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Historians have now commonly acknowledged how the photographic atlas, in its many forms – perhaps the most celebrated being Aby Warbug’s Atlas Mnemosyne – had been employed in Germany during the years of the Weimar Republic as an extraordinary epistemological device to conduct historical, political, psychological and more broadly culturological investigations. And yet, some declinations of the device-atlas still remain singularly unstudied. This is the case with Das Frauengesicht der Gegenwart (The Face of the Women of the Present). The subject of the proposed contribution. Published in 1930 by the art historian Lothar Brieger, shortly before racial laws forced him to leave Germany, this photographic book (71 pages out of 135 are photographic plates) was realized with the aim of celebrating female self-affirmation against the conservative tendencies that were beginning to spread in the ascendant National Socialist society, constituting perhaps the most intense, and the last, representation of the Neue Frau in the German context. In the article, a dual perspective will be adopted. On the one hand, Brieger’s thought will be analyzed in dialogue with the main theories of photography of his time (above all, that of his friend Walter Benjamin, whose wife, Dora Kellner, is included in the portraits). On the other hand, the photographs in the book themselves will also be considered separately from their theoretical framework, investigating the view of the “modern woman” proposed by their material authors, the – long forgotten – female photographers Nini and Carry Hess.

Abstract Stress affects the brain and alters its neuroarchitecture and function; these changes can be severe and lead to psychiatric disorders. Recent evidence suggests that astrocytes and microglia play an essential role in the stress response by contributing to the maintenance of cerebral homeostasis. These cells respond rapidly to all stimuli that reach the brain, including stressors. Here, we used a recently validated rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder in which rats can be categorized as resilient or vulnerable after acute inescapable footshock stress. We then investigated the functional, molecular, and morphological determinants of stress resilience and vulnerability in the prefrontal cortex, focusing on glial and neuronal cells. In addition, we examined the effects of a single subanesthetic dose of ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant recently approved for the treatment of resistant depression and proposed for other stress-related psychiatric disorders. The present results suggest a prompt glial cell response and activation of the NF-κB pathway after acute stress, leading to an increase in specific cytokines such as IL-18 and TNF-α. This response persists in vulnerable individuals and is accompanied by a significant change in the levels of critical glial proteins such as S100B, CD11b, and CX43, brain trophic factors such as BDNF and FGF2, and proteins related to dendritic arborization and synaptic architecture such as MAP2 and PSD95. Administration of ketamine 24 h after the acute stress event rescued many of the changes observed in vulnerable rats, possibly contributing to support brain homeostasis. Overall, our results suggest that pivotal events, including reactive astrogliosis, changes in brain trophic factors, and neuronal damage are critical determinants of vulnerability to acute traumatic stress and confirm the therapeutic effect of acute ketamine against the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Abstract Effector proteins in Phakopsora pachyrhizi (Pp), the causative agent of Asian Soybean rust, are involved in the infection process. A previous study identified a rust effector Egh16-like family based expression profile during the interaction with soybean. Herein, we scrutinized available the Pp genomes to validate the predicted Egh16-like family of Pp and identify new family members. We described 22 members of the Egh16-like gene family in the Pp MT2006 genome and 18 in the UFV02 and K8108 genomes, highlighting a family expansion. Family members have a small signal peptide, conserved cysteine-rich R/Y/FxC motifs in the C-terminal region, and a virulence-related Egh16-like domain and were able to suppress PTI related responses in Benthamiana. Phylogenetic analysis placed the family members into eight clusters, with members induced during the early stages of rust infection. Members of clusters VI and VII are present in different copy numbers in Pp genomes and suppressed PAMP-related responses.

Background: We previously demonstrated that the human amniotic fluid (hAF) from II trimester of gestation is a feasible source of stromal progenitors (human amniotic fluid stem cells, hAFSC), with significant paracrine potential for regenerative medicine. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) separated and concentrated from hAFSC secretome can deliver pro-survival, proliferative, anti-fibrotic and cardioprotective effects in preclinical models of skeletal and cardiac muscle injury. While hAFSC-EVs isolation can be significantly influenced by in vitro cell culture, here we profiled EVs directly concentrated from hAF as an alternative option and investigated their paracrine potential against oxidative stress. Methods: II trimester hAF samples were obtained as leftover material from prenatal diagnostic amniocentesis following written informed consent. EVs were separated by size exclusion chromatography and concentrated by ultracentrifugation. hAF-EVs were assessed by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Western Blot, and flow cytometry; their metabolic activity was evaluated by oximetric and luminometric analyses and their cargo profiled by proteomics and RNA sequencing. hAF-EV paracrine potential was tested in preclinical in vitro models of oxidative stress and dysfunction on murine C2C12 cells and on 3D human cardiac microtissue. Results: Our protocol resulted in a yield of 6.31 ± 0.98 × 109 EVs particles per hAF milliliter showing round cup-shaped morphology and 209.63 ± 6.10 nm average size, with relevant expression of CD81, CD63 and CD9 tetraspanin markers. hAF-EVs were enriched in CD133/1, CD326, CD24, CD29, and SSEA4 and able to produce ATP by oxygen consumption. While oxidative stress significantly reduced C2C12 survival, hAF-EV priming resulted in significant rescue of cell viability, with notable recovery of ATP synthesis and concomitant reduction of cell damage and lipid peroxidation activity. 3D human cardiac microtissues treated with hAF-EVs and experiencing H2O2 stress and TGFβ stimulation showed improved survival with a remarkable decrease in the onset of fibrosis. Conclusions: Our results suggest that leftover samples of II trimester human amniotic fluid can represent a feasible source of EVs to counteract oxidative damage on target cells, thus offering a novel candidate therapeutic option to counteract skeletal and cardiac muscle injury.

In recent years micro- and nanoplastics and metal-oxide nanomaterials have been found in several environmental compartments. The Antarctic soft clam Laternula elliptica is an endemic Antarctic species having a wide distribution in the Southern Ocean. Being a filter-feeder, it could act as suitable bioindicator of pollution from nanoparticles also considering its sensitivity to various sources of stress. The present study aims to assess the impact of polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NP) and the nanometal titanium-dioxide (n-TiO2) on genome-wide transcript expression of L. elliptica either alone and in combination and at two toxicological relevant concentrations (5 and 50 µg/L) during 96 h exposure. Transcript-target qRT-PCR was performed with the aim to identify suitable biomarkers of exposure and effects. As expected, at the highest concentration tested, the clustering was clearer between control and exposed clams. A total of 221 genes resulted differentially expressed in exposed clams and control ones, and 21 of them had functional annotation such as ribosomal proteins, antioxidant, ion transport (osmoregulation), acid-base balance, immunity, lipid metabolism, cell adhesion, cytoskeleton, apoptosis, chromatin condensation and cell signaling. At functional level, relevant transcripts were shared among some treatments and could be considered as general stress due to nanoparticle exposure. After applying transcript-target approach duplicating the number of clam samples, four ecologically relevant transcripts were revealed as biomarkers for PS-NP, n-TiO2 and their combination at 50 µg/L, that could be used for monitoring clams’ health status in different Antarctic localities.

We report a case of simultaneous transcatheter aortic valve replacement and endovascular aneurysm repair. Our aim was to advocate the role of local and regional anesthesia as a key contributor in maintaining hemodynamic stability and avoiding abrupt blood pressure change. Endovascular combined procedures are gaining popularity for their numerous advantages. Nevertheless, they carry significant risks for their hemodynamic implications. It is imperative to acknowledge the modifications occurring after each correction and act accordingly. Different anesthesia approaches can dramatically influence hemodynamics; among all, we found local and regional anesthesia would better serve this objective.

In this work we study the change on the wettability and solid properties of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH101)after it was wet and dried, through drop penetration experiments in slightly compacted porous beds. We perform these experiments with water and a silicone oil, (Polidimethilsyloxane–PDMS) and we determine a dimensionless parameter that takes into account all the water penetration factors, including wettability and swelling. We consider three different scenarios, original MCC, and after one and two wetting and drying cycles. For each case we study the particle size effects by considering two subset samples SiA)25

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) may be involved in the pathogenesis of acute renal failure. This study investigated the expression of p-p38 MAPK and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) in the renal cortex of rats treated with gentamicin. Twenty rats were injected with gentamicin, 40 mg/kg, im, twice a day for 9 days, 20 with gentamicin + pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, an NF-kappaB inhibitor), 14 with 0.15 M NaCl, im, twice a day for 9 days, and 14 with 0.15 M NaCl , im, twice a day for 9 days and PDTC, 50 mg kg-1 day-1, ip, twice a day for 15 days. The animals were killed 5 and 30 days after the last of the injections and the kidneys were removed for histological, immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis and for nitrate determination. The results of the immunohistochemical study were evaluated by counting the p-p38 MAPK-positive cells per area of renal cortex measuring 0.05 mm². Creatinine was measured by the Jaffé method in blood samples collected 5 and 30 days after the end of the treatments. Gentamicin-treated rats presented a transitory increase in plasma creatinine levels. In addition, animals killed 5 days after the end of gentamicin treatment presented acute tubular necrosis and increased nitrate levels in the renal cortex. Increased expression of p-p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB was also observed in the kidneys from these animals. The animals killed 30 days after gentamicin treatment showed residual areas of interstitial fibrosis in the renal cortex, although the expression of p-p38 MAPK in their kidneys did not differ from control. Treatment with PDTC reduced the functional and structural changes induced by gentamicin as well as the expression of p-p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB. The increased expression of p-p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB observed in these rats suggests that these signaling molecules may be involved in the pathogenesis of tubulointerstitial nephritis induced by gentamicin.

Summary: Background: The proper management of suspicious radiologic findings is crucial to optimize the effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening trials. In the BioMILD study, we evaluated the utility of combining a plasma 24-microRNA signature classifier (MSC) and LDCT to define the individual risk and personalize screening strategies. Here we aim to assess the utility of repeated MSC testing during annual screening rounds in 1024 participants with suspicious LDCT findings. Methods: The primary outcome was two-year lung cancer incidence in relation to MSC test results, reported as relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Lung cancer incidence and mortality were estimated using extended Cox models for time-dependent covariates, yielding the respective hazard ratios (HR). Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02247453. Findings: With a median follow-up of 8.5 years, the full study set included 1403 indeterminate LDCT (CTind) and 584 positive LDCT (CT+) results. A lung cancer RR increase in MSC+ compared to MSC- participants was observed in both the CTind (RR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.4–4.32) and CT+ (RR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.81–3.74) groups and was maintained when considering stage I or resectable tumors only. A 98% negative predictive value in CTind/MSC− and a 30% positive predictive value in CT+/MSC+ lesions were recorded. At seven years’ follow-up, MSC+ participants had a cumulative HR of 4.4 (95% CI: 3.0–6.4) for lung cancer incidence and of 8.1 (95% CI: 2.7–24.5) for lung cancer mortality. Interpretation: Our study shows that MSC can be reliably performed during LDCT screening rounds to increase the accuracy of lung cancer risk and mortality prediction and supports its clinical utility in the management of LDCT findings of uncertain malignancy. Funding: Italian Association for Cancer Research; Italian Ministry of Health; Horizon2020; National Cancer Institute (NCI); Gensignia LifeScience.

Os organizadores do presente número da Revista Brasileira de Literatura Comparada entrevistam Danieli Christovão Balbi, Licenciada em Letras e mestre e doutora pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Literatura da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Primeira professora transexual da Escola de Comunicação e Artes da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Danieli Balbi fala de sua formação, de sua trajetória acadêmica, de seus atuais interesses de pesquisa e de seus vínculos com os debates transfeministas dentro e fora da universidade.

Summary: Neuromodulation can facilitate interactions between neurons to rescue impaired brain function after stroke. Here, we present a protocol for measuring putative monosynaptic connections between different cortical regions. We detail procedures for tetrode fabrication, implantation surgery, stroke induction in mice, multi-site in vivo electrophysiological recording, units clustering, principal neuron/interneuron classification, and functional connection analysis. This protocol allows us to understand the mechanisms of stroke recovery.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wang et al.1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Introduction: India bears a high burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Thyroid Dysfunction (TD). Though the coexistence of T2DM and TD has been evaluated, such studies from the perspective of metropolitan cities, including Mumbai, are lacking. Aim: To assess the prevalence of TD in patients with T2DM and to evaluate the association of TD with glycaemic control, duration, and complications of T2DM. Materials and Methods: The present observational cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of General Medicine, The Grant Government Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, from January 2016 to December 2017. The study involved 220 diagnosed patients with T2DM, of either gender, aged 18 years or more. All patients were evaluated for TD by performing thyroid profile {T3, T4 and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)}. The association of TD prevalence with age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), duration of T2DM, Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c), and complications was assessed. The qualitative and quantitative parameters were compared with Chi-square and independent sample t-test, respectively, with a p-value

Los niños, niñas y adolescentes con diabetes mellitus (DM) pueden requerir una cirugía durante su evolución. Estas recomendaciones están orientadas a definir los cambios necesarios en el esquema de insulina y monitoreo de glucosa antes, durante y después de la cirugía. Para ello, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica de las publicaciones en el tema de los últimos 5 años y se seleccionaron aquellas más relevantes. Las distintas publicaciones sugieren, ante la necesidad de una cirugía menor electiva, mantener el esquema de insulina basal o el perfil basal si el paciente utiliza una bomba de insulina, mantener la glucemia entre 90-180 mg%, controlarla de manera frecuente cada 30 minutos y, de ser necesario, realizar las correcciones con insulina rápida subcutánea. En caso de una cirugía mayor electiva, administrar insulina por infusión endovenosa, suspendiendo la bomba si el paciente la utiliza, mantener el objetivo y el monitoreo glucémico al igual que en la cirugía menor.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There have been numerous reports of neurologic manifestations identified in hospitalized patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Here, we identify the spectrum of associated neurologic symptoms and diagnoses, define the time course of their development, and examine readmission rates and mortality risk posthospitalization in a multiethnic urban cohort. METHODS: We identify the occurrence of new neurologic diagnoses among patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in New York City. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 532 cases (hospitalized patients with new neurologic diagnoses within 6 weeks of positive SARS-CoV-2 laboratory results between March 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020). We compare demographic and clinical features of the 532 cases with 532 controls (hospitalized COVID-19 patients without neurologic diagnoses) in a case-control study with one-to-one matching and examine hospital-related data and outcomes of death and readmission up to 6 months after acute hospitalization in a secondary case-only analysis. RESULTS: Among the 532 cases, the most common new neurologic diagnoses included encephalopathy (478, 89.8%), stroke (66, 12.4%), and seizures (38, 7.1%). In the case-control study, cases were more likely than controls to be male (58.6% vs 52.8%, p = 0.05), had baseline neurologic comorbidities (36.3% vs 13.0%, p < 0.0001), and were to be treated in an intensive care unit (62.0% vs 9.6%, p < 0.0001). Of the 394 (74.1%) cases who survived acute hospitalization, more than half (220 of 394, 55.8%) were readmitted within 6 months, with a mortality rate of 23.2% during readmission. DISCUSSION: Hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 and new neurologic diagnoses have significant morbidity and mortality postdischarge. Further research is needed to define the effect of neurologic diagnoses during acute hospitalization on longitudinal post-COVID-19-related symptoms including neurocognitive impairment.

Despite the fact that new media are continually seen as “natural born killers” of old media, old media rarely die and very often persist. In what is alternately called the “age of the Internet,” the “digital revolution,” the “metaverse,” the era of “artificial intelligence,” old media such as books, cinema, radio, television, analogue photography, and several others are still in use. Moreover, there is a kind of re-emergence of “the analogue” in various forms and for different incentives, including nostalgia. This Thematic Section is the outcome of an intellectual journey that the five editors undertook first separately and then combined. The occasion for bringing together prior interests and combining theoretical and empirical understandings of the reasons why and the different modes how media persist over time was facilitated by the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) virtual post-conference (co-)organized jointly by three ECREA sections in September 2021: the Communication History section together with the sections of Radio and Sound, as well as Television Studies. It is no coincidence that these three sections are concerned with old media, which seem to decline but apparently also do persist, as those are the sections dealing with the mediated relationship of the old and the new, the past and the present such as the viewing and screening practices of television, transformation of sonic environment from radio toward podcast, and in general old media remediating into new ones.

Abstract Introduction Seasonal influenza A (H3N2) virus is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the last 50 years in population that is greater than the impact of H1N1. Data assessing immunogenicity and safety of this virus component in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is lacking in the literature. Objective To evaluate short-term immunogenicity and safety of influenza A/Singapore (H3N2) vaccine in JSLE. Methods 24 consecutive JSLE patients and 29 healthy controls (HC) were vaccinated with influenza A/Singapore/INFIMH-16-0019/2016(H3N2)-like virus. Influenza A (H3N2) seroprotection (SP), seroconversion (SC), geometric mean titers (GMT), factor increase in GMT (FI-GMT) titers were assessed before and 4 weeks post-vaccination. Disease activity, therapies and adverse events (AE) were also evaluated. Results JSLE patients and controls were comparable in current age [14.5 (10.1–18.3) vs. 14 (9–18.4) years, p = 0.448] and female sex [21 (87.5%) vs. 19 (65.5%), p = 0.108]. Before vaccination, JSLE and HC had comparable SP rates [22 (91.7%) vs. 25 (86.2%), p = 0.678] and GMT titers [102.3 (95% CI 75.0–139.4) vs. 109.6 (95% CI 68.2–176.2), p = 0.231]. At D30, JSLE and HC had similar immune response, since no differences were observed in SP [24 (100%) vs. 28 (96.6%), p = 1.000)], SC [4 (16.7%) vs. 9 (31.0%), p = 0.338), GMT [162.3 (132.9–198.3) vs. 208.1 (150.5–287.8), p = 0.143] and factor increase in GMT [1.6 (1.2–2.1) vs. 1.9 (1.4–2.5), p = 0.574]. SLEDAI-2K scores [2 (0–17) vs. 2 (0–17), p = 0.765] and therapies remained stable throughout the study. Further analysis of possible factors influencing vaccine immune response among JSLE patients demonstrated similar GMT between patients with SLEDAI 0.05). Conclusion This is the first study that identified adequate immune protection against H3N2-influenza strain with additional vaccine-induced increment of immune response and an adequate safety profile in JSLE. ( www.clinicaltrials.gov , NCT03540823).

Ecological intensification has been embraced with great interest by the academic sector but is still rarely taken up by farmers because monitoring the state of different ecological functions is not straightforward. Modelling tools can represent a more accessible alternative of measuring ecological functions, which could help promote their use amongst farmers and other decision-makers. In the case of crop pollination, modelling has traditionally followed either a mechanistic or a data-driven approach. Mechanistic models simulate the habitat preferences and foraging behaviour of pollinators, while data-driven models associate georeferenced variables with real observations. Here, we test these two approaches to predict pollination supply and validate these predictions using data from a newly released global dataset on pollinator visitation rates to different crops. We use one of the most extensively used models for the mechanistic approach, while for the data-driven approach, we select from among a comprehensive set of state-of-the-art machine-learning models. Moreover, we explore a mixed approach, where data-derived inputs, rather than expert assessment, inform the mechanistic model. We find that, at a global scale, machine-learning models work best, offering a rank correlation coefficient between predictions and observations of pollinator visitation rates of 0.56. In turn, the mechanistic model works moderately well at a global scale for wild bees other than bumblebees. Biomes characterized by temperate or Mediterranean forests show a better agreement between mechanistic model predictions and observations, probably due to more comprehensive ecological knowledge and therefore better parameterization of input variables for these biomes. This study highlights the challenges of transferring input variables across multiple biomes, as expected given the different composition of species in different biomes. Our results provide clear guidance on which pollination supply models perform best at different spatial scales – the first step towards bridging the stakeholder–academia gap in modelling ecosystem service delivery under ecological intensification.

A common method for delineating urban and suburban boundaries is to identify clusters of spatial units that are highly interconnected in a network of mobility flows, each cluster signaling a cohesive economic submarket. It is critical that the methods employed for this task are principled and free of unnecessary tunable parameters to avoid unwanted inductive biases while remaining scalable for high-resolution mobility data. Here, we systematically assess the benefits and limitations of a wide array of stochastic block models (SBMs)—a family of principled, nonparametric models for identifying clusters in networks—for regionalization with mobility data. We find that the data compression capability and relative performance of different SBM variants heavily depend on the spatial extent of the mobility network, its aggregation scale, and the method used for weighting network edges. By constructing a measure to assess the degree to which a network partition violates spatial contiguity, we find that traditional SBMs may produce substantial spatial discontiguities that require extensive postprocessing to make them suitable for regionalization. We propose a fast nonparametric agglomerative algorithm to alleviate this issue, achieving data compression close to that of unconstrained SBM models while ensuring spatial contiguity, benefiting from a deterministic optimization procedure, and being generalizable to wide range of community detection objective functions.