM THE PAVLODAR REGION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN)
Authors: Titkov A. A. , Ibraimova S. Zh. , Dontsov S. S.
Published: February 2022

The article examines the current state and economic trends in the functioning of the tourism industry in Kazakhstan. The object of the research is the economy of the Pavlodar region. The subject of the research is the tourism industry and strategic investments in its development. In the course of the study, special attention was focused on the dynamics of the nominal and real contribution of the tourism industry to the regional economy, the territorial distribution of tourism services and their structure, trends in employment and labor productivity, the production capacity of tourism organizations and the state of their fixed capital. When assessing the real contribution of the tourism industry to the development of the economy of the Pavlodar region, the dynamics of demand for tourist services from individuals and legal entities was investigated. For the development of the tourism industry, an integrated analytical assessment of strategic investments was carried out on the basis of forecasting the gross regional product and its growth rates, the share of tourism in the region’s economy, the dynamics of the volume of tourism services, and the return on assets of tourism organizations. Strategic investments in the development of the tourism industry are diversified in two priorities — fixed assets and human resources, including business processes. Implementation of the developed investment policy makes it possible to significantly increase the volume of tourism services in the region, triple labor productivity in the tourism industry, and strengthen the positive trends in the contribution of the tourism industry to the regional economy. The research carried out has a practice-oriented character. The research results will be used in the system of activities of the Regional Department of Tourism and Sports.
Pancreatitis necrosante como presentación atípica de fibrosis quística en paciente preescolar
Authors: Hernández Sarmiento Ricardo , Bastidas Legarda Sarah , Aguilera Martinez Sara , Lozano Jaramillo Maria Isabel
Published: February 2022

Antecedentes: La fibrosis quística es una enfermedad de herencia autosómica recesiva, consistente en mutaciones en el gen regulador de la conductibilidad transmembrana, provocando una alteración en la viscosidad de las secreciones. Reporte de caso: Presentamos el caso de una paciente preescolar que ingresa por un cuadro de dolor abdominal crónico en quien se le diagnosticó pancreatitis necrosante como debut de fibrosis quística, quien requirió cuatro meses de hospitalización. Conclusión: La fibrosis quística es una enfermedad con alta tasa de morbimortalidad en la población pediátrica, por lo que se deben conocer sus posibles formas de debut y su clínica, para un manejo oportuno y seguimiento interdisciplinario.