Homero, paleolítico cuentista

2021

Are Chinese immigrants in Cameroon perceived as a threat?

2021

Chinese immigration to Cameroon has significantly increased within the last two decades. Members of the Cameroonian society have received Chinese presence with mixed feelings. Recent reports indicate that negative attitudes towards Chinese immigrants are on the rise. In a sample of 501 young people, ranging from 17 to 33 years old, this study specifically uses the integrated threat theory of prejudice to analyse the extent to which attitudes towards Chinese immigrants in Cameroon are predicted by the perception of threat. According to the most recent conceptualization of the integrated threat theory, there are two main types of threat that predict negative attitudes towards outgroups. These…

Activation of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1I to a 50 kDa stable core impairs its full toxicity to Ostrinia nubilalis

2021

Abstract Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1I insecticidal proteins are structurally similar to other three-domain Cry proteins, although their size, activity spectrum, and expression at the stationary phase are unique among other members of the Cry1 family. The mode of action of Cry1 proteins is not completely understood but the existence of an activation step prior to specific binding is widely accepted. In this study, we attempted to characterize and determine the importance of the activation process in the mode of action of Cry1I, as Cry1Ia protoxin or its partially processed form showed significantly higher toxicity to Ostrinia nubilalis than the fully processed protein either activated with …

Addressing sustainable food management in hotels: proposing a framework and examining hotel groups

2021

Purpose Sustainable food practices have been recognised as a key issue in efforts to improve and report sustainable tourism practices, given the importance of the social, environmental and economic impacts of the food industry throughout its entire chain of production – from farm to fork. From this standpoint, the aim of the present paper is to propose a comprehensive framework for reporting or making decisions concerning sustainable food management in hotels, taking into account the various facets of the food supply chain.Design/methodology/approach Several dimensions are proposed for dealing with sustainable food management, involving all aspects of food supply chains that may be relevant…

Analysis of aroma compounds of nine autochthonous and non-autochthonous loquat cultivars grown in Sicily

2021

Loquat cultivation in Sicily is mainly based on nonnative cultivars and local ecotypes characterized by high nutraceutical value and appreciable physicochemical characteristics. Increased interest in commercial loquat production has increased the intention to provide premium quality loquat cultivars that include volatile substances capable of conditioning the sensorial properties and, therefore, the acceptability of fruits by consumers. This study determined the content of volatile compounds in nonnative and local loquat fruits grown in Sicily. Analyses were performed on five international cultivars and four local cultivars.

Adaptive Whisking in Mice

2021

Rodents generate rhythmic whisking movements to explore their environment. Whisking trajectories, for one, appear as a fixed pattern of whisk cycles at 5-10 Hz driven by a brain stem central pattern generator. In contrast, whisking behavior is thought to be versatile and adaptable to behavioral goals. To begin to systematically investigate such behavioral adaptation, we established a whisking task, in which mice altered the trajectories of whisking in a goal-oriented fashion to gain rewards. Mice were trained to set the whisker to a defined starting position and generate a protraction movement across a virtual target (no touch-related tactile feedback). By ramping up target distance based o…

Sustainable Development Goals in Strategy and Practice: Businesses in Colombia and Egypt

2021

Businesses may adopt strategies and practices that support sustainable development goals. Such strategies include considering social and environmental impacts as well as prioritizing socio-environmental benefits at a higher level than profits. Supportive practices comprise enhancing social benefits and limiting environmental harm. What SDG-related strategies and practices are businesses pursuing? Are businesses implementing practices and strategies? Do the practices and strategies differ across societies? A survey of representative samples of 399 businesses in Colombia and 413 businesses in Egypt was conducted in 2021, by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. The owner-managers reported that…

Understanding economic inactivity and NEET status among young women in the UK and France

2021

International audience; This article examines the position of young women in the UK and France who are defined as not in education, employment or training (NEET) and economically inactive (EI). While the challenges facing the young unemployed are well documented, far less is known about economic inactivity and its propensity to impact to a much greater extent on the lives of young women. The UK and France share some similarities with regard to their NEET EI female populations, in terms of the relative size of the group and the barriers young women face, despite being exposed to very different types of policy intervention and welfare support. Drawing on quantitative evidence (via the Céreq) …

Amorphous p-Type Conducting Zn-x Ir Oxide (x > 0.13) Thin Films Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Cosputtering

2021

Zinc-iridium oxide (Zn-Ir-O) thin films have been demonstrated as a p-type conducting material. However, the stability of p-type conductivity with respect to chemical composition or temperature is still unclear. In this study we discuss the local atomic structure and the electrical properties of Zn-Ir-O films in the large Ir concentration range. The films are deposited by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering at two different substrate temperatures-without intentional heating and at 300 {\deg}C. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis reveals that strongly disordered ZnO4 tetrahedra are the main Zn complexes in Zn-Ir-O films with up to 67.4 at% Ir. As the Ir concentration in…

Effect of implantation technique on outcomes in patients receiving bioresorbable scaffolds in various clinical scenarios

2021

ABSTRACT Introduction and objectives: The PSP (pre-dilation, sizing and post-dilation) score, derived from the GHOST-EU registry, has evaluated the relationship between the implantation technique of bioresorbable scaffolds and the clinical outcomes. The objective was to perform an external validation of the PSP technique and to determine its effect on adverse cardiac events in various clinical and anatomical scenarios. Methods: Data from the REPARA registry (2230 patients) were used for external validation, whereas a common database combining REPARA and GHOST-EU (3250 patients) data was used to evaluate the effect of PSP technique in various clinical and anatomical scenarios. PSP-1 and PSP-…

“Do you find it normal to be so fat?” Weight stigma in obese gym users

2021

Weight stigma is a negative social process that involves discrimination against overweight and obese people. Gyms are important environments to promote exercise where weight stigma can be a hindrance for obese exercise practitioners. This critical-oriented study provides evidence-based answers to this question: How do obese users experience weight stigma in gyms? Six obese gym users (BMI >30) participated in semi-structured interviews and provided visual data for photo-elicitation. A thematic analysis enabled the grouping of their experiences around weight stigma into three forms of discrimination: 1) direct: negative comments about body weight and body size; 2) indirect: internalizatio…

Radiolabeling of a polypeptide polymer for intratumoral delivery of alpha-particle emitter, 225Ac, and beta-particle emitter, 177Lu

2021

Introduction: Radiotherapy of cancer requires both alpha- and beta-particle emitting radionuclides, as these radionuclide types are efficient at destroying different types of tumors. Both classes of radionuclides require a vehicle, such as an antibody or a polymer, to be delivered and retained within the tumor. Polyglutamic acid (pGlu) is a polymer that has proven itself effective as a basis of drug-polymer conjugates in the clinic, while its derivatives have been used for pretargeted tumor imaging in a research setup. trans-Cyclooctene (TCO) modified pGlu is suitable for pretargeted imaging or therapy, as well as for intratumoral radionuclide therapy. In all cases, it becomes indirectly ra…

Deinstitutionalization revisited

2021

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a new analysis and understanding of the notion of deinstitutionalization. Deinstitutionalization of taken-for-granted practices as a natural consequence of ever-increasing entropy seems to directly contradict the major institutional thesis, namely, that over time isomorphic forces increase and, as a result, possibilities for deinstitutionalization decrease culminating in the impossibility of abandoning in highly institutionalized fields.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual in nature. Oliver’s 1992 paper on deinstitutionalization is taken as a key text on the subject and as a starting point for building an alternative theory of dein…

A Research Journey from National Systems of Innovation to National Systems of Entrepreneurship: Introducing the Sextuple Helix

2021

[EN] National systems of innovation (NSI) have attracted substantial interest from public administrations, the scientific community and international organizations. Innovation is a key factor for countries to be competitive in the today's global economy. Entrepreneurship is an innovation source that has gained importance in NSI research over the last few decades. This focus on entrepreneurship in the context of NSI has led scholars to propose novel concepts such as entrepreneurial ecosystems and the national system of entrepreneurship (NSE). This paper uses bibliometric methods and the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS CC) database to explore how entrepreneurship fits into NSI research an…

Lost in space? Using geo-narratives to interpret land use changes in a rural landscape of inner Sicily

2021

Intercropping landscapes characterised by the presence of certain plant features (i.e. old-century olive trees) are usually considered traditional landscapes, extremely important for their biocultural heritage. Olive agroforestry systems were widespread in the past throughout Sicily. Recent evolution processes involving intensification have switched to olive grove monocultures. Here we present ongoing work on the application of geo-narratives to interpret transformation dynamics of land use practices in a rural landscape of inner Sicily. Based on the assumption that spatial patterns are the expression of transformation processes, where the spatial variation of human activities is a signific…

Variations of some Metallic Elements in Different Parts of Lingonberries <i>(Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.)</i>

2021

The aim of the research was to evaluate the content of metallic elements in different parts of lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) depending on their place of growth and evaluate the transfer factor values from between different parts of plants (fine roots, leaves, berries). Obtained results show that there are no significant differences between the content of Fe, Cu, Zn and K, and there are similar element transfer factors between different parts of lingonberries independent from which site the samples are taken.

Relational long-term breastfeeding

2021

This article uses a relationality-sensitive perspective to analyse long-term breastfeeding. The data was gathered through open invitations to write, and the article is based on the written reflections of 39 long-term breastfeeding Finnish mothers. In Finland, the breastfeeding of babies is strongly supported, but long-term breastfeeding (over 12 months) is a more conflicted issue, and the cultural norm of one year of breastfeeding is strong. Through qualitative content analysis, the article shows how mothers reflect on long-term breastfeeding’s effects on their relations with their breastfed children, partners (if any), relatives and healthcare professionals. The findings show that long-ter…

Ruddlesden-Popper Hybrid Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanosheets of Phase Pure n=2: Stabilized Colloids Stored in the Solid State.

2021

Ruddlesden-Popper lead halide perovskite (RP-LHP) nano-nanostructures can be regarded as self-assembled quantum wells or superlattices of 3D perovskites with an intrinsic quantum well thickness of a single or a few (n=2-4) lead halide layers; the quantum wells are separated by organic layers. They can be scaled down to a single quantum well dimension. Here, the preparation of highly (photo)chemical and colloidal stable hybrid LHP nanosheets (NSs) of ca. 7.4 μm lateral size and 2.5 nm quantum well height (thereby presenting a deep blue emission at ca. 440 nm), is reported for the first time. The NSs are close-lying and they even interconnect when deposited on a substrate. Their synthesis is …

Glycemic Variability, Glycated Hemoglobin, and Cardiovascular Complications: Still a Dilemma in Clinical Practice

2021

Effet d'un affichage environnemental sur les choix alimentaires des consommateurs : essai contrôlé randomisé dans un supermarché en réalité virtuelle

2021

National audience

Different Prevalence of Alarm, Dyspeptic and Reflux Symptoms in Patients with Cardia and Non-cardia Gastric Cancer.

2021

Background and Aims: Symptoms of patients with gastric cancer (GC) are often unspecific and differences in symptoms between patients with cardia and non-cardia GC have been poorly investigated. We aimed to characterize symptoms of patients with cardia and non-cardia GC.
 Methods: Patients with cardia (Siewert type II and III) and non-cardia GC were recruited in the German multicenter cohort of the Gastric Cancer Research (staR) study between 2013 and 2017. Alarm, dyspeptic and reflux symptoms at the time of presentation were documented using a self-administered questionnaire.
 Results: A completed self-administered questionnaire was available for 568/759 recruited patients (132 ca…

Post-Secular Identity? Developing a New Approach to Religion in International Relations and IR Studies

2021

In spite of the increasing presence of religion in international relations with various publications observing this presence and numerous authorities calling for the inclusion of religion into mainstream research, there is no universal consent to recognize religion’s role in IR. In our opinion, the only way to reconcile IR with the international reality in which religion has been and will remain present in the foreseeable future is for the researchers themselves to construct—especially those oriented towards broad, non-Western perspective—a new face of the discipline, the face which in this article we call the post-secular identity of IR study. Assuming that identity is first and foremost a…

Temperature‐Responsive Nanoparticles Enable Specific Binding of Apolipoproteins from Human Plasma

2021

Apolipoproteins are an important class of proteins because they provide a so-called stealth effect to nanoparticles. The stealth effect on nanocarriers leads to a reduced unspecific uptake into immune cells and thereby to a prolonged blood circulation time. Herein, a novel strategy to bind apolipoproteins specifically on nanoparticles by adjusting the temperature during their incubation in human plasma is presented. This specific binding, in turn, allows a control of the stealth behavior of the nanoparticles. Nanoparticles with a well-defined poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) shell are prepared, displaying a reversible change of hydrophobicity at a temperature around 32 °C. It is shown by label-f…

Inactivation of an Enveloped Virus by Immobilized Antimicrobial Peptides.

2021

Infections caused by viruses are difficult to treat due to their life cycle, which depends on the replication machinery of the respective host cells. Commonly used antiviral strategies are based upon the application of, e.g., entry inhibitors and other compounds that interfere with virus replication. Besides possible side effects, the rapid occurrence of viral resistance poses a great challenge. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), as a component of the innate immunity, are able to kill bacteria and fungi and, in addition, may inactivate enveloped viruses. Many AMPs exert their biological function by impairing microbial and viral membranes. As a result, membrane integrity is lost, leading to bact…

Ulrich Johannes Schneider, Der Finger im Buch. Die unterbrochene Lektüre im Bild. Piet Meyer, Bern – Wien 2020. 175 S., € 28,40.

2021

Characterization of Pigments from <i>Malus domestica</i> Leaves for Wool Dyeing

2021

The study will present results of chemical analysis of mass spectrometry, evaluating the content of pigments in M. domestica leaves dyeing solution and in dyed woollen yarn nowadays. Yarn was dyed with fresh leaves of M. domestica tree. Before dyeing the yarn was treated with potassium aluminium sulphate mordant. Dyestuffs from the yarn were extracted in compliance with modified hydrochloric method of hydrolysis. Extracts were analysed by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector and mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-MS) for identification of the pigments. Phytochemical screening of dyeing solution of the M. domestica leaves showed presence of dihydrochalco…

Disclosing the emissive surface traps in green-emitting carbon nanodots

2021

Abstract The bright photoluminescence of surface-functionalized carbon nanoparticles, known as carbon nanodots (CDs), has been studied for more than a decade because of its fundamental photo-physical interest and strong technological potential. However, the essential nature of the electronic states involved in their typical light emission remains very elusive. Here, we provide conclusive evidence that surface carboxylic moieties are the key to CD fluorescence. The synergy of nanosecond and femtosecond optical studies, cryogenic fluorescence, computational investigations and chemical engineering of a strategically chosen model CD system, allows to demonstrate that their visible-light transit…

Association of Birth Weight With Foveolar Thickness in Adulthood: Results From a Population-Based Study

2021

Purpose Low birth weight (BW) is associated with alterations of foveal shape development in childhood—leading to an increased retinal thickness of the fovea. The aim of the present study was to assess whether BW has a long-term effect on foveal retinal thickness (RT) and is still present in adulthood. Methods In the German population-based Gutenberg Health Study (GHS), participants were examined with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The association between self-reported BW and RT in the foveolar and perifoveal locations was assessed. Multivariable linear regression analyses with adjustment for potential confounders and grading of foveal hypoplasia were performed. Results Overal…

The Influence of Infection and Colonization on Outcomes in Inpatients With COVID-19 : Are We Forgetting Something?

2021

The COVID-19 epidemic has been a great challenge to health systems and especially hospitals. A prospective observational epidemiological study was planned as of February 26, 2020 in a tertiary hospital in the Valencia region. The total number of patients followed up with complete information during the first year was 2,448. Among other variables, the comorbidities of the patients were collected (and grouped in the Charson index), the stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), the co-infections, and the colonizations. Data on nosocomial infections due to said virus were also collected. The median days from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis were 4 + 4.6, while an additional 4.4 days had to pass …

Are remote sensing evapotranspiration models reliable across South American ecoregions?

2021

Many remote sensing-based evapotranspiration (RSBET) algorithms have been proposed in the past decades and evaluated using flux tower data, mainly over North America and Europe. Model evaluation across South America has been done locally or using only a single algorithm at a time. Here, we provide the first evaluation of multiple RSBET models, at a daily scale, across a wide variety of biomes, climate zones, and land uses in South America. We used meteorological data from 25 flux towers to force four RSBET models: Priestley–Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL), Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM), Penman–Monteith Mu model (PM-MOD), and Penman–Monteith Nagler model (PME-VI).…

Evaluation de l’effet de recommandations sur l’introduction de textures dans les premiers mois de diversification alimentaire sur les pratiques paren…

2021

National audience; Introduction et but de l’étude : Proposer des aliments texturés aux nourrissons rapidement après l’initiation de la diversification alimentaire est essentiel pour leur apprendre à bien mastiquer et développer un répertoire alimentaire sain. Le comité d’experts en nutrition de l’ESPGHAN recommande d’introduire les aliments texturés entre 8 et 10 mois au plus tard. Or, des travaux ont montré qu’en France, les purées restent privilégiées par de nombreux parents pendant la première année et que les enfants sont capables de manger des textures plus complexes d’après une étude comportementale. La question de la texture n’étant pas abordée en détail dans les recommandations de s…

Vr̥kṣa vivāha. Dendrogamie in India fra tradizioni antiche e pratiche devozionali contemporanee

2021

An inextricable tangle of branches and roots arises in many Indian villages in the place where two trees united in marriage (vr̥kṣa vivāha), grow intertwining with each other in an everlasting 'embrace'. This interweaving describes well the complex network of symbols and textual references that are revealed in the relationships that Indian culture has built around a pair of trees: the aśvattha and the śamī. In this paper, I will try to highlight some mythological and ritual aspects related to this pair. The two trees, in fact, although in today's context separately, are the object of rituals that turn out to be true tree marriages. In particular, concerning aśvattha, what is striking is tha…

Weak Langmuir turbulence in disordered multimode optical fibers

2021

We consider the propagation of temporally incoherent waves in multimode optical fibers (MMFs) in the framework of the multimode nonlinear Schr\"odinger (NLS) equation accounting for the impact of the natural structural disorder that affects light propagation in standard MMFs (random mode coupling and polarization fluctuations). By averaging the dynamics over the fast disordered fluctuations, we derive a Manakov equation from the multimode NLS equation, which reveals that the Raman effect introduces a previously unrecognized nonlinear coupling among the modes. Applying the wave turbulence theory on the Manakov equation, we derive a very simple scalar kinetic equation describing the evolution…

Health Inequities in LGBT People and Nursing Interventions to Reduce Them: A Systematic Review.

2021

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people present poorer mental and physical health results compared to the heterosexual and cisgender population. There are barriers in the healthcare system that increase these health inequities. Objective: To synthesise the available evidence on how nurses can intervene in reducing health inequities in LGBT people, identifying their specific health needs and describing their experiences and perceptions of the barriers they face in the healthcare system. Methods: Systematic review. Between March and April 2021, a bibliographic search was carried out in the Cuiden, LILACS, PubMed, Dialnet, SciELO, Trip Database, and Web of Science dat…

The impact of remote work and mediated communication frequency on isolation and psychological distress

2021

A massive shift towards remote work practices has presented many organizations and employees with acute challenges associated with multi-locational work. This shift underscores the need to reconsider isolation as one of the focal challenges of organizations in an era of increasingly dispersed and mediated work practices. This study relies on a three-wave survey among Finnish workers to investigate how remote work practices and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) have impacted perceptions of isolation during the global health pandemic, and whether these relationships have an effect on psychological distress. The findings indicate that facilitating the use of ICTs may he…

Gender-Specific Metabolomics Approach to Kidney Cancer

2021

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of kidney malignancy. RCC is more common among men with a 2/1 male/female incidence ratio worldwide. Given the underlying epidemiological differences in the RCC incidence between males and females, we explored the gender specific 1H NMR serum metabolic profiles of RCC patients and their matched controls. A number of differential metabolites were shared by male and female RCC patients. These RCC specific changes included lower lactate, threonine, histidine, and choline levels together with increased levels of pyruvate, N-acetylated glycoproteins, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and lysine. Additionally, serum lactate/pyruvate ratio was a…