Which Factors Modulate Letter Position Coding in Pre-literate Children?

2021

One of the central landmarks of learning to read is the emergence of orthographic processing (i.e., the encoding of letter identity and letter order): it constitutes the necessary link between the low-level stages of visual processing and the higher-level processing of words. Regarding the processing of letter position, many experiments have shown worse performance in various tasks for the transposed-letter pair judge-JUDGE than for the orthographic control jupte-JUDGE. Importantly, 4-y.o. pre-literate children also show letter transposition effects in a same-different task: TZ-ZT is more error-prone than TZ-PH. Here, we examined whether this effect with pre-literate children is related to …

Overview of key molecular and pharmacological targets for diabetes and associated diseases

2021

Diabetes epidemiological quantities are demonstrating one of the most important communities' health worries. The essential diabetic difficulties are including cardiomyopathy, nephropathy, inflammation, and retinopathy. Despite developments in glucose decreasing treatments and drugs, these diabetic complications are still ineffectively reversed or prohibited. Several signaling and molecular pathways are vital targets in the new therapies of diabetes. This review assesses the newest researches about the key molecules and signaling pathways as targets of molecular pharmacology in diabetes and diseases related to it for better treatment based on molecular sciences. The disease is not cured by c…

Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy and Diabetes: A Scoping Review

2021

Although cancer and diabetes are common diseases, the relationship between diabetes, neuropathy and the risk of developing peripheral sensory neuropathy while or after receiving chemotherapy is uncertain. In this review, we highlight the effects of chemotherapy on the onset or progression of neuropathy in diabetic patients. We searched the literature in Medline and Scopus, covering all entries until 31 January 2021. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were: (1) original article (2) full text published in English or Spanish; (3) neuropathy was specifically assessed (4) the authors separately analyzed the outcomes in diabetic patients. A total of 259 papers were retrieved. Finally, eight art…

High-frequency blood flow-restricted resistance exercise results in acute and prolonged cellular stress more pronounced in type I than in type II fib…

2021

Myocellular stress with high-frequency blood flow-restricted resistance exercise (BFRRE) was investigated by measures of heat shock protein (HSP) responses, glycogen content, and inflammatory markers. Thirteen participants [age: 24 ± 2 yr (means ± SD), 9 males] completed two 5-day blocks of seven BFRRE sessions, separated by 10 days. Four sets of unilateral knee extensions to failure at 20% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) were performed. Muscle samples obtained before, 1 h after the first session in the first and second block (

Core (XUV/VUV) and boundary (UV/vis/IR) plasma spectroscopy in fusion devices

2021

This contribution describes the basic applications of passive optical emission spectroscopy in the visible and far-UV region of electromagnetic radiation to diagnostics of the magnetic confinement fusion plasma. To simplify and condense the broad topic it presents the most common ways of analyzing the spectra of atoms, ions and molecules in fusion plasma and disseminating results of those analysis to the non-spectroscopists. It provides the reasons for choosing some particular regions, elements and charge states to determine the impurity content and plasma-surface interactions in MCF (Magnetic Confinement Fusion) reactor. Examples used in the contribution are predominantly from measurements…

Beyond habituation to human presence

2021

Gut-microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles: Overlooked mediators in host–helminth interactions?

2021

Helminth infections impact the composition of the mammalian gut microbiota; however, the mechanisms underpinning these interactions are, thus far, unknown. In this article, we propose that microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles might represent key players in host-helminth-microbiome crosstalk, and outline future directions to elucidate their role(s) in host-parasite relationships.

Transparency-by-design: What is the role of open data portals?

2021

Abstract Transparency in the public sector is one of the most important topics of the current debates on accountable, participatory, and responsive governance. An open government addresses these major topics and aims to encourage the relationships and flows of information between involved stakeholders. This article explores the role of open data portals in supporting these efforts and provides findings regarding the features in the design of these data infrastructures. On the basis of evidence from the concept of transparency-by-design, we argue that transparency is facilitated by open data portals and their features enabling to work with datasets. We therefore propose the list of the categ…

I luoghi dove realizzare il “nuovo individualismo” di John Dewey: il ruolo del metodo scientifico e della pratica educativa del riconoscimento

2021

This contribution aims to reflect on the concept of individualism as presented by John Dewey who used this word to indicate the unique and unrepeatable part of man, differentiating the “old individualism” from the “new individualism”. Taking into consideration the Deweyan theories of the first half of the twentieth century, with particular reference to the 1930 writing The Individualism Old and New, it is noted that Dewey criticized the existence of an “old individualism” intended as an emblem of egocentrism and of asociality, the causes of which were traceable to the advent of industrialization, social stratification and capitalism. According to him, these were people without a solid ident…

Isolation and characterisation of tangerin-derived extracellular vesicles

2021

Reconnoitering the Role of Long-Noncoding RNAs in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Descriptive Review

2021

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common form of hereditary cardiomyopathy. It is characterized by an unexplained non-dilated hypertrophy of the left ventricle with a conserved or elevated ejection fraction. It is a genetically heterogeneous disease largely caused by variants of genes encoding for cardiac sarcomere proteins, including MYH7, MYBPC3, ACTC1, TPM1, MYL2, MYL3, TNNI3, and TNNT23. Preclinical evidence indicates that the enhanced calcium sensitivity of the myofilaments plays a key role in the pathophysiology of HCM. Notably, this is not always a direct consequence of sarcomeric variations but may also result from secondary mutation-driven alterations. Long non-coding R…

Metagenomic Survey of the Highly Polyphagous Anastrepha ludens Developing in Ancestral and Exotic Hosts Reveals the Lack of a Stable Microbiota in La…

2021

We studied the microbiota of a highly polyphagous insect, Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae), developing in six of its hosts, including two ancestral (Casimiroa edulis and C. greggii), three exotic (Mangifera indica cv. Ataulfo, Prunus persica cv. Criollo, and Citrus x aurantium) and one occasional host (Capsicum pubescens cv. Manzano), that is only used when extreme drought conditions limit fruiting by the common hosts. One of the exotic hosts (“criollo” peach) is rife with polyphenols and the occasional host with capsaicinoids exerting high fitness costs on the larvae. We pursued the following questions: (1) How is the microbial composition of the larval food related to the composit…

Seismotectonic implications of the south chile ridge subduction beneath the patagonian andes

2021

International audience; The South Chile ridge (SCR) intersects the Patagonian trench around 46° 09’S, forming the triple junction among the Antarctic, Nazca, and South America plates. Subduction of the SCR since ~18 Ma produced the opening of a slab window beneath Patagonia and a noticeable magmatic gap in the cordillera, profuse volcanism, and topographic uplift in the retroarc. To study seismicity distribution and present‐day stress resulting from this particular framework, we analyze databases of seismic events and earthquake focal mechanisms. Our study finds that clusters of intraplate crustal seismic events are disrupted by a ~450‐470 km seismicity gap above the slab window. Calculated…

Performing Sacral Spaces – Spatializing Sacral Performance

2021

Abstract Spaces are closely connected with actions. By implementing an artistic-phenomenological approach, the existing interplay between sacral space and performance (highlighted bodily actions) can be found in the idea of cultural performance, which integrates the interdependance of movement and lively space, the origin of one in another. As space is something in motion, something that is created, in sacral spaces human beings experience an impact of space on the body and vice versa the eThects of movement creating space. Performing „Artists in Church“ encounter a space characterized by actions generating knowledge and "nally intermediate: the idea of transformation, geometry, places, abs…

Consequence of Histoincompatibility beyond GvH-Reaction in Cytomegalovirus Disease Associated with Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Cha…

2021

Hematopoietic cell (HC) transplantation (HCT) is the last resort to cure hematopoietic malignancies that are refractory to standard therapies. Hematoablative treatment aims at wiping out tumor cells as completely as possible to avoid leukemia/lymphoma relapse. This treatment inevitably co-depletes cells of hematopoietic cell lineages, including differentiated cells that constitute the immune system. HCT reconstitutes hematopoiesis and thus, eventually, also antiviral effector cells. In cases of an unrelated donor, that is, in allogeneic HCT, HLA-matching is performed to minimize the risk of graft-versus-host reaction and disease (GvHR/D), but a mismatch in minor histocompatibility antigens …

Failure Load and Collapse Mode of an RC Beam in a Large Collapsed Roof

2021

The present work focused on the determination of the collapse load and of the failure mode of a collapsed framed structure constructed in the South of Italy and failed in 2004 under its self-weight. Information available was the results on extensive experimental test campaign, for the determination of mechanical properties of concrete and steel bars of beams, floors and columns involved in the failure. Moreover, draws of original design with construction details and design rules valid in Italy at the time of construction were found. A simple monodimensional beam model for prediction of load-deflection curve, able to include degradation of constituent materials (concrete, steel and bond) was…

Bacitracin and Rutin Regulate Tissue Factor Production in Inflammatory Monocytes and Acute Myeloid Leukemia Blasts

2021

Simple Summary Aberrant tissue factor (TF) expression by transformed myeloblasts and inflammatory monocytes contributes to coagulation activation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). TF procoagulant activity (PCA) is regulated by protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), an oxidoreductase with chaperone activity, but its specific role in AML-associated TF biology is unclear. Here, we provide novel mechanistic insights into this interrelation. We show that bacitracin and rutin, two pan-inhibitors of the PDI family, prevent lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced monocyte TF production under inflammatory conditions and constitutive TF expression by THP1 cells and AML blasts, thus exerting promising anticoagula…

Improved Vcs determination using precise lattice QCD form factors for D → Kℓν

2021

We provide a 0.8%-accurate determination of \ud V\ud c\ud s\ud from combining experimental results for the differential rate of \ud D\ud →\ud K\ud semileptonic decays with precise form factors that we determine from lattice QCD. This is the first time that \ud V\ud c\ud s\ud has been determined with an accuracy that allows its difference from 1 to be seen. Our lattice QCD calculation uses the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action for all valence quarks on gluon field configurations generated by the MILC collaboration that include the effect of \ud u\ud , \ud d\ud , \ud s\ud and \ud c\ud HISQ quarks in the sea. We use eight gluon field ensembles with five values of the lattice spacin…

Special Issue "Historical and Current Diversity Patterns of Mediterranean Marine Species"

2021

The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin that experienced different natural and anthropogenic phenomena, which produced biological diversity changes over time. The Mediterranean Sea has been through dramatic changes in its biota over the last 6 million years, and more rapidly in the past century. All the events left a footprint on the gene pool of marine species, on their morpho-physiological traits, and on the loss or expansion of the geographical range extent. Nowadays, the Mediterranean is changing its physical and ecological features. The changes in its environmental conditions are followed by changes in species composition, of which most of the heritage has been stored and preser…

Electromembrane Processes: Experiments and Modelling

2021

The increasing demand for water and energy poses technological challenges to the implementation of efficient concepts for a sustainable development. In this perspective, electromembrane processes (EMPs) can play a crucial role in green chemistry schemes oriented towards circular economy approaches and renewable energy systems. EMPs are based on the use of ion-exchange membranes under the action of an electric field. Versatility, selectivity, high recovery, and chemical-free operations are their main strengths. Experimental campaigns and modelling tools are prompting the improvement of consolidated processes and the development of novel concepts. Several application fields have been proposed…

Atti del convegno: X Incontro Annuale dei Giovani Ingegneri Geotecnici

2021

Questo volume raccoglie gli atti della decima edizione dell’Incontro Annuale dei Giovani Ingegneri Geotecnici, tenutosi a Pisa il 3 e 4 settembre 2021. IAGIG è un’iniziativa dell'Associazione Geotecnica Italiana (AGI) che vuole promuovere tra i suoi Giovani Soci la discussione di argomenti di Ingegneria Geotecnica con riferimento alla pratica professionale ed alle innovazioni proposte dalla ricerca. L'iniziativa è stata pensata, quindi, per coinvolgere liberi professionisti, dipendenti di enti pubblici o di imprese, giovani imprenditori del settore, neo-laureati, giovani ricercatori. Il volume raccoglie 60 contributi, divisi in quattro sessioni: modellazione numerica e fisica dei terreni e …

Prosodic modulation as a mark to express pragmatic values: The case of mitigation in Spanish

2021

Abstract One of the functions of prosody in discourse is to convey pragmatic values that add up to the core semantic meaning of spoken units or segments. Regarding mitigation, Caffi (1999: 890) specifically discusses “the very important prosodic and kinesic means of mitigation, such as changes in pitch prominence, rhythm, speech rate, as well as eye-contact, gaze, gaze aversion, smile, particular postures, etc.” In this paper, I focus on some prosodic factors such as pitch, intensity, duration and speech rate that can be used in European Spanish, in combination with pragmatic meanings. The first aim is to establish a theoretical deliberation on prosody as a clear marker to convey pragmatic …

Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Solar and Stellar Flares: A Review of Underpinning Physical Mechanisms and Their Predicted Observational Signatures

2021

The phenomenon of quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in solar and stellar flares has been known for over 50 years and significant progress has been made in this research area. It has become clear that QPPs are not rare—they are found in many flares and, therefore, robust flare models should reproduce their properties in a natural way. At least fifteen mechanisms/models have been developed to explain QPPs in solar flares, which mainly assume the presence of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillations in coronal structures (magnetic loops and current sheets) or quasi-periodic regimes of magnetic reconnection. We review the most important and interesting results on flare QPPs, with an emphasis on the…

Inflammatory and immunological profile in COPD secondary to organic dust exposure.

2021

Inflammatory response in patients with COPD secondary to organic dust exposure (OD-COPD) is poorly understood. We therefore aimed to characterize inflammatory and immune profile from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in a group of patients with mild-to-moderate COPD secondary to organic dust exposure (OD-COPD), tobacco smoking (T-COPD), or both. We compared T, B and NK cells distribution and inflammatory (TNF-α, Il-1β, IL-6), type 1 (IFN-γ), type 2 (IL-4, IL-13) and type 3 (IL-17) immunity related cytokines at baseline, and after stimulation with LPS, flagellin and CD3/CD28 beads in all COPD groups. OD-COPD displayed significantly lower NK cells and CD8+ T cells compared with contro…

Moisture ingress in photovoltaic modules: A review

2021

Abstract Moisture ingress in photovoltaic (PV) modules is the core of most degradation mechanisms that lead to PV module power degradation. Moisture in EVA encapsulant can lead to metal grids corrosion, delamination and discolouration of encapsulants, potential induced degradation, optical and adhesion losses. The present work is a review of literature on the causes, effects, detection, and mitigation techniques of moisture ingress in PV modules. Literature highlights on determining the diffusivity, solubility, and permeability of polymeric components of PV modules via water vapour transmission rate tests, gravimetric, and immersion methods, have been presented. Electroluminescence, photolu…

Untargeted metabolomics of rind essential oils allowed to differentiate two closely related clementine varieties

2021

[EN] Chemical characterization of clementine varieties (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan.) essential oils (EO) can lead to variety identification and valorization of their potential use in food and aroma industries. The goal of this study was the chemometric discrimination between two very closely related and morphologically identical clementine varieties, Clemenules (NL) and Clemenpons (PO), based on their rind EO, to identify the differential volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and to determine their antioxidant capacity. EO rind volatile profile was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in Citrus fruit at different ripening stages grown two independent years in two di…

Dolci simboli

2021

Se risulta impossibile pensare che un cannolo preparato a Palermo sia anche soltanto simile a uno americano o svedese (sic), tutte queste versioni hanno qualcosa in comune. Come nei miti studiati da Lévi-Strauss, tanto più evidente è il tradimento di ogni traduzione quanto più chiara risulta la presenza di una struttura comune, una dimensione profonda a cui non possiamo non imputare questa straordinaria efficacia. Quello che faremo in questo saggio sarà allora utilizzare i dolci siciliani per riflettere sui simboli, su cosa siano ma soprattutto su come si costruiscano, dunque su quel modo simbolico che è stato sempre il convitato di pietra di ogni discorso semiotico, ma anche il punto di pa…

PROBLEMS OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS IN PALEOPATHOLOGY

2021

This work discusses on the problems of the differential diagnosis in paleopathology, describing one case of intense modification observed in a skeletal sample from the archaelogical site of Baucina (Sicily, VI century BCE). Difficulties in this setting originate mainly from the aspecificity or absence of pathological markers on ancient bones and confounding features arising from clinical phenocopies or taphonomic artifacts. On the base of an in-depth morphological analysis of the find, with aid of CT scan imaging and wide revision of the medical and paleopathological literature, we arrived to a convincing diagnosis.

Robotic transanal total mesorectal excision: Is the future now?

2021

Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard surgical treatment for the curative radical resection of rectal cancers. Minimally invasive TME has been gaining ground favored by the continuous technological advancements. New procedures, such as transanal TME (TaTME), have been introduced to overcome some technical limitations, especially in low rectal tumors, obese patients, and/or narrow pelvis. The earliest TaTME reports showed promising results when compared with the conventional laparoscopic TME. However, recent publications raised concerns regarding the high rates of anastomotic leaks or local recurrences observed in national series. Robotic TaTME (R-TaTME) has been proposed as a nove…

Influence of brushing with natural dentifrices on color change : in vitro study

2021

Background To evaluate in vitro the influence of daily brushing with the use of natural toothpastes on the color change of enamel in bovine teeth. Material and Methods Four dentifrices were used, one conventional Colgate Total 12 - Clean Mint (G1), and three natural, Contented Toothpaste with Organic and Natural Ingredients (G2); Dental Toothpaste (G3) and Aliv-Gaia Toothpaste (G4). Eighty bovine teeth were distributed in four experimental groups with 20 teeth each (n = 20). The buccal enamel surface of the teeth was subjected to brushing, with the related dentifrices of each group, for 2.13 seconds three times a day, with an electric brush Oral B 5000 Professional Care. Before and after br…

Antimicrobial Activity, in silico Molecular Docking, ADMET and DFT Analysis of Secondary Metabolites from Roots of Three Ethiopian Medicinal Plants

2021

Mathewos Anza,1 Milkyas Endale,1 Luz Cardona,2 Diego Cortes,3 Rajalakshmanan Eswaramoorthy,1 Jesus Zueco,4 Hortensia Rico,4 Maria Trelis,5 Belen Abarca2 1Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia; 2Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; 3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; 4Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; 5Parasites and Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy…

The macroeconomic effects of electricity-sector privatization

2021

Abstract We examine the macroeconomic effects of privatizing the ownership structure of the electricity market, using a novel indicator of privatization which covers 90 advanced, emerging market, and developing economies, since 1974. Privatization reforms, on average, improve outcomes in the provision of electricity and have positive macroeconomic effects: output and employment increase in the years following electricity-sector privatization reforms. Reforms are also associated also with an increase in income inequality, but the effects are small, on average. These impacts vary according to the business cycle, quality of institutions, and a country's development status, with macroeconomic a…

Frailty and Sarcopenia in Acute‐on‐Chronic Liver Failure

2021

In patients with cirrhosis, sarcopenia is a critical reduction in skeletal muscle mass and frailty represents a status of global physical dysfunction caused by under nutrition, muscle wasting, and functional impairment. Both are prevalent conditions in liver transplant candidates and have shown to be independent predictors of adverse outcome. Evidence supports their incorporation into clinical practice both as a prognostic factor guiding clinical decision making and as a tool to identify candidates for physical and nutritional interventions. The wide heterogeneity of instruments used for sarcopenia and frailty measurement, the absence of a single suitable instrument for sarcopenia and frail…

¿El sexismo y la autoestima sexual guardan relación? Análisis de las diferencias de género

2021

Las creencias sexistas se originan ante la percepción de diferencias entre hombres y mujeres respecto a características biológicas y sociales. Se trata de un constructo bidimensional compuesto por el sexismo hostil, que implica actitudes abiertamente negativas hacia las mujeres, y el sexismo benévolo, que se caracteriza por un tono afectivo positivo que idealiza a las mujeres al tiempo que enfatiza su debilidad. Ambos tipos de sexismo son perjudiciales y contribuyen a mantener las desigualdades sociales, por lo que es necesario conocer aquellas variables que pueden estar relacionadas con este tipo de actitudes. En este sentido, la autoestima sexual parece actuar como una variable predictora…

Redesign of the Geometry of Parts Produced from PBT Composite to Improve Their Operational Behavior

2021

Parts produced from PBT-GF30 (70% polybutylene terephthalate +30% fiberglass) are very often used in car construction, due to the properties of this material. The current trend is to make parts with a shape designed to be as complex as possible, to take over many functions in operation. During the research, a part that is a component of the structure of car safety systems, and that must be completely reliable in operation, was analyzed. This piece has a complex shape that involves the intersection of several walls. Thus, the research aimed at establishing the optimal radius of connection between the walls (R), the ratio between the thickness of the intersecting walls (K) and the angle of in…

The Assessment of Serum Concentrations of AGEs and Their Soluble Receptor (sRAGE) in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

2021

Background: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of the study was to determine serum concentrations of AGEs and their soluble receptor (sRAGE) in MS patients and healthy controls and to investigate their possible influence on disease activity. Methods: Serum concentrations of AGE and sRAGE in patients with MS and healthy controls were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The mean serum AGE concentration in patients with MS was higher than in healthy controls, whereas the mean serum sRAGE concentration was lower than in the control gr…