bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The direct correlation between oxidative stress and LDL-C levels in adults is maintained by the Friedewald and Martin equations, but the methylation levels in the MTHFR and ADRB3 genes differ
Authors: Oliveira Jéssica Vicky Bernardo de , Lima Raquel Patrícia Ataíde , Pordeus Luna Rafaella Cristhine , da Silva Diniz Alcides , de Almeida Aléssio Tony Cavalcanti , de Oliveira Naila Francis Paulo , Gonçalves Maria da Conceição Rodrigues , de Lima Roberto Texeira , de Lima Ferreira Flávia Emília Leite , Diniz Sônia Cristina Pereira de Oliveira Ramalho , Silva Alexandre Sergio , Andrade e Silva Ana Hermínia , Persuhn Darlene Camati , de Carvalho Costa Maria José
Published: December 2020

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) concentrations are a standard of care in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and are influenced by different factors. This study compared the LDL-C concentrations estimated by two different equations and determined their associations with inflammatory status, oxidative stress, anthropometric variables, food intake and DNA methylation levels in the LPL, ADRB3 and MTHFR genes. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted with 236 adults (median age 37.5 years) of both sexes from the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The LDL-C concentrations were estimated according to the Friedewald and Martin equations. LPL, ADRB3 and MTHFR gene methylation levels; malondialdehyde levels; total antioxidant capacity; ultra-sensitive C-reactive protein, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, homocysteine, cobalamin, and folic acid levels; usual dietary intake; and epidemiological variables were also determined. For each unit increase in malondialdehyde concentration there was an increase in the LDL-C concentration from 6.25 to 10.29 mg/dL (p <0.000). Based on the Martin equation (≥70 mg/dL), there was a decrease in the DNA methylation levels in the ADRB3 gene and an increase in the DNA methylation levels in the MTHFR gene (p <0.05). There was a positive relation of homocysteine and cholesterol intake on LDL-C concentrations estimated according to the Friedewald equation and of waist circumference and age based on the two estimates. It is concluded the LDL-C concentrations estimated by the Friedewald and Martin equations were different, and the Friedewald equation values were significantly lower than those obtained by the Martin equation. MDA was the variable that was most positively associated with the estimated LDL-C levels in all multivariate models. Significant relationships were observed based on the two estimates and occurred for most variables. The methylation levels of the ADRB3 and MTHFR genes were different according to the Martin equation at low LDL-C concentrations (70 mg/dL).
Properties of smooth pursuit and visual motion reaction time to second-order motion stimuli
Authors: Miyamoto Takeshi , Miura Kenichiro , Kizuka Tomohiro , Ono Seiji
Published: December 2020

A large number of psychophysical and neurophysiological studies have demonstrated that smooth pursuit eye movements are tightly related to visual motion perception. This could be due to the fact that visual motion sensitive cortical areas such as meddle temporal (MT), medial superior temporal (MST) areas are involved in motion perception as well as pursuit initiation. Although the directional-discrimination and perceived target velocity tasks are used to evaluate visual motion perception, it is still uncertain whether the speed of visual motion perception, which is determined by visuomotor reaction time (RT) to a small target, is related to pursuit initiation. Therefore, we attempted to determine the relationship between pursuit latency/acceleration and the visual motion RT which was measured to the visual motion stimuli that moved leftward or rightward. The participants were instructed to fixate on a stationary target and press one of the buttons corresponding to the direction of target motion as soon as possible once the target starts to move. We applied five different visual motion stimuli including first- and second-order motion for smooth pursuit and visual motion RT tasks. It is well known that second-order motion induces lower retinal image motion, which elicits weaker responses in MT and MST compared to first-order motion stimuli. Our results showed that pursuit initiation including latency and initial eye acceleration were suppressed by second-order motion. In addition, second-order motion caused a delay in visual motion RT. The better performances in both pursuit initiation and visual motion RT were observed for first-order motion, whereas second-order (theta motion) induced remarkable deficits in both variables. Furthermore, significant Pearson’s correlation and within-subjects correlation coefficients were obtained between visual motion RT and pursuit latency/acceleration. Our findings support the suggestion that there is a common neuronal pathway involved in both pursuit initiation and the speed of visual motion perception.
Sex differences in disease presentation, surgical and oncological outcome of liver resection for primary and metastatic liver tumors—A retrospective multicenter study
Authors: Braunwarth Eva , Rumpf Benedikt , Primavesi Florian , Pereyra David , Hochleitner Margarethe , Göbel Georg , Gasteiger Silvia , Gehwolf Philipp , Öfner Dietmar , Starlinger Patrick , Stättner Stefan
Published: December 2020

Background

Sex differences are becoming of rising interest in many fields of medicine. It remains unknown whether sex has a role in postoperative and long-term outcome after hepatic resection (HR). The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in disease presentation, surgical and oncological outcome after curative HR.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of 1010 patients who underwent HR between 2005 and 2018 at two tertiary hospitals in Austria. Demographics and survival data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database. Univariate analysis was used to identify sex differences for the entire cohort and for sub-cohorts. Disease-free- and overall survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier estimate and results were compared by log-rank tests.

Results

436 females and 574 males were analyzed. Women were younger (p<0.001), had less liver cirrhosis (p<0.001), cardiac comorbidities (p<0.001), diabetes (28 (p<0.001) and obesity (p<0.001). Type of HR and surgical management did not vary by sex. Ninety-day morbidity (p = 0.179) and -mortality (p = 0.888) were comparable. In patients with malignant disease, no differences in disease-free- and overall survival was observed, neither for the entire cohort nor for the subgroups according to tumor entity or type of resection. Only in HCC patients, females showed an inferior OS (p = 0.029).

Conclusion

This study delivers new insights on the impact of sex differences in liver surgery. Despite the fact that male patients have a higher incidence of preoperative morbidities, we did not observe specific disparities in terms of immediate postoperative as well as long term oncological outcome between sexes.
Prevalence and correlates of prescription drug diversion and misuse among people living with HIV in the eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Chibi Buyisile , Yende-Zuma Nonhlanhla , Mashamba-Thompson Tivani P.
Published: December 2020

Background

Prescription drug diversion, and misuse has increased over the past decade and is notably in high-income-countries and significantly contributes to the opioid epidemic. People living with HIV (PLWH) are particularly vulnerable to prescription drug diversion, and misuse as most experience chronic pain, mental health problems and HIV-related illnesses. The researchers investigated the prevalence and correlates of prescription drug diversion, and misuse among PLWH in the eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 392 PLWH, conveniently recruited from the public healthcare facilities located in rural, semi-urban and urban areas of the eThekwini district. Participants answered questions about their background, prescription medications, substance use, and prescription drug diversion, and misuse. Descriptive analysis was performed to estimate the prevalence of prescription drug diversion, and misuse. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of prescription drug diversion, and misuse.

Findings

Overall, 13% of the participants reported lifetime prescription drug diversion. The most common type of diversion was using prescription medication not prescribed by a healthcare provider (11%), followed by sharing of prescription medication (9%) and buying prescription medication without a medical script (5%). Twenty-three per cent of the participants reported prescription drug misuse in the past 90 days, with using prescription medication without a healthcare providers’ guidance (9%) and not following the scheduled time periods (8%) being the most common reported types of misuse. Self-medicating was identified as a risk factor for prescription drug misuse. There was no association between ART adherence and prescription drug diversion, and misuse.

Conclusion

The study findings contribute to improving the limited data available on prescription drug diversion, and misuse among PLWH in South Africa. The prevalence underscores a need for urgent interventions when prescribing medications with potential risks. Addressing the risk of self-medicating is imperative for HIV care outcomes and to avert death.
5,5-Dialkylluciferins are thermal stable substrates for bioluminescence-based detection systems
Authors: Shi Ce , Killoran Michael P. , Hall Mary P. , Otto Paul , Wood Monika G. , Strauss Ethan , Encell Lance P. , Machleidt Thomas , Wood Keith V. , Kirkland Thomas A.
Published: December 2020

Firefly luciferase-based ATP detection assays are frequently used as a sensitive, cost-efficient method for monitoring hygiene in many industrial settings. Solutions of detection reagent, containing a mixture of a substrate and luciferase enzyme that produces photons in the presence of ATP, are relatively unstable and maintain only a limited shelf life even under refrigerated conditions. It is therefore common for the individual performing a hygiene test to manually prepare fresh reagent at the time of monitoring. To simplify sample processing, a liquid detection reagent with improved thermal stability is needed. The engineered firefly luciferase, Ultra-Glo™, fulfills one aspect of this need and has been valuable for hygiene monitoring because of its high resistance to chemical and thermal inactivation. However, solutions containing both Ultra-Glo™ luciferase and its substrate luciferin gradually lose the ability to effectively detect ATP over time. We demonstrate here that dehydroluciferin, a prevalent oxidative breakdown product of luciferin, is a potent inhibitor of Ultra-Glo™ luciferase and that its formation in the detection reagent is responsible for the decreased ability to detect ATP. We subsequently found that dialkylation at the 5-position of luciferin (e.g., 5,5-dimethylluciferin) prevents degradation to dehydroluciferin and improves substrate thermostability in solution. However, since 5,5-dialkylluciferins are poorly utilized by Ultra-Glo™ luciferase as substrates, we used structural optimization of the luciferin dialkyl modification and protein engineering of Ultra-Glo™ to develop a luciferase/luciferin pair that shows improved total reagent stability in solution at ambient temperature. The results of our studies outline a novel luciferase/luciferin system that could serve as foundations for the next generation of bioluminescence ATP detection assays with desirable reagent stability.
One year after ICU admission for severe community-acquired pneumonia of bacterial, viral or unidentified etiology. What are the outcomes?
Authors: Sangla Frédéric , Legouis David , Marti Pierre-Emmanuel , Sgardello Sebastian D. , Brebion Amélie , Saint-Sardos Pierre , Adda Mireille , Lautrette Alexandre , Pereira Bruno , Souweine Bertrand
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) for respiratory virus testing is increasingly used in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), however data on one-year outcome in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with reference to the causative pathogen are scarce.

Materials and methods

We performed a single-center retrospective study in 123 ICU patients who had undergone respiratory virus testing for CAP by mPCR and with known one-year survival status. Functional status including dyspnea (mMRC score), autonomy (ADL Katz score) and need for new home-care ventilatory support was assessed at a one-year post-ICU follow-up. Mortality rates and functional status were compared in patients with CAP of a bacterial, viral or unidentified etiology one year after ICU admission.

Results

The bacterial, viral and unidentified groups included 19 (15.4%), 37 (30.1%), and 67 (54.5%) patients, respectively. In multivariate analysis, one-year mortality in the bacterial group was higher compared to the viral group (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.71–7.28, p = 0.02) and tended to be higher compared to the unidentified etiology group (p = 0.06); but no difference was found between the viral and the unidentified etiology group (p = 0.43). In 64/83 one-year survivors with a post-ICU follow-up consultation, there were no differences in mMRC score, ADL Katz score and new home-care ventilatory support between the groups (p = 0.52, p = 0.37, p = 0.24, respectively). Severe dyspnea (mMRC score = 4 or death), severe autonomy deficiencies (ADL Katz score ≤ 2 or death), and major adverse respiratory events (new home-care ventilatory support or death) were observed in 52/104 (50.0%), 47/104 (45.2%), and 65/104 (62.5%) patients, respectively; with no difference between the bacterial, viral and unidentified group: p = 0.58, p = 0.06, p = 0.61, respectively.

Conclusions

CAP of bacterial origin had a poorer outcome than CAP of viral or unidentified origin. At one-year, impairment of functional status was frequently observed, with no difference according to the etiology.
Postpartum modern contraception utilization and its determinants in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wakuma Bizuneh , Mosisa Getu , Etafa Werku , Mulisa Diriba , Tolossa Tadesse , Fetensa Getahun , Besho Merga , Gebre Mohammed , Tsegaye Reta
Published: December 2020

Background

Contraceptive use is the best and most cost-effective strategy to reduce feto-maternal adverse effects of short birth intervals. More than two-thirds of women in developing countries who do not want to conceive are not using contraception methods. Although there were various primary studies in different parts of the country, there is no nationally representative evidence on postpartum modern contraception utilization and its determinants in Ethiopia.

Objective

This review was aimed to determine the best available pieces of evidence to pool the magnitude of postpartum modern contraception utilization and find out its determinants.

Methods

Published studies were extensively searched by using electronic databases and unpublished studies were identified from the digital library. All observational studies conducted on the magnitude of postpartum modern contraception utilization and its determinants in Ethiopia were included. Data were extracted on the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using STATA 14.1 version. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled magnitude of postpartum modern contraception utilization with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Inverse variance (I2) was used to identify the presence of heterogeneity and forest plot was used to estimate the pooled magnitude of postpartum contraception utilization. The presence of publication bias was assessed by funnel plots and Egger’s statistical tests. Sub-group analysis was computed to minimize underlying heterogeneity.

Findings

In this review, 19 primary studies were included. The pooled magnitude of postpartum modern contraception utilization in Ethiopia was 45.79% (95%CI 36.45%, 55.13%). The review found that having more than four Antenatal care visits(ANC), having postnatal care visit (PNC), having a formal education, history of family planning use, history of counseling on family planning, and having greater than four alive children as significant determinants of postpartum modern contraception utilization.

Conclusion

The magnitude of postpartum modern contraception utilization in Ethiopia was low. ANC visit, PNC visit, maternal educational status, history of previous family planning use, counseling on family planning, and number of alive children were found to be significant determinants of postpartum modern contraception utilization. Therefore, strengthening focused ANC and PNC services to encourage women in utilizing modern contraception during the postnatal period is needed.
The antihypertensive agent hydralazine reduced extracellular matrix synthesis and liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis exacerbated by hypertension
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Naito Hisao , Kitamori Kazuya , Hashimoto Sayuki , Asano Tomomi , Nakajima Tamie
Published: December 2020

Hypertension is an important risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. We have previously demonstrated that hypertensive rats fed a high fat and cholesterol (HFC) diet incurred a more severe hepatic inflammatory response and fibrosis. Here we investigated the role of hypertension in NASH by comparing HFC-induced hepatic fibrogenesis between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and their normotensive Wistar Kyoto counterpart. Compared to the counterpart, the HFC diet led to stronger aggregation of CD68-positive macrophages in SHRs. HFC feeding also resulted in significantly higher upregulation of the fibrosis-related gene alpha-smooth muscle actin in SHR. The HFC diet induced higher overexpression of serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1) and greater suppression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2):TIMP1, MMP8:TIMP1, and MMP9:TIMP1 ratios, as a proxy of the activities of these MMPs in SHR. Administration of the antihypertensive agent hydralazine to SHRs significantly ameliorated HFC-induced liver fibrosis; it suppressed the aggregation of CD68-positive macrophages and the upregulation of platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta, and collagen, type 1, alpha-1 chain. In conclusion, a hypertensive environment exacerbated the hepatic fibrogenetic effects of the HFC diet; while the effects were partially reversed by the antihypertensive agent hydralazine. Our data suggest that antihypertensive drugs hold promise for treating NASH exacerbated by hypertension.
Comparison of problem-based learning and traditional teaching methods in medical psychology education in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gao Junwei , Yang Ling , Zhao Jinghui , Wang Lian , Zou Jiao , Wang Chunxiang , Fan Xiaotang
Published: December 2020

Background

PBL approach has been widely used in many Chinese universities over the past decade. However, the effects of PBL approach on medical psychology education in China are inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the PBL approach was superior to the lecture-based teaching method in the context of the medical psychology curriculum in China.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to confirm the effectiveness of PBL in Chinese medical psychology. Corresponding databases were searched for available studies, where data were extracted to calculated Hedges’ g and its 95% confidence interval in total and subgroup analyses. Subgroup analyses were also carried out.

Results

Nine studies with 551 cases and 496 controls were identified. The total examination scores of students in the PBL approach group were significantly higher compared with students in the traditional lecture-based teaching group under the random effect model (Hedges’ g = 1.510, 95%CI 0.792–2.227, p<0.001). Subgroup analyses based on major and school system exhibited similar results.

Conclusions

Our study supported the notion that the PBL approach may be applicable to Chinese medical psychology education.
Association between objectively measured walking steps and sleep in community-dwelling older adults: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Kimura Noriyuki , Aso Yasuhiro , Yabuuchi Kenichi , Matsubara Etsuro
Published: December 2020

Physical inactivity and sleep disturbances are major problems in an ageing society. There is increasing evidence that physical activity is associated with sleep quality. However, the association between daily walking steps and sleep remain unclear. This prospective study examined the relationship between objectively measured daily walking steps and sleep parameters in Japanese community-dwelling older adults. In total, 855 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and above, with an uninterrupted follow-up from August 2015 to March 2016, were enrolled. The participants wore a wristband sensor for an average of 7.8 days every three months. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between daily walking steps and sleep parameters, including the total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time awake after sleep onset (WASO), awakening time count during the night, and naptime. The median (interquartile range, IQR) age of the participants was 73 (69–78) years, with 317 (37.1%) men and 538 (62.9%) women. The median (IQR) educational level was 12 (11–12) years, and the median (IQR) Mini-Mental State Examination score was 29 (27–30) points. The number of daily walking steps showed a positive correlation with sleep efficiency and an inverse correlation with WASO, awakening time count, and naptime, after adjusting for covariates and correcting for the false discovery rate (β = 0.098, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.034 to 0.162, p = 0.003; β = −0.107, 95% CI: −0.172 to −0.043, p = 0.001; β = −0.105, 95% CI: −0.17 to −0.04, p = 0.002; and β = −0.31, 95% CI: −0.371 to −0.249, p < 0.001, respectively). Our results can help promote walking as an intervention for preventing sleep disturbances in community-dwelling older adults.
Reduction of oxidative stress on DNA and RNA in obese patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery—An observational cohort study of changes in urinary markers
Authors: Carlsson Elin Rebecka , Fenger Mogens , Henriksen Trine , Kjaer Laura Kofoed , Worm Dorte , Hansen Dorte Lindqvist , Madsbad Sten , Poulsen Henrik Enghusen
Published: December 2020

Increased oxidative stress in obesity and diabetes is associated with morbidity and mortality risks. Levels of oxidative damage to DNA and RNA can be estimated through measurement of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2´-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo) in urine. Both markers have been associated with type 2 diabetes, where especially 8-oxoGuo is prognostic for mortality risk. We hypothesized that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery that has considerable effects on bodyweight, hyperglycemia and mortality, might be working through mechanisms that reduce oxidative stress, thereby reducing levels of the urinary markers. We used liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the content of 8-oxodG and 8-oxoGuo in urinary samples from 356 obese patients treated with the RYGB-procedure. Mean age (SD) was 44.2 (9.6) years, BMI was 42.1 (5.6) kg/m2. Ninety-six (27%) of the patients had type 2 diabetes. Excretion levels of each marker before and after surgery were compared as estimates of the total 24-hour excretion, using a model based on glomerular filtration rate (calculated from cystatin C, age, height and weight), plasma- and urinary creatinine. The excretion of 8-oxodG increased in the first months after RYGB. For 8-oxoGuo, a gradual decrease was seen. Two years after RYGB and a mean weight loss of 35 kg, decreased hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, excretion levels of both markers were reduced by approximately 12% (P < 0.001). For both markers, mean excretion levels were about 30% lower in the female subgroup (P < 0.0001). Also, in this subgroup, excretion of 8-oxodG was significantly lower in patients with than without diabetes. We conclude, that oxidative damage to nucleic acids, reflected in the excretion of 8-oxodG and 8-oxoGuo, had decreased significantly two years after RYGB—indicating that reduced oxidative stress could be contributing to the many long-term benefits of RYGB-surgery in obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Different influences of moral violation with and without physical impurity on face processing: An event-related potentials study
Authors: Jiang Siyu , Peng Ming , Wang Xiaohui
Published: December 2020

It has been widely accepted that moral violations that involve impurity (such as spitting in public) induce the emotion of disgust, but there has been a debate about whether moral violations that do not involve impurity (such as swearing in public) also induce the same emotion. The answer to this question may have implication for understanding where morality comes from and how people make moral judgments. This study aimed to compared the neural mechanisms underlying two kinds of moral violation by using an affective priming task to test the effect of sentences depicting moral violation behaviors with and without physical impurity on subsequent detection of disgusted faces in a visual search task. After reading each sentence, participants completed the face search task. Behavioral and electrophysiological (event-related potential, or ERP) indices of affective priming (P2, N400, LPP) and attention allocation (N2pc) were analyzed. Results of behavioral data and ERP data showed that moral violations both with and without impurity promoted the detection of disgusted faces (RT, N2pc); moral violations without impurity impeded the detection of neutral faces (N400). No priming effect was found on P2 and LPP. The results suggest both types of moral violation influenced the processing of disgusted faces and neutral faces, but the neural activity with temporal characteristics was different.
The contribution of stigma to the transmission and treatment of tuberculosis in a hyperendemic indigenous population in Brazil
Authors: Kolte Ida Viktoria , Pereira Lucia , Benites Aparecida , de Sousa Islândia Maria Carvalho , Basta Paulo Cesar
Published: December 2020

Background

The Guarani-Kaiowá are Brazil's second-largest indigenous group. Average annual tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates among the Guarani-Kaiowá are nearly 400/100,000 in Mato Grosso do Sul state, ten times the national average. Although stigma is considered crucial for TB control in indigenous communities, few studies have investigated TB stigma among indigenous populations. This study sought to understand the role of TB-related stigma and perceptions of TB in maintaining hyperendemic TB transmission in the Guarani-Kaiowá communities.

Methods

Various forms of stigma were explored through semi-structured interviews with 19 patients, 11 relatives, and 23 community members. Patients were identified from the registry of the healthcare service. Community members, selected by snowball sampling, were matched by gender and village of residence. Interviews were conducted in Guarani and Portuguese and later translated into English. Framework analysis was performed using NVivo.

Results

Traditional beliefs of a weakening of the body allowing the disease to enter were common, but the exact mechanism of transmission was unknown. Strong community/public stigma associated TB with uncleanliness, abuse, and irresponsibility. Anticipated stigma led to significant treatment delays for fear of exclusion and losing employment. While most patients felt supported by their families, nearly all patients related experienced/enacted stigma in the community such as gossip, avoidance, and social exclusion, leading to long-lasting internalized/self-stigma. Secondary stigmatization of relatives was widespread, and blanket latent TB infection (LTBI) treatment of patients’ households was a contributing factor in treatment delay. The healthcare service unnecessarily added to stigmatization by enforcing separate utensils and sleeping arrangements for patients.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that stigma is a driver for treatment delay and continued transmission of TB in the community. The stigmatization of TB was rooted in a poor understanding of TB transmission, partly because of incorrect orientation by the healthcare service. Interventions to reduce TB-associated stigma are urgently needed.
Tang Cheng: The first female animation screenwriter and director in the People’s Republic of China
Authors: Chen Shaopeng
Published: December 2020

Tang Cheng (唐澄) (1919–86) was one of the most accomplished and versatile animation practitioners in the history of Chinese animation and the first female animation scriptwriter and director in the People’s Republic of China (PRC, 1949–present). Animation in the PRC was once famous for its ‘Chinese school’ aesthetics, in which female professionals influenced all dimensions of the form, from animation techniques to aspects of narration and artistic style. Tang Cheng was best known for directing or co-directing representative Chinese school animated films. However, her early career in animation screenwriting has been largely forgotten. This article not only highlights her role as a scenarist commissioned to write the screenplays of the didactic fairy talesOld Lady’s Jujube Tree(1958) andRadish Is Back(1959) but also analyses how the spirit of collectivism and childlike simplicity revealed in her screenwriting affected her later directorial productions such asLittle Tadpoles Looking for Mother(1961),Havoc in Heaven(1961, 1964) andThe Deer Bell(1982).
Hombres españoles desplazados: masculinidades y nación en los exilios y migraciones españoles durante el franquismo
Authors: González-Allende Iker
Published: December 2020

Este artículo explora las situaciones de desventaja y los padecimientos de los hombres españoles en los exilios y emigraciones durante el franquismo y su repercusión en su masculinidad. Los hombres españoles se regían por una masculinidad cívica, basada en valores como el trabajo, la paternidad y la división clara y tradicional entre los papeles de los hombres y de las mujeres. Su salida de España y la vida en el país de acogida supusieron un desafío a su modelo de masculinidad, causando en ellos sensaciones de crisis, impotencia e inestabilidad. A pesar de posibles consecuencias positivas que pudieron reafirmar su masculinidad, como una mejora de su situación económica y una mayor libertad, los hombres desplazados tendieron a sentirse derrotados al abandonar España, padecieron dificultades para adaptarse al nuevo país y sufrieron discriminación y xenofobia. Frente a estas experiencias emasculantes, recurrieron a diversas estrategias para remasculinizar su identidad, tales como su dignidad moral y su compromiso político.
El registro de empresas editoriales: la censura en la ley de prensa e imprenta de 1966
Authors: Álvarez Maylín Carlota
Published: December 2020

El Registro de Empresas Editoriales fue una de las herramientas de censura editorial que impulsó el Régimen franquista en su intento por frenar la influencia que los editores, como agentes culturales con incidencia política, tuvieron sobre la sociedad española durante la década de los sesenta y setenta. La ley de Prensa e Imprenta de 1966 establecía la obligación de inscribir todas las editoriales en un Registro controlado por el Ministerio de Información y Turismo. A pesar de la apariencia liberalizadora que el Régimen intenta darle, esta ley pone el foco de la represión cultural sobre los productores del libro: los editores y las editoriales. Los archivos del Registro de Empresas Editoriales se conservan en el Archivo General de la Administración (AGA), cuya documentación es imprescindible para la comprensión del desarrollo del mundo editorial desde 1966 hasta principios de los años ochenta. Este artículo estudia el caso de las editoriales que formaron parte de la Distribuidora Enlace, cuyos expedientes muestran un amplio abanico de las tipologías que se pueden encontrar en este Registro.
Relationship of frozen-thawed semen quality with the fertility rate after being distributed in the Brahman Cross Breeding Program
Authors: Pardede Berlin Pandapotan , Agil Muhammad , Yudi Yudi , Supriatna Iman
Published: December 2020

Background and Aim: Various factors can reduce the quality of semen used for artificial insemination and have an impact on fertility decline, such as poor handling during frozen semen distribution. This study was aimed at assessing the quality of frozen-thawed semen after distribution in the field and its importance in maintaining fertility.

Materials and Methods: The Brahman Cross (BX) breeding program of PT Lembu Jantan Perkasa, Indonesia, was used. This program was preferred due to its adherence to guidelines that limit the effects of extraneous factors that may affect semen quality. Frozen-thawed semen samples from eight bulls with the same production code were analyzed and compared between the production site (artificial insemination [AI] center) and the field (BX breeding program). Total and progressive motility (PM) of sperm were determined using computer-assisted semen analysis. Plasma membrane integrity (PMI) was assessed using hypoosmotic swelling test, sperm viability using Eosin-Nigrosin staining, acrosome integrity using trypan blue-Giemsa staining, morphological abnormalities using William staining, and DNA fragmentation using toluidine blue staining. The fertility rate was determined using the conception rate (%) derived from AI data based on 502 AI services and 478 cows in the BX breeding program. A t-test was used to compare the quality of frozen-thawed semen before and after distribution. The relationship between the qualities of frozen semen after distribution in the field with fertility was analyzed using Pearson correlation.

Results: There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the quality of frozen-thawed semen (sperm motility, PMI, viability, acrosome integrity, abnormalities, and DNA fragmentation) between the production site (AI center) and after distribution in the field (BX breeding program). The semen met the minimum standards for AI programs. Total motility (r=0.986), PM (r=0.961), sperm viability (r=0.971), PMI (r=0.986), and acrosome integrity (r=0.992) were all positively correlated (p<0.05) with fertility rate; while sperm abnormalities (r=-0.996) and sperm DNA fragmentation (r=0.975) were negatively correlated (p<0.05) with fertility rate.

Conclusion: The study showed that to achieve the maximal and optimal fertility rate in bulls in an AI program, the overall quality of frozen-thawed semen in all aspects is critical. This can be achieved if the handling during distribution and storage, as well as the various factors that may affect the quality of semen in the field, can be controlled properly.
The 9th Conference of the European Sociological Association: European sociology or European sociologies?
Authors: Murinko Livia , Szalma Ivett
Published: December 2020

The European Sociological Association (ESA) is a non-profit, Europe-wide academic organization with over 1,500 members. It aims at facilitating "European sociological research, and teaching and communication between sociologists and between sociologists and other scientists " (ESA 2009). The association was established in Vienna in 1992, at the first European sociological conference. The latest biennial ESA conference was held in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, from between September 2-5, 2009. The main question of the conference was whether we can look at European society as an increasingly cohesive entity or whether divisions of nation, class, ethnicity, region, gender, and so on continue to be more salient. Is there one European society or are there many European societies? Is the nation-state the most appropriate unit of analysis or are other approaches needed? Is there convergence or divergence between the regions of Europe? A particular focus of the conference was the role of sociology in understanding the European area and how sociologists from different countries and with different traditions can work together toward this end. The aim of our analysis is to provide a special description of contemporary European sociology, based on the presentations of the 9th ESA conference. We will examine to what extent European sociological life is homogeneous, how it is structured, and which subjects attract major research attention.
The 100 faces of poverty
Authors: Vépy-Schlemmer Éva
Published: December 2020

Information about our world and society cannot be obtained through numbers only, even so because a significant segment of our current knowledge is conveyed through pictures and other visual signs. These are to complement our verbal codes and are capable of showing the human face of social reality, such as poverty, hidden beyond the maze of various charts and diagrams. The concept of “The poorest 100” was inspired by the top list of the 100 richest persons published every year; this unique sociographic report became the paraphrase of that top list. If you can read the list of the 100 most affluent persons in Hungary, why should not someone present the list of the poorest 100 in another volume? “Who are they? And what made them what they are? How can we show solidarity with them and how can we help them to help themselves?” - These are some of the questions raised by the publisher.
Our favourite irrationalities
Authors: Király Gábor
Published: December 2020

Ariely is one of the young researchers who are at the forefront of the discipline called behavioral economics. Behavioral economics tends to question the basic assumptions of economic theory such as rationality and the infinite cognitive ability of the actor and the stability and fixed nature of our preferences. In connection with these, such general laws as supply and demand also come under scrutiny. The starting point of these researchers is that one should ask how people actually behave and make decisions in everyday life, not how they should behave according to mainstream economic theory.
A Technocratic Machine: The Memex as Rhetorical Invention
Authors: Bruner Katie P.
Published: December 2020

The Memex is an icon in the history of computer technology. It was first presented to the public in a 1945 Life Magazine article as “a device in which an individual stores all his books, records, and communications, and which is mechanized so that it may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility.” The Memex itself was never built, but the image of what machines like it could do captured the imagination of a generation of computer engineers. The Memex was designed by an engineer and science administrator named Vannevar Bush, but he had actually designed the Memex to address inter-war America: the Memex article was written during the tumult of the late 1930s and largely untouched during World War II. This article examines the Memex within this interwar context, paying particular attention to how Bush used the design of a technological prototype to imagine how machines could help humans navigate the modern world. I argue that this effort was an act of rhetorical invention and show that the design of the Memex was a vehicle for Bush to endorse technocratic authority over American life.
Formal e-mails
Authors: Miglietta Annarita
Published: December 2020

The aim of this paper is to train and acquire, in a reasoned and critical way, linguistic and communication skills, useful in the specific case in writing for the mail to professors, but indispensable for all the formal occasions that require it.
El fenómeno de la concurrencia obligacional. Las cuotas de contribución entre los deudores como un problema sistémico
Authors: Reyna Carlos Alberto
Published: December 2020

Las obligaciones concurrentes tuvieron reconocimiento normativo expreso en tres artículos del CCyCN (art. 850, 851 y 852), cuya regulación es una consecuencia de la evolución de los criterios jurisprudenciales que resolvieron, principalmente, el problema del derecho obligacional generado por la expansión de los legitimados pasivos en diversos supuestos de responsabilidad. En este contexto, a 5 años de la sanción del Código Civil y Comercial, la imposición de diversas cuotas de contribución entre los deudores concurrentes se ha reservado para acciones de regreso, soslayando la discusión de la cuestión en el proceso principal y, en consecuencia, difiriendo su tratamiento. 

En este artículo nos proponemos demostrar que la necesidad de resolver el pedido de determinación de la cuota de contribución, efectuado en el litigio en que se ventila la responsabilidad de varios obligados, es una consecuencia ineludible del deber de fallar de manera razonablemente fundada (art. 3 del CCyCN).
La regla del doble vínculo filial puesta en crisis
Authors: Galli Fiant Maria Magdalena
Published: December 2020

La determinación de los vínculos paternos y maternos no es una cuestión cuantitativa sino cualitativa, dentro de cada fuente de la Filiación. En ese marco, la regla del doble vínculo obligatorio es incorrecta. En la Filiación por naturaleza, los vínculos son necesariamente dos, pues están determinados por la generación a partir del acto intersexual. En la Filiación por voluntad procreacional, los vínculos están limitados a aquellos que expresaron su consentimiento previo; esta limitación atenta contra el derecho a la identidad y debe ser suprimida. En la Filiación adoptiva, la pluriparentalidad es posible porque se basa en el reconocimiento del origen que precede a la adopción. El interés superior del hijo niño no altera las reglas de determinación de los vínculos con sus progenitores, aunque es relevante para establecer sus funciones y deberes, o para designar a terceros bajo figuras legales de cuidado. La sola voluntad de ser padre/madre o de ser hijo no es la causa del lazo jurídico de filiación, aunque su incidencia varía en cada una de las fuentes de la Filiación.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Diazinon in g-C3N4/Fe(III)/Persulfate System under Visible LED Light Irradiation
Authors: Rubi Rugi Vicente C. , Olay Jerry G. , Caleon Paula Bianca G. , Jesus Rose Ann F. De , Indab Mikee Bernadette L. , Jacinto Ryan Christian H. , Sabalones McHill S. , Rosa Francis dela , Hamidah Nur Laila
Published: December 2020

In the past years, the non-conventional treatment of pesticides in wastewater like photocatalytic degradation has been the focus of the attention of researchers to mitigate its impact on both humans and the environment. In this study, synthesized graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) from urea is used in the photocatalytic degradation of diazinon as a photocatalyst with the addition of ferric nitrate (Fe3(NO3)3) and potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) to enhanced degradation. Graphitic carbon nitride was produced using direct calcination of urea at 550°C for 2 h. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized g-C3N4 were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and X-ray Diffractometer (XRD). The photocatalytic degradation of diazinon was conducted under a g-C3N4/Fe(III)/persulfate system using different parameters such as catalyst loading (75, 100, and 125 mg), Fe3(NO3)3 (325, 350, and 375 mg L–1), and K2S2O8 (275, 300, and 325 mg L–1) resulting to an improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency. The physicochemical results showed a synthesized g-C3N4 that exhibits properties that are following the international standards. The results of photocatalytic degradation showed the highest degradation of g-C3N4 at 37.3%, under the parametric conditions of 125 mg g-C3N4, 325 mg L–1 of Fe3(NO3)3, and 300 mg L–1 of K2S2O8. The degradation efficiency was observed to increase as the catalyst load increases, while an increase in degradation efficiency can only be observed up to a certain value using ferric nitrate and persulfate. Overall, this study provided insight on the possible use of urea, as a source of g-C3N4 and the use of g-C3N4 as a photocatalyst using visible light as a more economic approach and cost-efficient way of handling wastewater.
Economic Arguments and Legal Regulations on Ritual Slaughter in Poland
Authors: Konrad Dyda
Published: December 2020

When regulating ritual slaughter, we need to take into consideration issues related both to the protection of freedom of conscience and religion, the freedom of business activity, and the humane treatment of animals. The economic arguments have an influence on the way ritual slaughter is regulated and generally lead to departing from the original religious purpose of such legal regulations, in favour of protecting economic interests.
Educación STEM en museos y escalas para valorarla
Authors: Güemes González Elena , Ribas Borrego María
Published: December 2020

Dos maestras explican la experiencia que han tenido tras realizar su trabajo de fin de grado (TFG) durante el confinamiento y comparten su opinión acerca de la educación STEM como perspectiva del nuevo paradigma educativo. Para ello definen qué es, proponen escalas para su valoración e inciden en la importancia de su promoción en ámbitos educativos no formales.
El fortalecimiento familiar y de la educación en el contexto COVID-19
Authors: Castro Cárdenas Teresa
Published: December 2020

Este artículo nace de la necesidad de escuchar y analizar la vivencia de las familias durante el confinamiento y sus expectativas con la llegada de la nueva normalidad. Se desarrolla a partir del testimonio de familias con hijos e hijas en edad escolar de España, Guatemala y Bolivia y tiene el objetivo de acercar a quienes lo leen la realidad social y educativa que se ha generado en los hogares, centros e instituciones educativas a raíz de la COVID-19.
When are initial consonants articulated in choral performance? Cases studies of choral works sung in German
Authors: Hauck Caiti
Published: December 2020

The process of rehearsing and performing a choral piece involves numerous decisions by the conductor. One part of this decision-making is related to the sung text and includes aspects of diction that are not indicated by Western musical notation, for instance the exact instant of articulation of initial consonants. Although choices related to diction have consequences for elements such as clearness of enunciation, rhythmic precision, or intonation, only a few writings on choral conducting are explicit about them. This paper aims to discuss conductors’ choices concerning the instant of articulation of initial consonants in choral performances of works sung in German. It compares conductors’ theoretical suggestions with analyses of six recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach’s movement Trotz dem alten Drachen, BWV 227/5, and four recordings of Franz Schubert’s part-song An die Sonne, D439. Methods include analyses of writings on choral conducting, interviews with conductors, and analyses of recordings using the software programme Sonic Visualiser. Similarities are observed between the theoretical suggestions of conductors and the analysed recordings, however there are some striking differences, including conductors’ underestimations of the actual duration of consonants. Analyses of the recordings reveal that initial consonants are nearly always anticipated (i.e., articulated ahead of the beat to which they are assigned). Exceptions to this concern the plosive [kʰ] and the second consonant of a cluster on occasion. Analyses of recordings also point to the impact on timing anticipation due to the consonant’s surroundings and from the ability or otherwise for the sound of a consonant to be lengthened (i.e., its “lengthenability”). Evidence from the recordings is discussed in relation to conductors’ varying theoretical suggestions on the articulation of consonants, flagging up inconsistencies as well as considering practicalities, and providing insights for choral conductors into the nuances of consonant articulation with ramifications for conducting pedagogy and future research.