bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some New Covering-Based Multigranulation Fuzzy Rough Sets and Corresponding Application in Multicriteria Decision Making
Authors: Chang Zaibin , Mao Lingling
Published: November 2021

Multigranulation rough set theory is an important tool to deal with the problem of multicriteria information system. The notion of fuzzy

β

-neighborhood has been used to construct some covering-based multigranulation fuzzy rough set (CMFRS) models through multigranulation fuzzy measure. But the

β

-neighborhood has not been used in these models, which can be seen as the bridge of fuzzy covering-based rough sets and covering-based rough sets. In this paper, the new concept of multigranulation fuzzy neighborhood measure and some types of covering-based multigranulation fuzzy rough set (CMFRS) models based on it are proposed. They can be seen as the further combination of fuzzy sets: covering-based rough sets and multigranulation rough sets. Moreover, they are used to solve the problem of multicriteria decision making. Firstly, the definition of multigranulation fuzzy neighborhood measure is given based on the concept of

β

-neighborhood. Moreover, four types of CMFRS models are constructed, as well as their characteristics and relationships. Then, novel matrix representations of them are investigated, which can satisfy the need of knowledge discovery from large-scale covering information systems. The matrix representations can be more easily implemented than set representations by computers. Finally, we apply them to manage the problem of multicriteria group decision making (MCGDM) and compare them with other methods.
Three Topological Indices of Two New Variants of Graph Products
Authors: Bilal Muhammad , Jamil Muhammad Kamran , Waheed Muhammad , Alameri Abdu
Published: November 2021

Graph operations play an important role to constructing complex network structures from simple graphs, and these complex networks play vital roles in different fields such as computer science, chemistry, and social sciences. Computation of topological indices of these complex network structures via graph operation is an important task. In this study, we defined two new variants of graph products, namely, corona join and subdivision vertex join products and investigated exact expressions of the first and second Zagreb indices and first reformulated Zagreb index for these new products.
Exquisite Sensitivity to Dual BRG1/BRM ATPase Inhibitors Reveals Broad SWI/SNF Dependencies in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Rago Florencia , Rodrigues Lindsey Ulkus , Bonney Megan , Sprouffske Kathleen , Kurth Esther , Elliott GiNell , Ambrose Jessi , Aspesi Peter , Oborski Justin , Chen Julie T. , McDonald E. Robert , Mapa Felipa A. , Ruddy David A. , Kauffmann Audrey , Abrams Tinya , Bhang Hyo-eun C. , Jagani Zainab
Published: November 2021

Various subunits of mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes display loss-of-function mutations characteristic of tumor suppressors in different cancers, but an additional role for SWI/SNF supporting cell survival in distinct cancer contexts is emerging. In particular, genetic dependence on the catalytic subunit BRG1/SMARCA4 has been observed in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), yet the feasibility of direct therapeutic targeting of SWI/SNF catalytic activity in leukemia remains unknown. Here, we evaluated the activity of dual BRG1/BRM ATPase inhibitors across a genetically diverse panel of cancer cell lines and observed that hematopoietic cancer cell lines were among the most sensitive compared with other lineages. This result was striking in comparison with data from pooled short hairpin RNA screens, which showed that only a subset of leukemia cell lines display sensitivity to BRG1 knockdown. We demonstrate that combined genetic knockdown of BRG1 and BRM is required to recapitulate the effects of dual inhibitors, suggesting that SWI/SNF dependency in human leukemia extends beyond a predominantly BRG1-driven mechanism. Through gene expression and chromatin accessibility studies, we show that the dual inhibitors act at genomic loci associated with oncogenic transcription factors, and observe a downregulation of leukemic pathway genes, including MYC, a well-established target of BRG1 activity in AML. Overall, small-molecule inhibition of BRG1/BRM induced common transcriptional responses across leukemia models resulting in a spectrum of cellular phenotypes.

Implications:

Our studies reveal the breadth of SWI/SNF dependency in leukemia and support targeting SWI/SNF catalytic function as a potential therapeutic strategy in AML.
Circulating Serum Copper Is Associated with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, but Not Venous Thromboembolism: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kunutsor Setor K. , Dey Richard S. , Laukkanen Jari A.
Published: November 2021

Background and Objective: Serum copper has been linked to the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the potential association between serum copper and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is not known. The principal aim was to evaluate the potential prospective association between serum copper and VTE risk. A secondary aim was to confirm or refute previously reported associations between serum copper and atherosclerotic CVD. Methods: Serum copper was measured at baseline using atomic absorption spectrometry in 2,492 men aged 42–61 years without a history of VTE in the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease prospective cohort study. Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for VTE. Results: During a median follow-up of 27.0 years, 166 VTE events occurred. The risk of VTE per 1 standard deviation increase in serum copper in age-adjusted analysis was HR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.88–1.20, which was attenuated to HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.82–1.19, following further adjustment for several established and emerging risk factors. Comparing the top versus bottom tertiles of serum copper, the corresponding adjusted HRs were 1.16 (95% CI: 0.80–1.66) and 1.11 (95% CI: 0.74–1.68), respectively. In 1,901 men without a history of coronary heart disease (CHD), the multivariable-adjusted HR for CHD was 1.32 (95% CI: 1.10–1.59) comparing extreme tertiles of serum copper. Conclusion: In middle-aged Finnish men, we confirmed previously reported associations between high serum copper levels and increased risk of atherosclerotic CVD, but serum copper was not associated with future VTE risk. Other large-scale prospective studies conducted in women, other age-groups, and other populations are needed to confirm or refute these findings.
Heart Failure in Patients with Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Vijay Kris , Neuen Brendon L. , Lerma Edgar V.
Published: November 2021

Background: Heart failure (HF), diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are commonly occurring and interlinked conditions. Approximately 25%–40% of patients with HF have DM, and approximately 40%–50% of patients with HF have CKD. Both DM and CKD are associated with increased risk of incident HF. Furthermore, 40% of people with DM develop CKD, making DM the leading cause of kidney failure globally. Importantly, 16% of patients with HF have both comorbid DM and CKD, and the combination of these 3 comorbidities is associated with substantially increased risk for hospitalization and mortality. Mechanisms that underlie the relationships between HF, DM, and CKD are complex but likely relate to shared cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, as well as downstream effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurohormonal pathways. Summary: This review outlines the epidemiology and links between HF, DM, and CKD, as well as current clinical evidence for the treatment of individuals with a combination of these comorbidities. A case study of a patient with concomitant HF, DM, and CKD is discussed to explore potential treatment approaches for patients in whom all 3 comorbidities exist. Key Messages: Treatment plans for patients with a combination of these 3 comorbidities should consider the available clinical evidence.
Renal AT
2
Receptors Mediate Natriuresis via Protein Phosphatase PP2A
Authors: Kemp Brandon A. , Howell Nancy L. , Gildea John J. , Keller Susanna R. , Brautigan David L. , Carey Robert M.
Published: November 2021

Background:

How signals from activated angiotensin type-2 receptors (AT
2
R) mediate inhibition of sodium ion (Na
+
) reabsorption in renal proximal tubule cells is currently unknown. Protein phosphatases including PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A) have been implicated in AT
2
R signaling in tissues other than kidney. We investigated whether inhibition of protein phosphatase PP2A reduced AT
2
R-mediated natriuresis and evaluated changes in PP2A activity and localization after renal AT
2
R activation in normal 4- and 10-week-old control Wistar-Kyoto rats and 4-week-old prehypertensive and 10-week-old hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Methods and Results:

In Wistar-Kyoto rats, direct renal interstitial administration of selective AT
2
R nonpeptide agonist Compound-21 (C-21) increased renal interstitial cyclic GMP (cGMP) levels, urine Na
+
excretion, and simultaneously increased PP2A activity ≈2-fold in homogenates of renal cortical tubules. The cyclic GMP and natriuretic responses were abolished by concurrent renal interstitial administration of protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A. In renal proximal tubule cells in response to C-21, PP2A subunits A, B55α and C, but not B56γ, were recruited to apical plasma membranes together with AT
2
Rs. Calyculin A treatment abolished C-21-induced translocation of both AT
2
R and PP2A regulatory subunit B55α to apical plasma membranes. Immunoprecipitation of AT
2
R solubilized from renal cortical homogenates demonstrated physical association of AT
2
R with PP2A A, B55α, and C but not B56γ subunits. In contrast, in spontaneously hypertensive rats, administration of C-21 did not alter urine Na
+
excretion or PP2A activity and failed to translocate AT
2
Rs and PP2A subunits to apical plasma membranes.

Conclusions:

In renal proximal tubule cells of Wistar-Kyoto rats, PP2A is activated and PP2A subunits AB55αC are recruited to C-21-activated AT
2
Rs during induction of natriuresis. This response is defective in prehypertensive and hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats, presenting a potential novel therapeutic target for treating renal Na
+
retention and hypertension.
Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin From Macrophages Plays a Critical Role in Renal Fibrosis Via the CCL5 (Chemokine Ligand 5)-Th2 Cells-IL4 (Interleukin 4) Pathway
Authors: Bonnard Benjamin , Ibarrola Jaime , Lima-Posada Ixchel , Fernández-Celis Amaya , Durand Manon , Genty Marie , Lopez-Andrés Natalia , Jaisser Frédéric
Published: November 2021

NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin; or lipocalin 2, Lcn2) is a novel mineralocorticoid target in the cardiovascular system. We showed that Lcn2 gene invalidation protects against proteinuria and renal injury upon mineralocorticoid excess and we hypothesized that NGAL produced from macrophages promotes the expression of chemoattractant molecules involved these renal lesions. The role of NGAL was analyzed using myeloid-specific (MΦ KO NGAL) Lcn2 knockout mice challenged with uni-nephrectomy, aldosterone, and salt (NAS) for 6 weeks. The role of the CCL5 (chemokine ligand 5) and IL4 (interleukin 4) in kidney fibrosis was studied by administration of the CCL5 receptor antagonist maraviroc or by injections of an anti-IL4 neutralizing antibody. In CTL mice, NAS increased the renal expression of extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen I, αSMA, and fibronectin associated with interstitial fibrosis which were blunted in MΦ KO NGAL mice. The expression of CCL5 was blunted in sorted macrophages from MΦ KO NGAL mice challenged by NAS and in macrophages obtained from KO NGAL mice and challenged ex vivo with aldosterone and salt. The pharmacological blockade of the CCL5 receptor reduced renal fibrosis and the CD4
+
Th cell infiltration induced by NAS. Neutralization of IL4 in NAS mice blunted kidney fibrosis and the overexpression of profibrotic proteins, such as collagen I, αSMA, and fibronectin. In conclusion, NGAL produced by macrophages plays a critical role in renal fibrosis and modulates the CCL5/IL4 pathway in mice exposed to mineralocorticoid excess.
‘For the Sciences Migrate, Just Like People’: The Case of Botanical Knowledge in the Early Modern Iberian Empires
Authors: Segev Ran
Published: November 2021

In his writings, Francis Bacon emphasized the interrelatedness between the migration of people and knowledge, arguing that Europeans of his time had surpassed the greatest civilizations because of their ability to traverse the world freely. Concentrating on Spanish observers who investigated New Spain’s flora, this article bridges theory and practice by examining the Iberian roots of Bacon’s views. The article examines scientific approaches for acquiring bioknowledge by Iberians who specialized in European medicine, including Francisco Hernández, Juan de Cárdenas and Francisco Ximénez. While the article recognizes the contribution of travellers and expatriates to Spain’s bioprospecting project, it also points to the ways in which the limitations of the transfer of botanical information was acknowledged and discusses its meaning. By presenting the complexities in the communication of knowledge, I argue, naturalists in the colonies could highlight their unique vantage point in relation to “armchair” specialists in the metropole.
Controllable Summarization with Constrained Markov Decision Process
Authors: Chan Hou Pong , Wang Lu , King Irwin
Published: November 2021

We study controllable text summarization, which allows users to gain control on a particular attribute (e.g., length limit) of the generated summaries. In this work, we propose a novel training framework based on Constrained Markov Decision Process (CMDP), which conveniently includes a reward function along with a set of constraints, to facilitate better summarization control. The reward function encourages the generation to resemble the human-written reference, while the constraints are used to explicitly prevent the generated summaries from violating user-imposed requirements. Our framework can be applied to control important attributes of summarization, including length, covered entities, and abstractiveness, as we devise specific constraints for each of these aspects. Extensive experiments on popular benchmarks show that our CMDP framework helps generate informative summaries while complying with a given attribute’s requirement.1
The Attack on the US Capitol: An American Kristallnacht
Authors: Heine Jorge
Published: November 2021

The attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 was the first such attack on the US Congress since the British-American War of 1812. It was also the event leading to the highest number of injured first responders from any single event in the US since 9/11. What led to it? To respond this question, this article places this event within the broader crisis of Western democracies and the rise of populism that has been its hallmark. It explains the attack on the Capitol as a result of the “Big Lie”, that is, the assertion that the November 3, 2020, presidential elction was stolen from Donald Trump. The remarkable resonance this unfounded claim has found among the US population, in turn, can be traced back to the huge division by race, class and geography currently affecting the United States, a division that makes for a highly polarized polity.
Towards Unifying a Movement: A Reflection on the Current Situation of the Thai Democratic Movement
Authors: Chottsawas Chonlatit
Published: November 2021

In the 2020 Thailand’s protests, the spirit of democracy humiliated over the past six years has been restored. Like a wave of the never-failing stream, Thai people, including myself young and old, demanded a change in Thai politics.
My Own Liberator: A South African Story
Authors: Moseneke Dikgang
Published: November 2021

Dikgang Moseneke was born in Pretoria, South Africa in December 1947. He was imprisoned on Robben Island, where most political prisoners were kept, off the coast of Cape Town for 10 years as a young man for his political activity. While in prison, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science and later completed a Bachelor of Laws degree. After his release from prison, he was admitted as an attorney in 1978 and in 1983 was called to the Pretoria Bar as a Senior Counsel.

During the 1980s he worked underground for the Pan-African Congress and became its deputy president when it was unbanned in 1990. Moseneke also served on the technical committee that drafted the interim South African constitution of 1993. After a corporate career between 1995 and 2001, President Thabo Mbeki appointed him to the High Court in Pretoria and in 2002 as a judge in the Constitutional Court. In June 2005, he became the Court’s Deputy Chief Justice, a position from which he retired in May 2016.

In this essay, he chronicles his years of protest, political activity, and imprisonment as a young man. The essay is an excerpt from his memoir, My Own Liberator, which is published by Picador Africa (2018), and is available online and at all good bookstores.
A call for mutual change and progress: An interview with Aravind Malagatti and Dharani Devi Malagatti
Authors: Simon Surya
Published: November 2021

This interview with Dr Aravind Malagatti and Dr Dharani Devi Malagatti, conducted in Mysore, India, in April 2019, was one of several interviews I conducted for my doctoral thesis that examines caste system and Dalit struggles in the context of India. Dr Aravind Malagatti has contributed more than sixty books to Kannada literature, out of which his autobiography, Government Brahmana published in 1994 is considered the first Dalit autobiography in Kannada ( Government Brahmana, 2007). It was translated and published in English in 2007, and Dr Dharani Devi Malagatti is one of the three translators who translated the work. In this interview, Government Brahmana is discussed as a springboard to understand the social, economic, religious, political and legal aspects of caste and its practices in modern India. Dr Aravind Malagatti provides anecdotes to explain the significance of Dalit consciousness, what it entails and who can possess it. His responses are powerful statements calling for mutual change and progress for Dalits and non-Dalits. Dr Dharani Devi Malagatti talks about the challenges of translating the radical aesthetics of Dalit personal narratives as well as the scope and possibilities offered through translation. The interview explores the undertones of patriotism in Dalit identity, and the synthesis of individual and collective consciousness.
The neuropsychiatric biopolitics of dementia and its ethnicity problem
Authors: Fletcher James Rupert , Zubair Maria , Roche Moïse
Published: November 2021

Sociological analyses of dementia have long drawn on critiques of medicalisation and the medical model. This approach fails to account for late 20th/early 21st century expansion of neuropsychiatric biopolitics, wherein a more subtle and pervasive (self-)governance of health, illness, and life itself is at stake. Since the 1970s, new neuropsychiatric imaginings of dementia have been promoted, as evident in government, third sector and research trajectories. From the 2000s, engagements with ethnicity have played an increasingly important role in these trajectories. Minority ethnic (ME) populations have emerged as a new type of dementia problem. Observations about diagnosis rates and timings, medication and nursing support (including care home admission) are normatively appraised to associate minority ethnicity with poor dementia outcomes. These outcomes are then attributed to purported cultural shortcomings of these populations. The emergence of (minority) ethnicity as a problem supports a neuropsychiatric biopolitics of dementia, wherein citizens must govern their conduct accordingly so as not to become like the imagined ‘ethnic’ antagonist. Ultimately, dementia’s newfound ethnicity problem may not serve the interests of people affected by dementia so much as researchers in the field, who should therefore reflect on their own contributions.
TERRORISM AND RIGHT-PARTY VOTE SHARES IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
Authors: Hunter Lance Y. , Robbins Joseph W. , Ginn Martha H.
Published: November 2021

This study examines the electoral consequences for ideologically right-leaning political parties in the wake of terrorist attacks by employing an original dataset that captures political party vote shares and multiple terrorist indicators. Our analysis extends the partisan voting hypothesis to 56 democracies from multiple regions and levels of development between 1975–2014. Specifically, we find that the origins of terrorist perpetrators, the severity of terrorist attacks, and the frequency of terrorist incidents decrease right-party vote shares in legislative contests when incorporating standard controls. All told, these findings reinforce political psychological reasoning that contends terrorist attacks impact citizens’ emotions and voting calculations.
A new three-dimensional wake model for the real wind farm layout optimization
Authors: Luo Zhaohui , Luo Wei , Xie Junhang , Xu Jian , Wang Longyan
Published: November 2021

The utilization of wind energy has attracted extensive attentions in the last few decades around the world, providing a sustainable and clean source to generate electricity. It is a common phenomenon of wake interference among wind turbines and hence the optimization of wind farm layout is of great importance to improve the wind turbine yields. More specifically, the accuracy of the three-dimensional wake model is critical to the optiamal design of a real wind farm layout considering the combinatorial effect of wind turbine interaction and topography. In this paper, a novel learning-based three-dimensional wake model is proposed and subsequently validated by comparison to the high-fidelity wake simulation results. Moreover, due to the fact that the inevitable deviation of actual wind scenario from the anticipated one can greatly jeopardize the wind farm optimization outcome, the inaccuracy of wind condition prediction using the existing meteorologic data with limited-time measurement is incorporated into the optimization study. Different scenarios including short-, medium-, and long-term wind data are studied specifically with the wind speed/direction prediction errors of [Formula: see text] 0.25 m/s, [Formula: see text] 5.62 [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] 0.08 m/s, [Formula: see text] 1.75 [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] 0.025 m/s, [Formula: see text] 0.56 [Formula: see text], respectively. An advanced objective function which simultaneously maximizes the power output and minimizes the power variance is employed for the optimization study. Through comparison, it is found that the optimized wind farm layout yields over 210 kW more total power output on average than the existed wind farm layout, which verifies the effectiveness of the wind farm layout optimization tool. The results show that as the measurement time for predicting the wind condition gets longer, the total wind farm power output average increases while the error of power output prediction decreases. For the wind farm with 20 wind turbines installed, the individual power output is above 500 kW with an error of 90 kW under the short-term wind [Formula: see text] 0.25 m/s, [Formula: see text] 5.62 [Formula: see text], while it is above 530 kW with an error of 10 kW under the long-term wind [Formula: see text] 0.025 m/s, [Formula: see text] 0.56 [Formula: see text].
Maternal Informal Learning Experiences that Shape Parenting Practices
Authors: Coolman Frances L. , Turnbull Khara L. P. , LoCasale-Crouch Jennifer , Moon Rachel Y. , Hauck Fern R. , Kellams Ann , Colson Eve
Published: November 2021

Objective: Current understanding of the linkage between maternal education and parenting practices has largely been informed using a narrow definition of educational attainment—the highest level of education an individual has completed. However, the proximal processes that shape parenting, including informal learning experiences, are also important to understand. Less is known about the informal learning experiences that shape parenting decisions and practices. To this end, we conducted a qualitative inquiry about the informal learning experiences of mothers of children ages 3–4 years with the specific goal of understanding how maternal informal learning experiences shape parenting decisions and practices. Design: We conducted interviews with 53 mothers from across the United States who had previously participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention targeting infant care practices. We recruited a purposive sample of mothers chosen to maximize diversity across educational attainment and adherence to infant care practices targeted in the RCT. Using a grounded theory approach, data were analyzed using an iterative process for organizing codes and themes that mothers identified as informal learning experiences. Results: We identified seven themes representing distinct types of maternal informal learning experiences that impact parenting practices, including: (1) experiential learning during childhood; (2) experiential learning during adulthood; (3) interpersonal interactions including via social media; (4) experiences with non-interactive media sources; (5) informal trainings; (6) beliefs; and (7) current circumstances. Conclusions: Multiple informal learning experiences inform the parenting decisions and practices of mothers with varying levels of formal educational attainment.
Long non-coding RNA ENST00000414355 as a biomarker of cadmium exposure regulates DNA damage and apoptosis
Authors: Moawad Asmaa Mohammad , Hassan Fatma Mohamed , Sabry Abdelfattah Dina , Basyoni Hoda Ahmed Mohamed
Published: November 2021

Human exposure to cadmium (Cd) may induce severe effects in different organs. Recent studies suggest that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of Cd-related diseases. This study evaluated the use of lncRNA (ENST00000414355) as an expression signature of Cd exposure and assessed its ability to modulate DNA damage and apoptosis by measuring the expression of ATM serine/threonine kinase (ATM) and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in Cd-exposed workers. A total of 139 (74 non-smokers and 65 smokers) participants from a Cd battery manufacturer were included in the study. Venous blood samples were collected to determine the blood Cd level and detect blood ENST00000414355 and its target gene (ATM) using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Mitochondrial membrane potential was used to assess the Cd effect on mitochondrial permeability. Our results indicated a significant positive correlation between blood Cd level and lncRNA-ENST00000414355 and ATM expression and a significant negative correlation between blood Cd level and ΔΨm ( p < 0.0001). Moreover, significant correlations were observed between the expression of lncRNA-ENST00000414355 and ATM expression and ΔΨm ( p < 0.0001). Statistical significance was found in the blood Cd level, lncRNA-ENST00000414355 expression, ATM expression, and ΔΨm ( p < 0.0001) between smokers and non-smokers. This study confirmed the upregulation of the lncRNA-ENST00000414355 expression, DNA damage-checkpoint-related gene (ATM), and decreased ΔΨm in Cd-exposed workers. Thus, lncRNA-ENST00000414355 may serve as a valuable biomarker for the exposure and toxicity of Cd.
Accelerated apoptosis, oxidative stress, and cholinergic inflammation in blood of metalworkers
Authors: Bonfanti-Azzolin Gabriela , Capelleti Camila P , Rodrigues Kelly S , Abdallah Suellen Da R , Frielink Ana P , Rupphental Giovana , Kuhn Bianca B , Cattaneo Roberta , Wolkmer Patricia , Bortolotto Josiane W , Parisi Mariana M
Published: November 2021

Metalworkers are exposed to numerous chemicals in their workplace environment, such as solvents, heavy metals, and metalworking fluids, that have a negative impact on their health. Furthermore, there is an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases among metalworkers; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in this increased predisposition to chronic diseases are unclear. Considering that occupational exposure represents a potential risk for metalworkers, the aim of this study was to measure biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and cytotoxicity in the peripheral blood of metalworkers from Southern Brazil. The study included 40 metalworkers and 20 individuals who did not perform activities with any recognized exposure to chemical substances, such as those working in administration, commerce, and education, as controls. Cellular and molecular biomarkers as leukocyte viability, intracellular production of reactive species, mitochondrial mass and membrane potential and plasma lipid peroxidation, sulfhydryl groups, total antioxidant capacity, and butyrylcholinesterase activity were evaluated in the blood of metalworkers and controls. Metalworkers were found to have higher rates of apoptosis, increased production of reactive species, and increased mitochondrial potential and mass in leukocytes associated with decreased antioxidant defenses and increased activity of the butyrylcholinesterase enzyme in their plasma. It can be concluded that cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation are involved in the multiplicity of health outcomes related to chemical exposure in the metalworking industry.
Numerical assessment of hydrodynamic and mixing characteristics for mixed electroosmotic and pressure-driven flow through a wavy microchannel with patchwise surface heterogeneity
Authors: Vasista Kasavajhula Naga , Mehta Sumit Kumar , Pati Sukumar
Published: November 2021

The micromixing of two fluids plays a vital role in lab-on-a-chip devices. For obtaining better mixing efficiency, we propose a micromixer using patchwise surface potential heterogeneity and wavy wall. We numerically investigate the hydrodynamic and mixing characteristics for flow through a microchannel with a straight top wall and wavy bottom wall. The primary flow is actuated by an external pressure-gradient and patches are placed at the top wall with positive zeta potential, such that the reversed electroosmotic actuation forms the recirculation zones close to the top wall. The streamlines, flow velocity, recirculation zone velocity, species concentration, flow rate, and mixing efficiency are investigated by varying the relative pressure-gradient strength, Debye parameter, zeta potential and wavy surface amplitude. Two different configurations are considered by placing the patches at the top wall, opposite to the peaks and valleys of the bottom wavy surface, respectively. It reveals that the recirculation zone velocity increases with the increase in both Debye parameter and surface amplitude, whereas it decreases with relative pressure-gradient strength near the patch surfaces. The flow rate decreases with the increase in zeta potential and we also identify the values of zeta potential for chocking of flow in the microchannel. It reveals that the mixing efficiency monotonically increases with surface amplitude, and the variation with zeta potential is non-monotonic. We also identify the range of zeta potential for which the value of mixing efficiency is higher than 90% for different configurations of the channel.
A threat to life and livelihoods: examining the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing in Bengaluru and Patna slums
Authors: Downs-Tepper Harlan , Krishna Anirudh , Rains Emily
Published: November 2021

Taking advantage of our existing dataset of 6,721 slum households in two Indian cities, we undertook six rounds of follow-up phone interviews on the impact of COVID-19 between July and November 2020 with three key informants in each of 40 diverse slums. These cities showed contrasting health effects resulting from the first major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic – no deaths and nearly no illnesses were reported in Patna, while there was widespread low-intensity sickness and a cluster of deaths in Bengaluru. We found no clear pattern in the links between outbreaks and city or neighbourhood characteristics. Livelihood effects, however, were devastating across both cities. All but a few slum dwellers lost their jobs for several months and survived by cutting back on essentials, incurring loans, liquidating assets, and seeking help from neighbours. Government assistance, generous in the early part of the lockdown, dwindled rapidly. Many will likely become chronically poor.
Research progress of UWFFA and OCTA in retinal vein occlusion: A review
Authors: An Weiting , Han Jindong
Published: November 2021

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a retinal vascular disease that severely impairs the visual function of patients. Observing the changes of retinal blood vessels before and after treatment is of great significance for the prognostic evaluation of RVO. The rapid development and widespread use of fundus imaging technique, especially ultra-wide-angle fundus fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) have made our observation of the retinal blood vessels of RVO more comprehensive and meticulous. In this paper, we reviewed the latest research progress of UWFFA and OCTA in RVO.
Channelling discomfort through the arts: A Covid-19 case study through an intercultural telecollaboration project
Authors: Porto Melina , Golubeva Irina , Byram Michael
Published: November 2021

In this article we argue, in the context of the current dominance of the performative and instrumental drives characterizing the accountable university, that language and intercultural communication education in universities should also be humanistic, addressing ‘discomforting themes’ to sensitize students to issues of human suffering and engage them in constructive and creative responses to that suffering. We suggest that arts-based methods can be used and illustrate this with an intercultural telecollaboration project created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. In this way language and intercultural communication education can become a site of personal and social transformation albeit modest and piecemeal as part of a longer process. Through arts-based methodologies and pedagogies of discomfort, Argentinian and US undergraduates explored how the theme of the Covid-19 crisis has been expressed artistically in their countries, and then communicated online, using English as their lingua franca, to design in mixed international groups artistic multimodal creations collaboratively to channel their suffering and trauma associated with the pandemic. This article analyses and evaluates the project. Data comprise the students’ artistic multimodal creations, their written statements describing their creations, and pre and post online surveys. Our findings indicate that students began a process of transformation of disturbing affective responses by creating artwork and engaging in therapeutic social and civic participation transnationally, sharing their artistic creations using social media. We highlight the powerful humanistic role of education involving artistic expression, movement, performativity, and community engagement in order to channel discomforting feelings productively at personal and social levels.
Digital food culture, power and everyday life
Authors: Feldman Zeena , Goodman Michael K.
Published: November 2021

Food and digital culture are mutually implicated in contemporary processes of knowledge production and power contestation around the world. Our introduction and the papers in this special issue of the European Journal of Cultural Studies seek to draw out the distinctions, parallels and overlaps across food and the digital to offer critical insights into digital food culture’s capacities, paradoxes and impacts on everyday life. We ask a series of questions fundamentally focused on issues of power that signal a critical concern for the (re)production and circulation of inequality within the food and digital nexus. For us and the authors here, Cultural Studies is particularly fertile ground from which to analyse digital food culture precisely because of the discipline’s commitment to critiquing power and inequality and its subsequent capacity to illuminate everyday digital food politics and their social, cultural and ethical impacts. This article presents and highlights key questions—and introduces related concepts and theoretical debates—that drive this research agenda. In addition, we address the ways the issue’s papers connect to digital food culture and power after COVID-19. We conclude with a summary of the articles in the issue and their contributions to digital food culture research and cultural studies more broadly.
Social position and functional somatic disorders: The DanFunD study
Authors: Schovsbo Signe U. , Dantoft Thomas M. , Thuesen Betina H. , Leth-Møller Katja B. , Eplov Lene F. , Petersen Marie W. , Jørgensen Torben , Osler Merete
Published: November 2021

Background and aim:

It is generally accepted that functional somatic disorders (FSDs) are a product of biological, psychological, and social factors. Social position might be part of this complex, but the literature on this issue is currently heterogeneous and inconsistent. The aim of the present study was – in a population-based cohort – to test the hypothesis that lower social position would be associated with higher a risk of FSD.

Method:

The association between social position and FSD was examined in a cross-sectional study with various measures of social position (education as measured by vocational training; employment; cohabitation; subjective social status) and delimitations of FSD (irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, bodily distress syndrome, and symptom profiles). The associations were analyzed using logistic regressions to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Each social measure was analyzed independently and was adjusted for age and sex.

Results:

Lower levels of vocational training, being unemployed, and living alone were associated with higher risk of FSD, regardless of the FSD delimitation. There was also a significant negative association between subjective evaluated social status and FSD. The associations remained after multiple adjustments, and seemed to be strongest for the more severe FSD-types.

Conclusions:

Lower social position is associated with higher risk of FSD, especially the more severe FSD delimitations, which might constitute an especially vulnerable group. However, the mechanisms behind the relations remain unknown.
Clinical Significance of Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Autoantibodies in Patients with Typical MS Lesions on MRI
Authors: Zara Pietro , Floris Valentina , Flanagan Eoin P. , Lopez-Chiriboga A. Sebastian , Weinshenker Brian G. , Solla Paolo , Sechi Elia
Published: November 2021

Background

Myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG-positivity in patients with typical MS lesions on MRI may lead to diagnostic/therapeutic uncertainty.

Objective and Methods

We reviewed reports of cases with MS phenotype on MRI and MOG-IgG-positivity published in Pubmed between 01/2012–06/2021.

Results

Sixteen patients were included (median age [range], 37,5 [25–66] years; 60% female). Three patients initially tested negative for MOG-IgG. Disease course was: relapsing-remitting, 10; or progressive, 6. Intrathecal IgG-synthesis was common (79%). Low and high-efficacy MS-targeted agents prevented relapses in 30% and 100%, respectively. None of the patients showed resolution of MRI T2-lesions over time.

Conclusions

MOG-IgG-positivity is unlikely to alter the expected treatment response and outcomes in patients with otherwise typical MS phenotype on MRI.
Occupational status and self-reported low back pain by gender: a nation-wide cross-sectional study among the general population in Japan
Authors: Tomioka Kimiko , Shima Midori , Saeki Keigo
Published: November 2021

Background

We aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between occupational class and self-reported low back pain (LBP) in a representative sample of the Japanese general population.

Methods

We used anonymized data from a nationwide survey (31,443 men and 35,870 women aged ≥ 20). Occupational class variables included working status, occupation, employment status, and company size (number of employees). Covariates included age, socio-economic status, lifestyle, and comorbidities. Poisson regression models stratified by gender were used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for self-reported LBP.

Results

The prevalence of self-reported LBP was 11.7% in men and 14.2% in women. After adjustment for covariates and mutual adjustment for all occupational class variables, among both genders, agricultural/forestry/fishery workers and non-workers had a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported LBP: APR (95% CI) of agricultural/forestry/fishery was 1.36 (1.08–1.70) in men and 1.59 (1.30–1.93) in women; that of non-workers was 1.42 (1.18–1.70) in men and 1.23 (1.08–1.40) in women. Among men, non-regular employees were more likely to have self-reported LBP than regular employees: APR (95% CI) was 1.25 (1.07–1.46) in part-timers and casual staff and 1.18 (1.03–1.35) in other types of non-regular employees. Moreover, compared to men working at companies with ≥ 100 employees, men working at companies with 30–99 employees had a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported LBP (APR 1.17; 95% CI, 1.03–1.34). Among women, professionals and technicians (1.26; 1.11–1.43) and sales workers (1.22; 1.04–1.43) had a significantly higher prevalence of self-reported LBP than clerks. Neither employment status nor company size was associated with self-reported LBP in women. After stratified analyses by age group, similar patterns were observed in participants aged 20–64, but not in those aged ≥ 65.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that self-reported LBP is highly prevalent among agricultural/forestry/fishery workers and the unemployed, regardless of gender, and that there are also gender differences in the association of occupational class factors with self-reported LBP. It is necessary, therefore, to take preventive measures against LBP based on gender and occupational class factors in Japan.
A novel approach to co-expression network analysis identifies modules and genes relevant for moulting and development in the Atlantic salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis)
Authors: Zhou Zhaoran , Eichner Christiane , Nilsen Frank , Jonassen Inge , Dondrup Michael
Published: November 2021

Background

The salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) is an obligate ectoparasitic copepod living on Atlantic salmon and other salmonids in the marine environment. Salmon lice cause a number of environmental problems and lead to large economical losses in aquaculture every year. In order to develop novel parasite control strategies, a better understanding of the mechanisms of moulting and development of the salmon louse at the transcriptional level is required.

Methods

Three weighted gene co-expression networks were constructed based on the pairwise correlations of salmon louse gene expression profiles at different life stages. Network-based approaches and gene annotation information were applied to identify genes that might be important for the moulting and development of the salmon louse. RNA interference was performed for validation. Regulatory impact factors were calculated for all the transcription factor genes by examining the changes in co-expression patterns between transcription factor genes and deferentially expressed genes in middle stages and moulting stages.

Results

Eight gene modules were predicted as important, and 10 genes from six of the eight modules have been found to show observable phenotypes in RNA interference experiments. We knocked down five hub genes from three modules and observed phenotypic consequences in all experiments. In the infection trial, no copepodids with a RAB1A-like gene knocked down were found on fish, while control samples developed to chalimus-1 larvae. Also, a FOXO-like transcription factor obtained highest scores in the regulatory impact factor calculation.

Conclusions

We propose a gene co-expression network-based approach to identify genes playing an important role in the moulting and development of salmon louse. The RNA interference experiments confirm the effectiveness of our approach and demonstrated the indispensable role of a RAB1A-like gene in the development of the salmon louse. We propose that our approach could be generalized to identify important genes associated with a phenotype of interest in other organisms.
Transcriptome and metabolome analysis to reveal major genes of saikosaponin biosynthesis in Bupleurum chinense
Authors: He Yilian , Chen Hua , Zhao Jun , Yang Yuxia , Yang Bin , Feng Liang , Zhang Yiguan , Wei Ping , Hou Dabin , Zhao Junning , Yu Ma
Published: November 2021

Background

Bupleurum chinense DC. is a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Saikosaponins are the major bioactive constituents of B. chinense, but relatively little is known about saikosaponin biosynthesis. In the present study, we performed an integrated analysis of metabolic composition and the expressed genes involved in saikosaponin biosynthetic pathways among four organs (the root, flower, stem, and leaf) of B. chinense to discover the genes related to the saikosaponin biosynthetic pathway.

Results

Transcript and metabolite profiles were generated through high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data analysis and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Evaluation of saikosaponin contents and transcriptional changes showed 152 strong correlations (P < 0.05) over 3 compounds and 77 unigenes. These unigenes belonged to eight gene families: the acetoacetyl CoA transferase (AACT) (6), HMG-CoA synthase (HMGS) (2), HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) (2), mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MVD) (1), 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) (3), farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) (11), β-amyrin synthase (β-AS) (13) and cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450s) (39) families.

Conclusions

Our results investigated the diversity of the saikosaponin triterpene biosynthetic pathway in the roots, stems, leaves and flowers of B. chinese by integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, implying that manipulation of P450s genes such as Bc95697 and Bc35434 might improve saikosaponin biosynthesis. This is a good candidate for the genetic improvement of this important medicinal plant.