bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE WAYS OF SHEVCHENKO’S POEMS RECEPTION
Authors: PASTUKH Taras
Published: April 2021

The author of the article makes an attempt to consider the hermeneutic principles according to which the reader should approach the reception of Taras Shevchenko’s poetic works. He makes an excursus into the early history of the perception of T. Shevchenko’s poems and considers the responses of such readers and critics as H. Kvitka-Osnovianenko, V. Belinskyi, M. Kostomarov, P. Kulish, M. Drahomanov. This allows him to trace how certain socio-cultural predispositions of critics determined the perception of T. Shevchenko’s poetry. He also notes that already in the early reception of T. Shevchenko’s poems, two leading tendencies are outlined. One draws attention to their «truthfulness» and the other to their poetics. «Truthfulness» should be understood as the fact that T. Shevchenko’s poetry creates a figurative world according to certain rules that nature gives it through the author. Figurative expressiveness, compositional accuracy, semantic depth are the signs of «truthfulness» of T. Shevchenko’s poetry. It is essential to emphasize the self-importance of T. Shevchenko’s poetry, which was not a reflection of the author’s reality, but in which the specific structures of existence «manifested» themselves in a specific figurative form. And already being «manifested» in the figurative text, these structures somehow appealed to the surrounding reality, expressing and clarifying its individual fragments or situations. There are two leading trends in the art of understanding. The first one is that the reader should reduce his subjective factor to the possible minimum and turn his attention to understanding the work in its cultural-historical and author-biographical contexts. Another one indicates the temporality of understanding the text; the reader cannot perceive the work from the standpoint of the author’s time or some «universal» time. His understanding is always determined by his own time, which presupposes his socio-cultural situation, the state of language, the reader’s life biography. The reader must balance these two tendencies in his own interpretation. There are two important tendencies in the variety of possible approaches to reading the «Kobzar»: to study the language of texts and the existential and ontological situations that arise in them.

Keywords: poetry, reception, hermeneutics, poetics, aesthetics, existence.
İstanbul Milletvekili ve Birinci Ordu Müfettişi Kâzım Karabekir Paşa’nın İstanbul Ziyaretleri (1923-1924)
Authors: Tuna Serkan
Published: April 2021

Millî Mücadele Dönemi’nde Doğu Cephesi’nde büyük başarılar elde eden Kâzım Karabekir Paşa, ikinci Meclise İstanbul’dan milletvekili seçilmiş ve Doğu Cephesi Komutanlığı kaldırıldıktan sonra kurulan Birinci Ordu Müfettişliğine atanmıştır. Kâzım Karabekir Paşa İstanbul’a, İstanbul Milletvekili ve Birinci Ordu Müfettişi olarak 1923 yılında iki ve 1924 yılında dört ziyaret gerçekleştirmiştir. Bu ziyaretlerinde, milletvekili olarak şehrin ihtiyaçlarını öğrenmek için görüşmelerde bulunmuş, kendisi adına düzenlenen organizasyonlara katılmış ve askerî birlik ve kurumları denetlemiştir. Bu süreçte ziyaret ettiği ya da denetlediği kurumlara yönelik olduğu kadar siyasi, ekonomik ve toplumsal konulara ilişkin de görüşlerini açıklamıştır. Bu görüşleri, 17 Kasım 1924’te kurulan ve kendisinin Genel Başkanlığını üstleneceği Terakkiperver Cumhuriyet Fırkası programında da etkili olmuştur. Çalışmada, Kâzım Karabekir Paşa’nın İstanbul Milletvekili ve Birinci Ordu Müfettişi olarak İstanbul’a yaptığı ziyaretler tarihsel araştırma yöntemi kapsamında kronolojik olarak incelenmiş; ulusal basının yanı sıra konuya katkı sağlayacak diğer birinci ve ikinci el kaynaklardan yararlanılmıştır.
Mixotrophic algal-protein production and techno-economic analysis based in medium formulation
Authors: Ferreira Paula Scanavez , Santos Gabriela Aparecida , Souza Isadora Torres de , Neiro Sérgio Mauro da Silva , Cardoso Vicelma Luiz , Batista Fabiana Regina Xavier
Published: April 2021

The use of Spirulina platensis for human consumption, due to the wide benefits gained as higher protein content, low calories, and high nutritional value, grows every year. Besides, several studies have tested alternative culture media to increase the level of biomass density and protein content, besides reducing the costs of production. Glucose (GLC) is a known component used to provide cell growth because it increases the carbon content of microalgae; however, there is no record of the use of the fetal bovine serum (FBS), a supplement widely used for animal cell culture. The current work aimed to analyze the isolated and combined effect of glucose and FBS, synergism, and antagonism on the S. platensis culture development. A techno-economic analysis was also proposed. The effect between GLC and FBS increased the biomass density (0.44g/L) and chlorophyll content (0.72mg/m3). However, the condition with higher protein concentration seemed to be the one supplemented only with FBS. The result may show that protein production does not follow the same rule as biomass density. Further, the cost-benefit analysis showed gains of a projected venture with the discounted payback period (DPBP) of three years.
Artificial almond flavoring additive: A potential toxic compound for the environment
Authors: Gonzalez Regiane da Silva , Ribeiro Karoline Griebler , Santos Amanda Almeida dos , Medeiros Flávia Vieira da Silva , Souza Débora Cristina de , Marques Marica Maria Mendes , Peron Ana Paula
Published: April 2021

In this work, the chemical composition of the artificial almond flavoring was investigated, as well as the toxicity of this additive against bioassays commonly used to assess the environmental risk offered by chemical compounds and/or substances. The chemical identification detected ethanol (solvent), saccharin, benzaldehyde and benzoic acid. In L. sativa and A. cepa, concentrations of 100 and 10 µL/L flavoring caused a reduction in the germination rate and inhibition of root growth. In A. cepa, at 24 and 48 hours of exposure, concentrations 100 and 10µL/L significantly reduced the division of root meristems, and concentrations 1 and 0.10 µL/L induced cellular changes and were aneugenic to plant meristems. The flavoring was highly toxic to A. salina with LC50 = 0.082 ppm. Also, by partitioning into saturated solutions of octane and water, the commercial solution of the almond presented a log Kow of 1.37. Based on the results obtained, under the established analysis conditions, the flavoring was significantly phytotoxic, cytogenotoxic and toxic, and based on Kow it is estimated to have good stability in water and soil. These results indicate that almond flavoring is a potential environmentally toxic compound.
Cinema, câmera e ação: Utilizando um filme para o ensino de tópicos de Biologia no ensino médio
Authors: Maretti Gonçalves Tiago
Published: April 2021

Nos tempos atuais, mais de que nunca, o professor é desafiado em propor alternativas metodológicas de ensino com o intuito de despertar e facilitar a aprendizagem dos alunos. A Biologia é uma área fascinante, no entanto, é dotada de muitos termos e processos que devem ser muito bem contextualizados pelos discentes. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho possui como principal objetivo a proposta de uma sequência didática aos alunos do ensino médio, utilizando o filme comercial denominado “Victor Frankenstein” para facilitar a aprendizagem dos alunos em temas relacionados a origem da vida, e até mesmo a ética e a bioética na pesquisa científica. Como metodologia inicial, o filme será reproduzido aos alunos e no final, o professor irá problematizar e discutir vários assuntos no escopo da Biologia, potencializando e facilitando o conhecimento adquirido nas aulas teóricas de Biologia. Assim, acreditamos que a abordagem do filme proposto poderá despertar o interesse dos alunos, tornando a aprendizagem mais efetiva nos temas abordados.
Previsão in silico ADME/T de novos inibidores potenciais contra o vírus da dengue
Authors: Rodrigues Jane Stefani da Mata , Costa Eduardo Damasceno
Published: April 2021

A dengue é uma doença emergente com grande impacto na saúde pública, com milhões de infecções virais ocorrendo anualmente, para a qual ainda não existe uma terapia eficaz. O presente estudo tem como objetivo realizar a predição das propriedades físico-químicas, farmacocinéticas e toxicológicas de candidatos a medicamentos contra dengue. 17 candidatos a fármacos anti-dengue foram desenvolvidos na plataforma PubChem Sketcher V.2.4®. Os parâmetros físico-químicos foram quantificados na plataforma Molinspiration®. Posteriormente, os parâmetros farmacocinéticos foram medidos usando a ferramenta SwissADME®. Finalmente, a plataforma OSIRIS Property Explorer® foi usada para determinar o efeito toxicológico dos candidatos anti-dengue. Os compostos 8 e 14 não violaram nenhuma das regras instituídas por Lipinski. Todos os outros compostos mostraram mais de uma violação, com os compostos 5, 7 e 9-11 apresentando até 3 violações. Quanto à avaliação farmacocinética, dos compostos aqui desenhados apenas os compostos 13 e 14 apresentaram elevada absorção gastrointestinal. Os compostos 2, 15 e 17 têm pelo menos uma pontuação de alto risco para um dos fatores de toxicidade para mutagênese, tumorigênese, efeitos irritantes e reprodutivos. Os compostos 1-4 têm pelo menos uma pontuação de risco intermediária para um dos fatores de toxicidade. Todos os outros compostos têm pontuação de baixo risco para um os fatores de toxicidade. A previsão in silico realizada nesse estudo indicou que os compostos 13 e 14 são as mais promissoras para serem possíveis candidatas anti-dengue e úteis para futuras triagens em testes realizados em células e animais.
Percepção dos produtores familiares da zona rural de Vitorino Freire sobre a Lei Federal dos Agrotóxicos (Lei nº 9.974/2000) e do Código Florestal (Lei nº 12.651/2012)
Authors: Graça Stelmo Roberto Mendes da , Conceição Lucas Nogueira da , Silva Antonio Klemerson Pereira da , Bezerra David Harisson Santos , Rocha Carmen Hellen da Silva , Vera Geania de Sousa , Santos Denise Maria , Freitas Amanda de Lira , Leite Maria José de Holanda
Published: April 2021

O modelo de exploração agrícola vigente está levando a destruição da cobertura florestal e degradação de solos, entretanto, os impactos não se limitam aos modelos de ponta, pois a agricultura familiar tem sua participação, embora menor. Tendo em vista, as proposições das leis nº 12.651/2012 e lei nº 9.974/2000 que tratam respectivamente das questões ambientais e dos agrotóxicos. Procurou-se identificar o nível de conhecimento dos agricultores familiares que vivem no município de Vitorino Freire, localizado no estado do Maranhão sobre tais leis. A pesquisa foi aplicada de forma direta mediante visita aos produtores por meio de um questionário que continha dezessete perguntas. Foram entrevistados dez produtores nos meses de janeiro e fevereiro de 2021. A maioria dos produtores entrevistados eram do sexo masculino (80%), e 90% afirmaram não ter conhecimento sobre a lei nº 12.651/2012. E apenas 30% afirmou saber o nível de perigo de um agrotóxico de acordo com a cor de sua tarja. Portanto nota-se que esses produtores estão carentes de informações sobre tais assuntos, o que pode ser consequência de uma falta de assistência técnica.
Relação entre o consumo de micronutrientes e distúrbios hidroeletrolíticos em pacientes renais em hemodiálise
Authors: Pinheiro Alexandre Danton Viana , Cortez Lorrainy Umbelina Alves de Souza , Carioca Antônio Augusto Ferreira , Braga Ribanna Aparecida Marques , Nogueira Maria Dinara de Araújo , Sousa Francisca Isabelle da Silva e , Medeiros Lívia Torres
Published: April 2021

Objetivo: Avaliar a relação entre distúrbios hidroeletrolíticos e o consumo de cálcio, potássio e fósforo em pacientes renais crônicos durante tratamento hemodialítico. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo observacional, de corte transversal, composto por 33 participantes realizado em uma clínica de nefrologia em Fortaleza, executado entre setembro e outubro de 2018. Os dados dos hábitos alimentares foram coletados por meio da aplicação de Questionário de Frequência Alimentar e os valores obtidos em gramatura foram divididos de acordo com a periodicidade do consumo a fim da obtenção de valores diários. Os níveis séricos de cálcio, potássio e fósforo foram obtidos por meio de consulta aos prontuários. Resultados: Média do consumo de cálcio de 641,8mg, potássio 2652,9mg, fósforo 1429,0mg onde o consumo de cálcio e potássio obtiveram maior adequação e fósforo menor adequação aos padrões de referência. Já os níveis séricos encontrados foi de 8,8mg/dL para cálcio, 5,5mg/dL para o potássio e fósforo de 5,1mg/dL.  Não houve suficiência na correlação estatística entre consumo e níveis séricos Conclusão: O consumo inadequado de fósforo, além da concentração sérica desajustada deste, conferiram achados relevantes na atual pesquisa. O uso de quelantes e a metodologia empregada para mensuração do consumo de nutrientes parece interferir em resultados relatados de consumo alimentar, associado a isso, o controle da ingestão deve ser rigorosamente monitorado.
Risk assessment of wildlife-watching tourism in an important endangered loggerhead turtle rookery
Authors: Marco A , Martins S , Martín-Rábano A , Lopes S , Clarke LJ , Abella E
Published: April 2021

Wildlife-watching tourism is a non-exploitative activity that can contribute to sustainable economic development of coastal communities. However, it is important to assess the potential impact and implement best practices to mitigate any negative effects of such tourism. We studied this issue on Boa Vista (Cabo Verde), which supports around 60% of nesting activity of one of the most endangered loggerhead turtle rookeries globally. Between 2013 and 2016, authorized turtle watching involved 4942 tourists, generating a mean annual direct income of >USD 289000 and the direct creation of >250 jobs. On João Barrosa beach, which supports around 20% of nests and 48% of turtle-watching activity on the island, we tested the influence of turtle watching on nesting behavior, reproduction and nest-site fidelity. Nesting females observed by tourists spent significantly less time on nest-camouflaging behavior, although all other phases of nesting were unaffected. There were no statistically significant differences between the re-nesting frequency of females watched (n = 187) and non-watched (n = 972) by tourists. We found no evidence that the current turtle-watching intensity has an effect on turtle reproduction. Turtle poaching remains a severe threat on beaches with no turtle watching, although it has strongly decreased on beaches with tourist visits. We suggest tour guides follow best practice guidelines to minimize disturbance, specifically retreating from the immediate vicinity of a female during nest camouflaging to mitigate the observed impact.
Consideraciones sobre las teorías conspirativas aplicadas a las caravanas de migrantes
Authors: Pérez Caballero Jesús
Published: April 2021

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the conspiracy theories that emerged to explain migrant caravans en route to the U.S. in October 2018. Through the doctrinal and documentary review of the main approaches to such theories, a political theological definition of conspiracy theory is proposed. Subsequently, the main newspaper sources that include conspiracy explanations about the caravan phenomenon are examined, comparing them with the characteristics studied, and the proposed definition. It is concluded that some states and non-state actors reacted with a political discourse that had conspiracy theories at its core. It was their way of making sense and exploiting in the media, a novel way of migrating because of its swarming features.
México como tercer país ¿seguro? Instrumentalización del derecho de asilo
Authors: Ortega Velázquez Elisa
Published: April 2021

This paper aims to argue that the United States has instrumentalized the right to asylum by converting Mexico into a “third ‘safe’ country” to divert Central American asylum seekers to Mexican territory and evade its international protection obligations. The methodological design is deductive, that is, such theorization was reached through documentary sources. Even with the limitations of the method, the paper is innovative because it analyzes migration management from critical legal studies and legal biopolitics by approaching securitization of migration through a genealogy of the discourses used by the United States to externalize its borders to Mexico, which have as their most recent strategy the “third ‘safe’ country” agreement. The consequences are the distortion of the right to asylum by removing its main protection: the non-refoulement principle and, in consequence, to let die Central American people fleeing from persecution and death geographies.
Elementos de conflicto socioambiental: la cervecera Constellation Brands y el agua de Mexicali
Authors: Cortez Lara Alfonso Andrés
Published: April 2021

This article examines data of the Constellation Brands brewery project in Mexicali, Baja California, to determine the extent to which the context of imminent shortages and current overexploitation of water sources threatening Mexicali’s semiarid region is considered into the project. Through a documentary review, official documents and technical studies used as the basis of the brewery project are investigated. The analysis shows the lack of adherence to the concepts of water security (WS), sustainability, and democratic environmental governance, which seek to guarantee fair and equitable access to water, minimize environmental risks and promote the broad and effective participation of social actors in critical decision-making processes. Inconsistencies in technical data related to water consumption are observed, as well as lack of transparency along the process of promotion of the project which resulted in conflicts between promoters and several sectors of local society.
Türkiye’de Bazı Üretim Alanlarından Toplanan Kütlü Pamukların Lif Kalite Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi
Authors: HACIOSMANOĞLU Hikmet , BAŞBAĞ Sema , EKİNCİ Remzi
Published: April 2021

Bu çalışma, Ege ve Çukurova Bölgeleri farklı lokasyonla¬rından toplanan kütlü pamuk örneklerinin lif kalite özellikleri yönünden incelenmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Elde edilen ve-riler, tesadüf parselleri deneme desenine göre değerlendirilmiş¬tir. 2018 yılında Ege ve Çukurova Bölgelerinin farklı lokasyon¬larından alınan Flash, Gloria ve SG 125 çesitlerine ait kütlü pamuklar materyal olarak kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler so¬nucunda genotipler arasında Gloria, lif kalitesi ile ön plana çık¬mıştır. Lokasyon, genotip ve genotip × lokasyon etkileşiminin; çırçır randımanı, 100 tohum ağırlığı, lif inceliği, lif uzunluğu, lif kopma dayanıklılığı ve sarılık üzerine önemli etkisi olduğu be¬lirlenmiştir. En uzun lifler Adana-Doğankent ile Adana-Ceyhan lokasyonunda Gloria çeşidinden, en kısa lifler ise Aydın-Koçarlı lokasyonunda SG 125 çeşidinden; en ince lifler ise İzmir-Torbalı lokasyonunda SG 125 çeşidinden elde edilmiştir.
PENGEMBANGAN SISTEM KEAMANAN BERBASIS MIKROKTROLER DENGAN SMS GATEWAY MENGGUNAKAN ARDUINO UNO
Authors: Irsyada Rahmat , Sahri Sahri , Setiawan Akhmad Arif
Published: April 2021

Dalam hal keamanan rumah dan memastikan rumah tersebut di lengkapi dengan fasilitas keamanan 24 jam. Hal tersebut dapat mengurangi sesuatu yang tidak kita inginkan. Sistem keamanan juga dapat di gunakan untuk memperoleh informasi umum tentang keadaan sekitar lingkungan kita. Kita sebagai makhluk sosial yang melakukan segala kegiatan di luar rumah guna memenuhi kebutuhan primer, hal itulah yang menyebabkan tindak kriminalitas meningkat di lingkungan sekitar kita. Oleh karena itu rumah perlu adanya sebuah sistem keamanan yang berbasis mikrokontroler menggunakan Arduino guna mengurangi angka kriminalitas yang ada disekitar kita. Sistem ini akan digunakansebagai peringatan terhadap pemilik rumah jika ada obyek yang masuk ke rumah tanpa seizin pemiliknya. . Oleh karena itu, dengan menerapkan sistem keamanan rumah menggunakan arduino ini, pemilik rumah akan mendapatkan notifikasi pesan singkat atau sms dan suara alarm. Sehingga apabila sistem keamanan di hidupkan, maka arduino  akan aktif  jika pintu terkena limit switch  akan lansung memberikan inputan ke sistem. Jadi pemilik rumah mengetahuai ada orang yang membuka atau menutup pintu , sehingga dapat memastikan siapa yang membuka atau menuutup pintu
Nya böcker
Authors: Ekholm David , Dahlstedt Magnus
Published: April 2021

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Is Extracellular Vesicle-Based Therapy the Next Answer for Cartilage Regeneration?
Authors: Velot Émilie , Madry Henning , Venkatesan Jagadeesh K. , Bianchi Arnaud , Cucchiarini Magali
Published: April 2021

“Extracellular vesicles” (EVs) is a term gathering biological particles released from cells that act as messengers for cell-to-cell communication. Like cells, EVs have a membrane with a lipid bilayer, but unlike these latter, they have no nucleus and consequently cannot replicate. Several EV subtypes (e.g., exosomes, microvesicles) are described in the literature. However, the remaining lack of consensus on their specific markers prevents sometimes the full knowledge of their biogenesis pathway, causing the authors to focus on their biological effects and not their origins. EV signals depend on their cargo, which can be naturally sourced or altered (e.g., cell engineering). The ability for regeneration of adult articular cartilage is limited because this avascular tissue is partly made of chondrocytes with a poor proliferation rate and migration capacity. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) had been extensively used in numerous in vitro and preclinical animal models for cartilage regeneration, and it has been demonstrated that their therapeutic effects are due to paracrine mechanisms involving EVs. Hence, using MSC-derived EVs as cell-free therapy tools has become a new therapeutic approach to improve regenerative medicine. EV-based therapy seems to show similar cartilage regenerative potential compared with stem cell transplantation without the associated hindrances (e.g., chromosomal aberrations, immunogenicity). The aim of this short review is to take stock of occurring EV-based treatments for cartilage regeneration according to their healing effects. The article focuses on cartilage regeneration through various sources used to isolate EVs (mature or stem cells among others) and beneficial effects depending on cargos produced from natural or tuned EVs.
Reactive Oxygen Species Responsive Polymers for Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Gao Fengxiang , Xiong Zhengrong
Published: April 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an essential role in regulating various physiological functions of living organisms; however, as the concentration of ROS increases in the area of a lesion, this may undermine cellular homeostasis, leading to a series of diseases. Using cell-product species as triggers for targeted regulation of polymer structures and activity represents a promising approach for the treatment. ROS-responsive polymer carriers allow the targeted delivery of drugs, reduce toxicity and side effects on normal cells, and control the release of drugs, which are all advantages compared with traditional small-molecule chemotherapy agents. These formulations have attracted great interest due to their potential applications in biomedicine. In this review, recent progresses on ROS responsive polymer carriers are summarized, with a focus on the chemical mechanism of ROS-responsive polymers and the design of molecular structures for targeted drug delivery and controlled drug release. Meanwhile, we discuss the challenges and future prospects of its applications.
Comparative Analysis of Molecular and Serologic Testing for Primary Syphilis: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Shukalek Caley Bryce , Lee Bonita , Fathima Sumana , Chu Angel , Fonseca Kevin , Somayaji Ranjani
Published: April 2021

Rising rates of syphilis (T. pallidum; Tp) requires rapid diagnosis and treatment to manage the growing epidemic. Syphilis serology is imperfect and requires interpretation of multiple tests while molecular diagnostics allows for potential yes-no identification of highly infective, primary anogenital lesions. Accuracy of this testing modality has thus far been limited to small, highly selective studies. Therefore, we retrospectively assessed a large, adult population of patients with anogenital lesions seen at Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinics in Alberta, Canada who were screened for syphilis and herpes simplex (HSV) 1/2 using PCR to evaluate Tp-PCR versus serology to diagnose primary syphilis. 114 (3.1%) of the 3,600 adult patients had at least one Tp-PCR+ anogenital lesion with 99 (2.8%) patients having newly positive syphilis serology (new INNO-LIA positive or 4-fold RPR increase). Tp-PCR had a sensitivity of 49.3% (95% CI 42.6-56.1) and specificity of 99.9% (99.7-100.0). Positive predictive values and negative predictive values in the study population or when corrected for provincial prevalence were 97.4% (92.5-99.5) or 0.4% (0.4-1.2) and 96.7% (96.1-97.3) or 100.0% (100.0-100.0), respectively. Positive and negative likelihood ratios were estimated at 555 (178-1733) and 0.5 (0.4-0.6), respectively. Review of all Tp-PCR performed with or without exclusion of HSV-positive lesions resulted in no significant change in Tp-PCR characteristics. Interestingly, 12 of the Tp-PCR+ samples had negative serology at time of lesion sampling but became positive within our 28-day testing window. Overall, this study further supports the use of Tp-PCR as an accurate assay to rapidly identify, treat, and prevent the spread of primary syphilis.
CRISPR/Cas System: A Potential Technology for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 and Emerging Infectious Diseases
Authors: Ding Ronghua , Long Jinzhao , Yuan Mingzhu , Jin Yuefei , Yang Haiyan , Chen Mengshi , Chen Shuaiyin , Duan Guangcai
Published: April 2021

The continued global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a serious threat to global public health and social stability and it has become a serious global public health problem. Unfortunately, existing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the prevention and control of COVID-19 have many shortcomings. In recent years, the emerging CRISPR/Cas technology can complement the problems of traditional methods. Biological tools based on CRISPR/Cas systems have been widely used in biomedicine. In particular, they are advantageous in pathogen detection, clinical antiviral therapy, drug, and vaccine development. Therefore, CRISPR/Cas technology may have great potential for application in the prevention and control of COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases in the future. This article summarizes the existing applications of CRISPR/Cas technology in infectious diseases with the aim of providing effective strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases in the future.
Anti-cancer Therapy Leads to Increased Cardiovascular Susceptibility to COVID-19
Authors: Lozahic Caroline , Maddock Helen , Sandhu Hardip
Published: April 2021

Anti-cancer treatment regimens can lead to both acute- and long-term myocardial injury due to off-target effects. Besides, cancer patients and survivors are severely immunocompromised due to the harsh effect of anti-cancer therapy targeting the bone marrow cells. Cancer patients and survivors can therefore be potentially extremely clinically vulnerable and at risk from infectious diseases. The recent global outbreak of the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its infection called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a worldwide health emergency, and on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). A high fatality rate has been reported in COVID-19 patients suffering from underlying cardiovascular diseases. This highlights the critical and crucial aspect of monitoring cancer patients and survivors for potential cardiovascular complications during this unprecedented health crisis involving the progressive worldwide spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease; however, COVID-19 has shown cardiac injury symptoms similar to the cardiotoxicity associated with anti-cancer therapy, including arrhythmia, myocardial injury and infarction, and heart failure. Due to the significant prevalence of micro- and macro-emboli and damaged vessels, clinicians worldwide have begun to consider whether COVID-19 may in fact be as much a vascular disease as a respiratory disease. However, the underlying mechanisms and pathways facilitating the COVID-19-induced cardiac injury in cancer and non-cancer patients remain unclear. Investigations into whether COVID-19 cardiac injury and anti-cancer drug-induced cardiac injury in cancer patients and survivors might synergistically increase the cardiovascular complications and comorbidity risk through a “two-hit” model are needed. Identification of cardiac injury mechanisms and pathways associated with COVID-19 development overlapping with anti-cancer therapy could help clinicians to allow a more optimized prognosis and treatment of cancer survivors suffering from COVID-19. The following review will focus on summarizing the harmful cardiovascular risk of COVID-19 in cancer patients and survivors treated with an anti-cancer drug. This review will improve the knowledge of COVID-19 impact in the field of cardio-oncology and potentially improve the outcome of patients.
Agreement of Angiography-Derived and Wire-Based Fractional Flow Reserves in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Ai Hu , Zheng Naixin , Li Le , Yang Guojian , Li Hui , Tang Guodong , Zhou Qi , Zhang Huiping , Yu Xue , Xu Feng , Zhao Ying , Sun Fucheng
Published: April 2021

Background: Coronary angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (caFFR) measurements have shown good correlations and agreement with invasive wire-based fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements. However, few studies have examined the diagnostic performance of caFFR measurements before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study sought to compare the diagnostic performance of caFFR measurements against wire-based FFR measurements in patients before and after PCI.

Methods: Patients who underwent FFR-guided PCI were eligible for the acquisition of caFFR measurements. Offline caFFR measurements were performed by blinded hospital operators in a core laboratory. The primary endpoint was the vessel-oriented composite endpoint (VOCE), defined as a composite of vessel-related cardiovascular death, vessel-related myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization.

Results: A total of 105 pre-PCI caFFR measurements and 65 post-PCI caFFR measurements were compared against available wire-based FFR measurements. A strong linear correlation was found between wire-based FFR and caFFR measurements (r = 0.77; p < 0.001) before PCI, and caFFR measurements also showed a high correlation (r = 0.82; p < 0.001) with wire-based FFR measurements after PCI. A total of 6 VOCEs were observed in 61 patients during follow-up. Post-PCI FFR values (≤0.82) in the target vessel was the strongest predictor of VOCE [hazard ratio (HR): 5.59; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–27.96; p = 0.036). Similarly, patients with low post-PCI caFFR values (≤0.83) showed an 8-fold higher risk of VOCE than those with high post-PCI caFFR values (>0.83; HR: 8.83; 95% CI: 1.46–53.44; p = 0.017).

Conclusion: The study showed that the caFFR measurements were well-correlated and in agreement with invasive wire-based FFR measurements before and after PCI. Similar to wire-based FFR measurements, post-PCI caFFR measurements can be used to identify patients with a higher risk for adverse events associated with PCI.
The Impact of Glycemic Control on Retinal Photoreceptor Layers and Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Without Diabetic Retinopathy: A Follow-Up Study
Authors: Ishibashi Fukashi , Kosaka Aiko , Tavakoli Mitra
Published: April 2021

Aims

To establish the sequential changes by glycemic control in the mean thickness, volume and reflectance of the macular photoreceptor layers (MPRLs) and retinal pigment epithelium in patients with type 2 diabetes without diabetic retinopathy.

Methods

Thirty-one poorly controlled (HbA1c > 8.0%) patients with type 2 diabetes without diabetic retinopathy undergoing glycemic control and 39 control subjects with normal HbA1c levels (< 5.9%) underwent periodical full medical, neurological and ophthalmological examinations over 2 years. Glycemic variability was evaluated by standard deviation and coefficient of variation of monthly measured HbA1c levels and casual plasma glucose. 3D swept source-optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-Explorer-generated enface thickness, volume and reflectance images for 9 subfields defined by Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study of 4 MPRLs {outer nuclear layer, ellipsoid zone, photoreceptor outer segment (PROS) and interdigitation zone} and retinal pigment epithelium were acquired every 3 months.

Results

Glycemic control sequentially restored the thickness and volume at 6, 4 and 5 subfields of outer nuclear layer, ellipsoid zone and PROS, respectively. The thickness and volume of outer nuclear layer were restored related to the decrease in HbA1c and casual plasma glucose levels, but not related to glycemic variability and neurological tests. The reflectance of MPRLs and retinal pigment epithelium in patients was marginally weaker than controls, and further decreased at 6 or 15 months during glycemic control. The reduction at 6 months coincided with high HbA1c levels.

Conclusion

Glycemic control sequentially restored the some MPRL thickness, especially of outer nuclear layer. In contrast, high glucose during glycemic control decreased reflectance and may lead to the development of diabetic retinopathy induced by glycemic control. The repeated OCT examinations can clarify the benefit and hazard of glycemic control to the diabetic retinopathy.
Low Serum LH Levels During Ovarian Stimulation With GnRH Antagonist Protocol Decrease the Live Birth Rate After Fresh Embryo Transfers but Have No Impact in Freeze-All Cycles
Authors: Luo Yiyang , Liu Shan , Su Hui , Hua Lin , Ren Haiying , Liu Minghui , Wan Yuting , Li Huanhuan , Li Yuan
Published: April 2021

Objective

To explore the association between serum LH levels and the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) within one complete cycle, and the impact of serum LH levels on the live birth rate (LBR) after the initial embryo transfer (ET) considering different ET strategies (fresh or freeze-all).

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

University-affiliated reproductive center.

Patients

1480 normogonadotrophic women who underwent COS with GnRH antagonist protocol for the first IVF/ICSI attempt.

Intervention(s)

The sample was stratified into low and higher LH groups according to serum LH peak levels of <4 (Group A) and ≥4 IU/L (Group B) during COS. Patients were also sub-grouped into conventional fresh/frozen ET cycles and freeze-all cycles.

Main outcome measure(s)

The LBR after the initial embryo transfer and the CLBR within one complete cycle.

Secondary outcome measure(s)

The numbers of day-3 high-quality embryos, the numbers of embryos available, and the other pregnancy outcomes after the initial ET.

Result(s)

In the whole cohort, the CLBRs decreased significantly in the low (63.1% vs. 68.3%, P=.034) LH group compared to the higher LH group. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with low LH levels had lower LBR after fresh ET (38.0% vs. 51.5%, P=.005) but comparable LBR after the first frozen-thawed ET (FET) in freeze-all cycles (49.8% vs. 51.8%, P=.517) than patients with higher LH peak levels. Likewise, patients with low LH levels had lower CLBR for conventional fresh/frozen ET cycles (54.8% vs. 66.1%, P=.015) but comparable CLBR for the freeze-all cycles (66.8% vs. 69.2%, P=.414) than those with higher LH levels. Following confounder adjustment, multivariable regression analyses showed that low LH level was an independent risk factor for the CLBR in the whole cohort (odds ratio (OR): 0.756, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.604-0.965, P=.014) and in patients who underwent the conventional ET strategy (OR: 0.596, 95% CI: 0.408-0.917, P=.017). Moreover, the adverse impact of low LH levels on LBRs maintained statistically significant after fresh transfers (OR: 0.532, 95% CI: 0.353-0.800, P=.002) but not after the first FETs in freeze-all cycles (OR: 0.918, 95% CI: 0.711-1.183, P=.508).

Conclusion(s)

In comparison with higher LH levels, low LH levels decrease the CLBRs per oocyte retrieval cycle for normogonadotrophic women who underwent COS using GnRH antagonists. This discrepancy may arise due to the significant detrimental effect of low LH levels on the LBRs after fresh embryo transfers.
Assessing the Australian Termite Diversity Anomaly: How Habitat and Rainfall Affect Termite Assemblages
Authors: Clement Rebecca A. , Flores-Moreno Habacuc , Cernusak Lucas A. , Cheesman Alexander W. , Yatsko Abbey R. , Allison Steven D. , Eggleton Paul , Zanne Amy E.
Published: April 2021

Termites are important ecosystem engineers in tropical habitats, with different feeding groups able to decompose wood, grass, litter, and soil organic matter. In most tropical regions, termite abundance and species diversity are assumed to increase with rainfall, with highest levels found in rainforests. However, in the Australian tropics, this pattern is thought to be reversed, with lower species richness and termite abundance found in rainforest than drier habitats. The potential mechanisms underlying this pattern remain unclear. We compared termite assemblages (abundance, activity, diversity, and feeding group composition) across five sites along a precipitation gradient (ranging from ∼800 to 4,000 mm annual rainfall), spanning dry and wet savanna habitats, wet sclerophyll, and lowland and upland rainforests in tropical North Queensland. Moving from dry to wet habitats, we observed dramatic decreases in termite abundance in both mounds and dead wood occupancy, with greater abundance and activity at savanna sites (low precipitation) compared with rainforest or sclerophyll sites (high precipitation). We also observed a turnover in termite species and feeding group diversity across sites that were close together, but in different habitats. Termite species and feeding group richness were highest in savanna sites, with 13 termite species from wood-, litter-, grass-, dung-, and soil-feeding groups, while only five termite species were encountered in rainforest and wet sclerophyll sites—all wood feeders. These results suggest that the Australian termite diversity anomaly may be partly driven by how specific feeding groups colonized habitats across Australia. Consequently, termites in Australian rainforests may be less important in ecosystem processes, such as carbon and nutrient cycling during decomposition, compared with termites in other tropical rainforests.
Prenatal Care Disruptions and Associations With Maternal Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Groulx Taylor , Bagshawe Mercedes , Giesbrecht Gerald , Tomfohr-Madsen Lianne , Hetherington Erin , Lebel Catherine A.
Published: April 2021

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread across Canada in March 2020, provinces imposed restrictions. These changes impacted how pregnant individuals received prenatal care and experienced childbirth. The stress caused by these changes may negatively affect the well-being of pregnant individuals with impacts on the developing child. This study investigated the impact of the pandemic on prenatal care and birth plans of pregnant individuals in Canada and potential associations with maternal mental health. Data from 4,604 participants was collected from English- and French-speaking Canadians between April 5 and June 1, 2020 as part of the Canada-wide Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic study. Symptoms of maternal depression, general anxiety, and pregnancy-related anxiety were assessed. Participants also answered questions about disruptions and changes to prenatal care and their birth plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between prenatal care disruptions and maternal mental health. Cancellation of prenatal appointments and birth plan changes (specifically changes to childcare during birth and change of support person attending the birth) were significantly associated with greater odds of experiencing clinically elevated depression, anxiety, and/or pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms. These results highlight the need for reliable and accessible prenatal care during the pandemic, such as the integration of mental health screenings and co-ordination of prenatal care providers.
Development of a Potential Penside Colorimetric LAMP Assay Using Neutral Red for Detection of African Swine Fever Virus
Authors: Wang Yang , Dai Junfei , Liu Yongsheng , Yang Jifei , Hou Qian , Ou Yunwen , Ding Yaozhong , Ma Bing , Chen Haotai , Li MiaoMiao , Sun Yuefeng , Zheng Haixue , Zhang Keshan , Wubshet Ashenafi Kiros , Zaberezhny Alexei D. , Aliper Taras I. , Tarasiuk Kazimierz , Pejsak Zygmunt , Liu Zhijie , Zhang Yongguang , Zhang Jie
Published: April 2021

African swine fever (ASF) has caused huge economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Since there is no commercial ASF vaccine available, an early diagnosis is extremely important to prevent and control the disease. In this study, ASF virus (ASFV) capsid protein-encoding gene (p72) was selected and used to design primers for establishing a one-step visual loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay with neutral red, a pH-sensitive dye, as the color shift indicator. Neutral red exhibited a sharp contrast of color change from faint orange (negative) to pink (positive) during LAMP for detection of ASFV. The designed primer set targeting highly conserved region of the p72 gene was highly specific to ASFV and showed no cross-reactivity with other swine viruses. The detection limit for the one-step visual LAMP developed was 10 copies/reaction based on the recombinant plasmid containing the p72 gene of ASFV. More importantly, the developed one-step visual LAMP showed high consistency with the results of the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method recommended by World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the colorimetric detection with this LAMP assay could be directly applied for the whole blood and serum samples without requiring genome extraction. Based on our results, the developed one-step visual LAMP assay is a promising penside diagnostic tool for development of early and cost-effective ASF monitoring program that would greatly contribute to the prevention and control of ASF.
The Contribution of Microglia to the Development and Maturation of the Visual System
Authors: Dixon Michael A. , Greferath Ursula , Fletcher Erica L. , Jobling Andrew I.
Published: April 2021

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), were once considered quiescent cells that sat in readiness for reacting to disease and injury. Over the last decade, however, it has become clear that microglia play essential roles in maintaining the normal nervous system. The retina is an easily accessible part of the central nervous system and therefore much has been learned about the function of microglia from studies in the retina and visual system. Anatomically, microglia have processes that contact all synapses within the retina, as well as blood vessels in the major vascular plexuses. Microglia contribute to development of the visual system by contributing to neurogenesis, maturation of cone photoreceptors, as well as refining synaptic contacts. They can respond to neural signals and in turn release a range of cytokines and neurotrophic factors that have downstream consequences on neural function. Moreover, in light of their extensive contact with blood vessels, they are also essential for regulation of vascular development and integrity. This review article summarizes what we have learned about the role of microglia in maintaining the normal visual system and how this has helped in understanding their role in the central nervous system more broadly.
Immunological Interfaces: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Depression
Authors: Perlmutter Austin
Published: April 2021

Since the start of the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an international effort has sought to better characterize associated extra-pulmonary health sequelae. The acute and or chronic detrimental impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on mental health, especially depression, is increasingly described. Simultaneously the pandemic has influenced depressive symptomatology by modifying economic, social and political structures, in addition to affecting daily routines. In both cases, associated immunological perturbations favoring a pro-inflammatory state could underlie an increased risk for depressive symptomatology. A resultant elevation in global depressive burden could further tax mental health care infrastructure and contribute to a range of worse health outcomes including diminished quality of life. This suggests a critical and time-sensitive need to better understand immune interfaces between depression and COVID-19.
A Canonical Laminar Neocortical Circuit Whose Bottom-Up, Horizontal, and Top-Down Pathways Control Attention, Learning, and Prediction
Authors: Grossberg Stephen
Published: April 2021

All perceptual and cognitive circuits in the human cerebral cortex are organized into layers. Specializations of a canonical laminar network of bottom-up, horizontal, and top-down pathways carry out multiple kinds of biological intelligence across different neocortical areas. This article describes what this canonical network is and notes that it can support processes as different as 3D vision and figure-ground perception; attentive category learning and decision-making; speech perception; and cognitive working memory (WM), planning, and prediction. These processes take place within and between multiple parallel cortical streams that obey computationally complementary laws. The interstream interactions that are needed to overcome these complementary deficiencies mix cell properties so thoroughly that some authors have noted the difficulty of determining what exactly constitutes a cortical stream and the differences between streams. The models summarized herein explain how these complementary properties arise, and how their interstream interactions overcome their computational deficiencies to support effective goal-oriented behaviors.