bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigar-crear: por unos modos de acontecer en la investigación con arte y literatura
Authors: Echavarría Cañas John , Ospina Álvarez Teresita
Published: August 2021

El presente artículo nace de la tesis doctoral Formación de subjetividades: Escrituras minográficas de los cuerpos en la ciudad, la cual está adscrita al Doctorado en Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad de San Buenaventura – Medellín, línea de investigación: Estudios Culturales y Lenguajes Contemporáneos del grupo de investigación ESINED. En el texto nos ocupamos del proceso de contextualización epistemológica del concepto de experimentación desde autores de la filosofía de la diferencia, en entrecruces con la investigación-creación, lo cual motiva una manera de proceder metódica que indaga en otras formas de prolongar la literatura en tanto escritura de experimentación, es decir: las escrituras minográficas. Este tipo de producciones estéticas permitieron desplegar una serie de acciones metódicas para crear con los cuerpos que hicieron presencia en la ciudad de Medellín, habitando lugares existenciales para luego devenir en otros cuerpos y subjetividades.
Unendlichkeit im Angesicht des Todes
Authors: Gerhardt Volker
Published: August 2021

Der vorliegende Text ist in gleichermaßen philosophischer wie theologischer Perspektive bemüht, die These von der definitiven Endlichkeit des Menschen (einschließlich seiner unwiderruflichen Sterblichkeit) zu belegen. Dies geschieht in der Doppelung von Veranschaulichung und begrifflicher Argumentation. Unter Berufung auf die Sozialität und Abstraktion erfordernden Leistungen des menschlichen Bewusstseins einerseits und der alles Individuelle nach Art einer Institution überformenden Präsenz des menschlichen Geistes andererseits wird kenntlich gemacht, warum der Mensch in einer seine Existenz umfassenden Sphäre denkt und fühlt, in der er über seine zeitlich und leiblich beschränkte Individualität notwendig hinausgeht.
The Priorities of EU Energy Policy
Authors:   MGIMO University, Borovsky Yuri , Shishkina Olga ,   MGIMO University
Published: August 2021

The article deals with the evolution, development conditions and characteristics of implementation of the EEU/EU key energy policy goals in the 1960‒2010s. The authors apply historical analysis to consider the goals of the EEU in the energy sector in the 1960‒1980s and proceed to the EU energy policy goals in the 1990‒2010s. They explore the challenges that had brought these goals to the top of the EU energy policy list and the traditional hierarchy of the EU energy policy goals. Seen through the prism of historic development, security was the first and most acute goal, integrated energy market – the second, and ecology – the third. The authors raise a question if one should expect changes in the priorities of the energy policy goals under the conditions of the ongoing ecological and climate turn in the long-term development strategies of the EU. Until 2019 security had dominated the list of the EU major energy policy goals. However, after 2020 ecology may replace security as an «umbrella goal». It has already become one of the key drivers of energy sector reform and makes the EU members give up their sovereignty in favour of the EU institutions.
Radical Islamism in Schools of France and Germany
Authors:   Leningrad State University A.S. Pushkin, Andreeva Larisa
Published: August 2021

The article compares the tendencies of Islamism in school education in France and Germany. Despite the different approaches to the role of religion in schools in these countries with large Muslim communities, there is a growing process of the penetration of Islamism into schools. The external manifestations of this phenomenon coincide ‒ the segregation of schoolchildren in relation to religion. At the same time, the social factor clearly fades away. The author explores the cultural causes of Islamism, which are based on the gap between the secular culture of France and Germany and the worldview of Muslim youth. At the turn of the 1980s in France and Germany the assimilation policy of integration exhausted its possibilities, primarily due to the massive influx of migrants from Muslim countries who created their own territorial enclaves ("parallel societies"), in which the power of the state was minimized. There was a paradigm shift at the turn of the 1980s‒1990s, when Western countries began to implement a policy of multiculturalism, which also suffered a failure. The article examines how the value of a person's religious affiliation as opposed to civic value, the priority of group rights in relation to the rights of an individual became the reason for the strengthening of Islamism in schools in France and Germany. That was a direct consequence of both the mass migration of the 1980s and 1990s, which took the form of superficial naturalization, with the goal of obtaining social benefits without becoming introduced to the culture of Western countries, and the failed policy of multiculturalism. If these problems are not tackled, the success in curbing the Islamist wave in European schools is unlikely.
European Capitals in the Postindustrial Dimension
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vodopianova Elena
Published: August 2021

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the modern vision of European capitals, presented as an interdisciplinary phenomenon in a number of recent works by Russian and foreign authors. The attention is focused both on external (architecture, complexes of cultural initiatives of different levels) and on the essential parameters of the functioning of capitals (technology, innovation, finance, science, ecology). The purpose of the publication is to identify new trends that characterize the development of European capitals in the information age. It is highlighted that the modern European capital is a city that produces numerous forms of dialogue of its residents, including in the context of the «tradition-modernity» interaction. The classical sociocultural vision of the city is supplemented by the idea of the city as a stable intellectual system. In the reviewed works, the author finds confirmation of her thesis that in the near future the existing polycentricity of European capitals will not only deepen, but also expand due to the functions of peripheral cities in accordance with such classical postulates of postindustrialism as decentralization, deurbanization and demassification.
The European Christian Churches and Politics
Authors:   Pushkin Leningrad State University, Smirnov Mikhail
Published: August 2021

The article is dedicated to the methodological aspects of the study of Christian churches political role in modern Europe, conducted by the Russian religious scholar R.N. Lunkin. In the monograph “Churches in Politics and Politics in Churches. How Modern Christianity is changing European Society” he presented a number of non-trivial and important ideas for academic discourse on the traditional topic “church and politics” in the external and internal transformations context of European society. The researcher applied the methodological technique by moving from the general (the basic concepts that reveal the political role of religious institutions) through the special (the Christian churches in Europe in crisis situations) to the individual (the role of churches in specific political conflicts, the religious factor in mass migration, the position of churches in the coronavirus pandemic). The processes identified in Europe are correlated with the political challenges of the Christian churches in the Russian Federation. The monograph sets a fairly wide range of problems important for reflection, discussion, and research perspectives. To what extent is political content organic to churches as religious organizations? To what extent is the political influence of the churches possible, and what are its likely consequences? Can Christianity, in its current ecclesiastical format serve as a basis of the socio-cultural identity of the indigenous population of European countries? These and a number of other fundamental questions arise due to R.N. Lunkin's interpretation of acute and ambiguous situations with religion in modern Europe and Russia.
COVID-19 in Italy: Reloading of Life Standards
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nosov Mikhail
Published: August 2021

For more than a year and a half, the world has been living in the grips of Covid-19, which has had a serious impact on the lifestyle of the people of all countries. From March 2020, the population of most European countries has been forced to revise the existing rules of everyday life and go into a state of siege. This was due to a poor understanding of power and danger of viral infection that most likely came first from China to Europe in the fall of 2019. Italy was one of the first states, which faced all the negative consequences of the pandemia. The first Italian patient was identified in December 2019. The new disease did not cause any particular alarm among doctors, patients, media, and most importantly, the Italian government. As a result in March 2020 Italian medical system, which was not ready for a massive increase of Covid-19 patients, literally collapsed. Article is based on an analysis of the results of the various research, including materials of Rome Institute for Economic and Social Research (Eurispes), forecasts by consulting companies and world statistics. An attempt has been undertaken to show the changes in consumer behavior in Italy and its impact on the daily life of Italians.
Greek-Turkish Confrontation and Its Influence on the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors:   Vyatka State University, Vlasova Ksenia
Published: August 2021

The Eastern Mediterranean can rightly be considered as one of the most conflict regions in the world, as it has accumulated numerous security problems. Such problems are driven by the attempts of several regional players to revise the existing status quo and their own position in the region (Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran), the increasing influence of some traditional actors (Russia, the USA, the EU, China), longstanding and current international conflicts, the problem of international terrorism, extremism, uncontrolled migration, etc. The article analyzes the most important contradiction in the Eastern Mediterranean, which can be attributed to the confrontation between the two neighbors, Greece and Turkey. The origins of their conflict go far back in history, and Greek-Turkish rivalry is still ongoing. Relations between Greece and Turkey have gone through many phases from armed conflict in 1974 to a period of neutrality and synergy in the 2000s. The study focuses on the events of 2020, when there was a sharp aggravation of the Greek-Turkish conflict in three areas: migration, religious and cultural action of the Turkish government upon the return of the status of a functioning mosque to the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul, and the escalation around the complex ―Aegean problem‖ related to the delimitation of maritime borders. The new phase of the conflict could lead to the deterioration of bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey, but also to a security system in the Eastern Mediterranean with the support of regional players and great powers.
Comparative Analysis of the Spanish and Portuguese "Soft Power" Models
Authors:   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, Borzova Alla , Nikolashvili Nino ,   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
Published: August 2021

The article contains a comparison of Spanish and Portuguese soft power models. Within the framework of the problem-chronological approach, mainly the method of comparative analysis was applied. On the basis of the historical parallels between the two Iberian states, the authors highlight the origins of the modern Spanish and Portuguese brands. They investigate national interpretations of the concept of soft power in Spain and Portugal and compare their main elements in the national formulas of soft power. Besides, the differences in the assessment of Spanish and Portuguese soft power in international rankings is pointed out. After the analysis of the structures of soft power management in Spain and Portugal is conducted, the attention is drawn to the juxtaposition of the activities and the influence of two linguistic institutions: the Cervantes Institute and the Camões Institute. The following conclusion is drawn: the soft power of Spain and Portugal is based on similar resources but is implemented with varying degrees of success. The Spanish soft power model became more attractive. The main reason for this is the absence of a body responsible for the national brand in Portugal, while the Spanish soft power is regulated by a government authority, The Portuguese brand is mainly managed by private institutions with little or no coordination between them.
Migration from Maghreb: External and Internal Challenges for Europe
Authors:   Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyukaeva Tatyana
Published: August 2021

The article explores the issue of Maghrebi migration to Europe in the context of potential external and internal challenges it poses to European states and societies. Special attention is given to the „push‟ factors that underpin emigration of Maghrebis. The results of research highlight that migration from Maghreb to Europe is persistent. The current military, political and socioeconomic dynamics in the region imply that the Maghrebi migration flow will increase in the future. The article concentrates on reasons for radicalization of some members of Maghrebi immigrant communities in Europe. The findings indicate that Arab or Muslim background of immigrants is not the root cause for radicalization. Despite the fact that some elements of the Islamic doctrine are exploited by Islamist organizations, they mostly resonate with youth of second-generation migrant communities giving them a certain „frame‟ and purpose for their protest. The main conclusion is that the most serious threat to the European security comes not from the large-scale influx of migrants, which will be continue, but marginalization of big parts of migrant communities, most and foremost born and raised in Europe, as they are the ones that tend to get radicalized in the first place.
The Origins of European Security: the Factor of Neutrality in the early 1970s
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sindeev Alexey
Published: August 2021

The article continues to explore a topic of «Sources of European Security».The author analyzes the role of personalities, processes and factors that have influenced the modern European security system, sustainable and variable elements of the transformation of the European segment of international relations. On the basis of documents from the Swiss Federal Archives, this article highlightsthe position of Switzerland and, in some cases, Austria before the start of the substantive discussions of the agreed agenda at the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). The 1970 Moscow Treaty between the USSR and the Federal Republic of Germany and the start of the CSCE process led to the Soviet Union abandoning its longstanding attempts to establish cooperation between the great powers in parallel with the UN structures.The Foreign Minister of the USSR Andrei Gromyko warned against this. Subsequently, the role of the small and medium-sized countries in the two ideological camps increased. The overall picture of interstate relations became more complicated. It is therefore no coincidence that the CSCE is treatedcontroversially in historiography. Considering that transformations are associated with continuous forms, positions, and mechanisms that have been tested over time, the author makes hypotheses and recommendations at the end of the article.
The Role of the European Socialists in the EU Political System
Authors:   Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Guseletov Boris
Published: August 2021

The article explores the formation of a single European socio-political space and the evolution of the institution of pan-European political parties (Europarties). It is shown that the growth of practical and scientific interest to the European parties was associated with the gradual strengthening of the role and influence of this relatively new institution in the political system of the EU. The authors identified new trends in the development of the institute of European parties. On the one hand, the confrontation between the supporters of European integration (Eurooptimists) and their opponents (Eurosceptics) has intensified. On the other hand, the format of relations between individual European parties (in particular, the Party of European Socialists, which traditionally supports the expansion of ties between governments and society) with European civil society and key political institutions of the EU (the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament) is gradually changing. Based on the analysis of materials related to the activities of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in the last two years, it is shown that this party has managed to create specific tools and mechanisms to strengthen its ties with civil activists (the so-called PES networks on various issues), national member parties, to involve representatives of this party in its work in the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Republic of Moldova in 2016-2020: Domestic Situation and Foreign Policy Objectives
Authors:   Russian State University for the Humanities, Pivovar Ephim , Guschin Alexandr ,   Russian State University for the Humanities, Levchenkov Alexandr ,   Russian State University for the Humanities
Published: August 2021

The post-Soviet period of Moldova's history was complex and ambiguous. It was characterized by a difficult socio-economic situation, important transformations of the foreign policy, malign influence of corruption, mass departure of the able-bodied population outside the republic. Recent years have not been an exception. The turbulent events of 2016‒2020, which are analyzed, became a new important stage in the life of Moldova, solidifying the trends of its development in the next decade. The authors analyze the key events of this period, of its domestic and foreign policy: the issues of the creation and functioning of a broad coalition in the summer of 2019, its collapse, the formation of a new coalition between socialists and democrats, the presidential elections in Moldova and their impact on the political situation. The authors note that the recent trends in the political development of Moldova and its foreign policy show that in the near future political instability in the republic will continue. The question is if, in the context of internal political polarization in the country, it will be possible to reach a geopolitical consensus around Moldova and prevent the acute political confrontation in the country from turning into a long-term political and institutional crisis.
The Effect of the Xi Jinping Administration’s Anticorruption Campaign on the Performance of State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Piao Long , Jung Kwangho
Published: August 2021

There has been a debate on how the state-driven anticorruption movement during the Xi Jinping administration has influenced state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Research has examined the relationship between corruption and economic development at the country level in Asia and has found paradoxically that economic growth and high corruption levels can coexist. However, the “Asian paradox” that appears at the country level may be a transitional phenomenon of the short term. Not many researchers have empirically compared individual firm-level performance before and after a strong anticorruption drive, drawing on relevant comparison groups. This study tests whether Xi’s 2012 anticorruption campaign improved SOEs’ performance. With a difference-in-differences method, it explores whether the anticorruption campaign had different effects on the financial performance of SOEs and non-SOEs (private companies). We find that the anticorruption initiative improved SOEs’ financial performance and benefited SOEs more than non-SOEs.
Party-State Capitalism in China
Authors: Pearson Margaret , Rithmire Meg , Tsai Kellee S.
Published: August 2021

China’s economic model, commonly described as “state capitalist,” is now better characterized as party-state capitalism, in which the political survival of the Communist Party trumps developmental goals. Its tools for managing the economy include not only state ownership and market interventions, but increasing use of party-state power to discipline private capital. China’s entrepreneurs are now expected to adhere to the party line, as are foreign corporations operating in the country. The shift is fueling a backlash from foreign governments that view the fusion of state and private interests in China as a threat to their own national security.
Pastoralism and the State in China’s Inner Mongolia
Authors: White Thomas
Published: August 2021

The Chinese government has downgraded use of the Mongol language in schools in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is now using its brand of state environmentalism to rein in Mongol pastoralists, blaming them for the degradation of grasslands. By targeting language and land use, the two pillars of Mongol autonomy, the state has shown that it is prepared to override the very limited forms of autonomy still enjoyed by China’s minority nationalities. Mongol leaders are responding by working within the state and its discourses to preserve pastoralism, casting herders not as keepers of a timeless nomadic culture but as partners in preserving biodiversity and stemming desertification.
Disabled People’s Fight for Rights in South Korea and Japan
Authors: Arrington Celeste L.
Published: August 2021

Long considered objects of pity and welfare assistance, people with disabilities in South Korea and Japan are increasingly treated as rights-bearers. Through activism, litigation, and involvement in international treaty negotiations, Koreans and Japanese with disabilities spurred reforms that created new anti-discrimination protections and obligations to provide reasonable accommodations, access, employment, and social supports. These policy changes also signal a notably more legalistic approach to governance, particularly in South Korea, because they include more detailed rules and formal rights, more enforcement mechanisms like fines, and better recourse to judicial or other dispute resolution bodies.
Japan’s Younger Generations Look for a New Way of Living
Authors: Klien Susanne
Published: August 2021

As post-growth Japan hesitates between stagnation and change, its young people are opting out of traditional career paths and seeking lifestyles with greater personal freedom. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Japanese society to change in some respects, but institutional and corporate leaders remain reluctant to embrace reforms to work and gender norms and in many other areas. Yet social changes are occurring at the grassroots level, as younger Japanese pursuing new opportunities are moving from cities to the countryside, others head overseas in pursuit of more diverse careers and living arrangements, and some among the growing ranks of social introverts turn themselves into successful game developers and writers.
LGBT Russians and Political Environment for Activism
Authors: Buyantueva Radzhana
Published: August 2021

This article examines the impact of external and internal state policies on Russian LGBT activism. Drawing on the political opportunity structure (POS) framework, it focuses on the analysis of two factors (the level of state repression on LGBT people and the direction of state foreign policy) and their impact on LGBT activism. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s goal for closer relations with the West facilitated the decrease of pressure on LGBT people. That created positive conditions for LGBT activism. Since the late 1990s, however, Russia’s direction in foreign policy has become more assertive. That has facilitated the increase in state repression on LGBT people and activists. Such negative changes in POS have posed challenges for LGBT activism complicating its further development.
The Agency of Recipient Countries in Transnational Policy-Related Knowledge Transfer
Authors: Heinrich Andreas , Isabekova Gulnaz , Müller Armin , Pleines Heiko , ten Brink Tobias
Published: August 2021

Current research on transnational knowledge transfer has a strong bias toward (often conditionality-based) advice originating in the core OECD world and focuses nearly exclusively on the link from a source to a target of knowledge transfer. This contribution provides a broader and more nuanced picture by looking at the reverse logic of non-OECD countries proactively searching abroad for policy advice and assessing this advice based on their own requirements. Based on the role of conditionality and on the attitude of the recipient country toward cooperation with foreign sources of advice, five demand-side strategies in transnational policy-related knowledge transfer are distinguished, each of which is analyzed utilizing the example of health reform. The results highlight systematic differences in the attitude toward and employment of foreign advice.
An Archeology of Mexican Modernity
Authors: Myers Kathleen Ann
Published: August 2021

Cultural analysts have noted similarities between Alfonso Cuarón’s Colonia Roma and José Emilio Pacheco’s Colonia Roma, depicted twenty years earlier in his best-selling novel Las batallas en el desierto (1981). But no one has examined how Pacheco’s work studies the emerging relationship between modernization and the racialization of space, which Cuarón’s film Roma later captured for a global audience. Pacheco’s depictions of a spatialized interaction between social classes in mid-twentieth-century Colonia Roma, I argue, offer an archeology of space, race, class, and modernity that attempts to counteract forces of social amnesia following a period of repression and censorship. Drawing on the critical practice of spatial studies, I look beyond the flat representation of space and study instead how a multidimensional spatialization depicted in this work reveals the legacy of Spanish colonial infrastructures of race and the emerging formulation of modernity. Indeed, Pacheco’s novel tells the story of repressed memories and unearths the infrastructures of a coloniality/modernity that continue to affect Mexico today.
There are no Communists Here
Authors: Hijar Andrés
Published: August 2021

Workers’ unions and political projects in postrevolutionary Chihuahua, specifically the border city of Ciudad Juárez, have remained largely unexamined by historians. Existing research in this state has mainly focused on the role of political and economic elites. In this article, I examine the rise of a radical labor wing spearheaded by the communist-leaning Cámara Sindical Obrera in the political, social, and economic milieu on the border throughout the 1930s. This wing encouraged a sense of internationalism and mass direct action. Once the Cárdenas regime ended, workers experienced significant setbacks at both the national and local levels. Scholars examining workers’ movements during the same period have identified divisions within the labor movement as the main reason behind the demise of communist unions within organized labor. I argue that the gradual co-optation of the radical wing of the labor movement, beginning in the 1940s, had more to do with the violence perpetrated against these unions by emergent statewide elites than with fractures within the movement. I demonstrate that violence, arrests, and outright murder of key leaders weakened communist unions by altering their internal mechanisms designed to remain independent. In this difficult context, organized labor responded to the challenge with different degrees of success.
Early expression of requisite developmental growth hormone imprinted cytochromes P450 and dependent transcription factors
Authors: Banerjee Sarmistha , Hayes Allison M , Shapiro Bernard H
Published: August 2021

The sexually dimorphic expression of cytochromes P450 (CYP) drug metabolizing enzymes has been reported in all species examined. These sex differences are initially expressed during puberty and are solely regulated by sex differences in the circulating growth hormone (GH) profiles. Once established, however, the different male- and female-dependent CYP isoforms are permanent and immutable, suggesting that adult CYP expression requires imprinting. Since the hormone that regulates an adult function is likely the same hormone that imprints the function, we selectively blocked GH secretion in some newborn male rats while others also received a concurrent physiologic replacement of rat GH. Rats were subsequently challenged, peripubertally, with either a masculine-like episodic GH regimen or the GH vehicle alone. The results demonstrate that episodic GH regulation of male-specific CYP2C11 and CYP3A2, as well as female-predominant CYP2C6, are dependent on developmental GH imprinting. Moreover, the induction and/or activation of major components in the signal transduction pathway regulating the expression of the principal CYP2C11 isoform is obligatorily dependent on perinatal GH imprinting without which CYP2C11 and drug metabolism would be permanently and profoundly suppressed. Since there are additional adult metabolic functions also regulated by GH, pediatric drug therapy that is known to disrupt GH secretion could unintentionally impair adult health.
Early and late endocrine complications of COVID-19
Authors: Kazakou Paraskevi , Paschou Stavroula A , Psaltopoulou Theodora , Gavriatopoulou Maria , Korompoki Eleni , Stefanaki Katerina , Kanouta Fotini , Kassi Georgia N , Dimopoulos Meletios-Athanasios , Mitrakou Asimina
Published: August 2021

Endocrine system plays a vital role in controlling human homeostasis. Understanding the possible effects of COVID-19 on endocrine glands is crucial to prevent and manage endocrine disorders before and during hospitalization in COVID-19-infected patients as well as to follow them up properly upon recovery. Many endocrine glands such as pancreas, hypothalamus and pituitary, thyroid, adrenal glands, testes, and ovaries have been found to express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, the main binding site of the virus. Since the pandemic outbreak, various publications focus on the aggravation of preexisting endocrine diseases by COVID-19 infection or the adverse prognosis of the disease in endocrine patients. However, data on endocrine disorders both during the phase of the infection (early complications) and upon recovery (late complications) are scarce. The aim of this review is to identify and discuss early and late endocrine complications of COVID-19. The majority of the available data refer to glucose dysregulation and its reciprocal effect on COVID-19 infection with the main interest focusing on the presentation of new onset of diabetes mellitus. Thyroid dysfunction with low triiodothyronine, low thyroid stimulating hormone, or subacute thyroiditis has been reported. Adrenal dysregulation and impaired spermatogenesis in affected men have been also reported. Complications of other endocrine glands are still not clear. Considering the recent onset of COVID-19 infection, the available follow-up data are limited, and therefore, long-term studies are required to evaluate certain effects of COVID-19 on the endocrine glands.
Low-dose short synacthen test with salivary cortisol in patients with suspected central adrenal insufficiency
Authors: Ceccato Filippo , Selmin Elisa , Antonelli Giorgia , Barbot Mattia , Daniele Andrea , Boscaro Marco , Plebani Mario , Scaroni Carla
Published: August 2021

Context

The low-dose short synacthen test (LDSST) is recommended for patients with suspected central adrenal insufficiency (AI) if their basal serum cortisol (F) levels are not indicative of an intact hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.

Objective

To evaluate diagnostic threshold for salivary F before and 30 min after administering 1 μg of synacthen, performed before 09:30 h.

Design

A cross-sectional study from 2014 to 2020.

Setting

A tertiary referral university hospital.

Patients

In this study, 174 patients with suspected AI, 37 with central AI and 137 adrenal sufficient (AS), were included.

Main outcome measure

The diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP)) of serum and salivary F levels measured, respectively, by chemiluminescence immunoassay and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

Low basal serum or salivary F levels could predict AI. For the LDSST, the best ROC-calculated threshold for serum F to differentiate AI from AS was 427 nmol/L (SE 79%, SP 89%), serum F > 500 nmol/L reached SP 100%. A salivary F peak > 12.1 nmol/L after administering synacthen reached SE 95% and SP 84% for diagnosing central AI, indicating a conclusive reduction in the likelihood of AI. This ROC-calculated threshold for salivary F was similar to the 2.5th percentile of patients with a normal HPA axis, so it was considered sufficient to exclude AI. Considering AS those patients with salivary F > 12.1 nmol/L after LDSST, we could avoid unnecessary glucocorticoid treatment: 99/150 subjects (66%) had an inadequate serum F peak after synacthen, but salivary F was >12.1 nmol/L in 79 cases, who could, therefore, be considered AS.

Conclusions

Salivary F levels > 12.1 nmol/L after synacthen administration can indicate an intact HPA axis in patients with an incomplete serum F response, avoiding the need to start glucocorticoid replacement treatment.
ESE Clinical Practice Guideline on functioning and nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas in pregnancy
Authors: Luger A , Broersen L H A , Biermasz N R , Biller B M K , Buchfelder M , Chanson P , Jorgensen J O L , Kelestimur F , Llahana S , Maiter D , Mintziori G , Petraglia F , Verkauskiene R , Webb S M , Dekkers O M
Published: August 2021

Pregnancies are rare in women with pituitary adenomas, which may relate to hormone excess from secretory subtypes such as prolactinomas or corticotroph adenomas. Decreased fertility may also result from pituitary hormone deficiencies due to compression of the gland by large tumours and/or surgical or radiation treatment of the lesion. Counselling premenopausal women with pituitary adenomas about their chance of conceiving spontaneously or with assisted reproductive technology, and the optimal pre-conception treatment, should start at the time of initial diagnosis. The normal physiological changes during pregnancy need to be considered when interpreting endocrine tests in women with pituitary adenomas. Dose adjustments in hormone substitution therapies may be needed across the trimesters. When medical therapy is used for pituitary hormone excess, consideration should be given to the known efficacy and safety data specific to pregnant women for each therapeutic option. In healthy women, pituitary gland size increases during pregnancy. Since some pituitary adenomas also enlarge during pregnancy, there is a risk of visual impairment, especially in women with macroadenomas or tumours near the optic chiasm. Pituitary apoplexy represents a rare acute complication of adenomas requiring surveillance, with surgical intervention needed in some cases. This guideline describes the choice and timing of diagnostic tests and treatments from the pre-conception stage until after delivery, taking into account adenoma size, location and endocrine activity. In most cases, pregnant women with pituitary adenomas should be managed by a multidisciplinary team in a centre specialised in the treatment of such tumours.
The effect of LH rise during artificial frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles
Authors: Khoury Samer , Kadour-Peero Einav , Calderon Ilan
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the association between a rise in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels during artificial frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles and clinical pregnancy rate.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of women undergoing artificial FET cycles. We compared cycles in which LH double itself from the early follicular phase and further (group A) to cycles without a rise in LH (group B). Endometrium preparation was achieved by administration of 2 mg three times per day estradiol valerate tablets. Embryo transfer (ET) was conducted after achieving endometrial thickness > 7 mm and vaginal progesterone was added according to the embryo’s age. A beta-hCG was measured 13–14 days after ET. Clinical pregnancy was diagnosed on transvaginal ultrasound.

Results

Data from 984-FET cycles were retrieved. LH, exogenous estradiol (E2), progesterone values, endometrial thickness, and pregnancy outcomes were available in all patients. From 984-FET cycles, 629 (63.9%) had a doubling, and 355 (36.07%) had no rise in LH. Patients mean age was 30 years, similar in both groups. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was calculated to assess the effect of LH rise and pregnancy outcomes, after adjusting for confounders including a rise in E2 level and endometrial thickness. In this model, there was no association between doubling LH values and pregnancy rates (adjusted odds ratio: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.75–1.5, P = 0.74).

Conclusion

LH rise during artificial FET cycles does not alter pregnancy rates. Apparently, hormonal monitoring of LH levels may not yield useful information in the artificial FET cycle and may be omitted.

Lay summary

Supplementation of estradiol, a hormone produced by the ovaries, starting at the beginning of the menstrual cycle of an artificially frozen embryo transfer (FET) can lead to a rise in luteinizing hormone (LH), the hormone that induces ovulation. Such a rise in LH may interfere with embryo implantation, the process where the embryo attaches to the inner lining of the uterus and, therefore, could affect the chances of pregnancy. The current study is the first to assess the effect of a dynamic rise in LH levels during FET cycles on pregnancy rates. This study found no difference in pregnancy rates between FET cycles where the LH doubled compared to cycles without such a rise in LH. Larger, prospective studies should be conducted to assess the impact of LH elevation on pregnancy outcomes.
Recensión Gramáticos e gramáticas. Homenaxe a Juan Antonio Saco Arce
Authors: Ares Rodríguez María Carmen
Published: August 2021

Recensión
Zastosowanie opatrunków specjalistycznych w oparzeniowej ranie mozaikowej stopnia IIa/IIb u dziecka – opis przypadku
Authors: Jutkiewicz-Sypniewsk Joanna , Januszowiec Marta
Published: August 2021

Streszczenie: Oparzenie jest jednym z najbardziej powszechnych i zarazem wyniszczających doświadczeń traumatycznych. Jest to zdarzenie często stanowiące zagrożenie dla zdrowia i życia, szczególnie w grupie dzieci do 2. roku życia. Jednym z powikłań mogących wystąpić w trakcie leczenia rany oparzeniowej jest jej zakażenie. Następstwem oparzenia są blizny, często powodujące deformacje lub niezadowalający efekt estetyczny. Właściwe schłodzenie rany oparzeniowej przed uzyskaniem profesjonalnej pomocy ma duży wpływ na całokształt procesu leczenia, wraz z jego efektem końcowym. Ogromne znaczenie ma również zastosowanie odpowiedniego postępowania miejscowego, zależnego od oceny rany oparzeniowej. Szybkie wyleczenie rany ma pozytywny wpływ na efekt kosmetyczny nowo formującej się tkanki. W niniejszej pracy zaprezentowano postępowanie miejscowe zastosowane u 17-miesięcznego pacjenta z raną oparzeniową II stopnia. Wykorzystane w terapii miejscowej opatrunki UrgoClean® Ag i UrgoTul® Ag/Silver doprowadziły do wyleczenia ran w ciągu 7 dni, pozwalając na uniknięcie przykrych powikłań oraz powrót do sprawności, umożliwiający dalszy rozwój dziecka.
Fractal prediction of frictional force against the interior surface of forming channel coupled with temperature in a ring die pellet machine
Authors: De Xuehong , Zhang Jianchao , Yang Yang , Du Jianqiang , Guo Wenbin , Li Zhen
Published: August 2021

For the biomass ring die pellet machine, the frictional force against the interior surface of the forming channel is the main cause for its frictional wear and also is key to the research of wear mechanism as well as its prediction. In this study, four ring die samples were used to measure and obtain data on their surface morphology. The fractal dimension D and fractal feature G were calculated using the Yardstick method, and lastly a fractal prediction model of sliding frictional force against the interior surface of forming channel was built, which was coupled with a fractal model of temperature distribution over friction surface. Numerical simulation, as well as friction-wear test were conducted to verify the accuracy of the model. The result showed that: when Ar < Arc, the slope of F was larger, which means the frictional force increased more rapidly, and the larger slope of FD represented a rapidly decreasing unit of frictional force. When true contact area Ar = 3.93%, Aa, FT, and FTD increased with the increase in temperature; FT increased rapidly at first and then gradually slowed down. When Ar was small, FTD increased sharply with the increase in temperature.
O fundamento filosófico, os princípios jurídicos e a plataforma política da ideia kantiana de cosmopolitismo
Authors: Costa Antônio Carlos da Rocha
Published: August 2021

Este artigo visa apresentar, em uma perspectiva contemporânea, um panorama dos textos que contêm as bases da ideia de cosmopolitismo elaborada por Kant. O fundamento filosófico se encontra no texto “Ideia de uma História Universal do Ponto de Vista Cosmopolita”. O texto “Doutrina do Direito” contém os princípios jurídicos da ideia de cosmopolitismo. O texto “À Paz Perpétua” contém a proposta de uma plataforma política mínima a ser adotada pelo movimento cosmopolita implicado pela proposta de Kant: tal plataforma é um conjunto mínimo de objetivos, expressos na forma de regras práticas de caráterjurídico e diplomático cosmopolita, que precisam ser alcançados para que um Estado Mundial Republicano possa ser viabilizado. A razão para Kant ter, ao final, reduzido essa proposição de Estado Mundial Republicano a uma Federação de Estados Republicanos é salientada. Ao final, o artigo tenta avaliar, sumariamente, a viabilidade política que a ideia kantiana de cosmopolitismo tem nos dias de hoje.
Kant e o problema da guerra
Authors: Landgraf Saulo Freire
Published: August 2021

Este artigo procura, sob o olhar das Relações Internacionais, abordar a perspectiva kantiana sobre o problema da guerra. Tendo como base a sua filosofia moral e a obra À Paz Perpétua, verifica em que hipóteses a guerra seria aceitável, e que consequências pode haver para o indivíduo e a sociedade. Além disso, considerando o arquétipo da ética deontológica de Kant, o artigo verifica como o dever individual pode, sopesando os imperativos categóricos, se tornar uma obrigação coletiva. Por fim, verifica se há, na realidade do mundo atual, a possiblidade de aplicação dos preceitos kantianos, relacionando-as com as operações de paz da ONU e as possibilidades de responsabilização moral, na construção da paz mundial.
Analysis of neurotransmitter catecholamines and related amines in human urine and serum by chromatography and capillary electrophoresis with 1, 3, 5, 7-tetramethyl-8-(N-hydroxysuccinimidyl propionic ester)-difluoro-boradiaza-s-indacene
Authors: Cao Liwei , Wu Lizhen , Zhong Hailan , Wu Hao , Zhang Siyun , Meng Jianxin , Li Fengyu
Published: August 2021

Two sensitive and effective methods were developed for the detection of catecholamines and related biogenic amines (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, levodopa and tyramine) using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection. A BODIPY fluorescent dye, 1, 3, 5, 7-tetramethyl-8-(N-hydroxysuccinimidyl propionic ester)-difluoroboradiaza- s-indacene was used as pre-column derivatization reagent. The separation and derivatization conditions were optimized in detail. In high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method, the derivatization reaction was completed at 35 °C for 20 min. At the wavelength of λ
ex/λ
em = 493 nm/513 nm, dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and levodopa derivatives achieved baseline separation within 15 min. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) were 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 0.5 nmol/L, respectively. In capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection method, the derivatization reaction was completed at 25 °C for 20 min. Serotonin, tyramine and dopamine derivatives reached baseline separation within 10 min at the wavelength of λ
ex = 473 nm. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) for serotonin, tyramine, and dopamine were 0.3, 0.02, and 0.2 nmol/L, respectively. The amino compounds in human serum and urine samples were detected successfully, and the recoveries were 93.3%–106.7% and 91.0%–103.1%, respectively.
Strengthening Spiritual Practices among Community: Dhikr Activities in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Authors: Abdul Hamid Mohammad Fahmi , Meerangani Khairul Azhar , Suliaman Ishak , Md Ariffin Mohd Farhan , Abdul Halim Amran
Published: August 2021

Tarekat tasawuf has been established in Negeri Sembilan since 1900 and began to strengthen its existence in spiritual activities such as the implementation of zikr tarekat tasawuf activities among the local community. This article will highlight the impact of implementing the zikr activities tarekat tasawuf, which is implemented periodically on the spiritual strengthening of the community in Negeri Sembilan. A qualitative approach is used involving library studies, review of relevant documents, and interviews with the Registrar of Tarekat, Tasawuf Division of the Negeri Sembilan Mufti Department, and the Syeikh of the tarekat involved. Basically, there are 13 Sufi practice centers around Negeri Sembilan that conduct regular zikr activities that impact the community. The existence of tarekat practice centers in Negeri Sembilan has been plotted to see the distribution and centralization of tarekat centers. In addition, the form of zikr practiced in the zikr ceremony is also explained through a simple framework built. The results also showed that the Seremban district is the highest area with a tarekat practice center. Indirectly, the zikr activities, tarekat tasawuf, have provided space for the local community to engage in more systematic spiritual activities. The efforts implemented by the Sufi tarekat practice center in Negeri Sembilan are expected to be used as an example by other states in Malaysia so that the community is more interested in the Sufi tarekat zikr ceremony.