Mathematical images in advertising: constructing difference and shaping identity, in global consumer culture

Mathematics educators have long emphasised the importance of attitudes and feelings towards mathematics, as crucial in motivating (or not) its learning and use, and as influenced in turn by its social images. This paper is about images of mathematics. Our search for advertisements containing such images of in UK daily newspapers, during 2006-2008, found that 4.7% of editions included a ‘mathematical’ advert, compared with 1.7% in pilot work for 1994-2003. The incidence varied across type of newspaper, being correlated with class and gender profiles of the readership. Three-quarters of advertisements were classified as containing only very simple mathematics. ‘Semiotic-discursive’ analysis of selected advertisements suggests that they draw on mathematics not to inform, but to connote qualities like precision, certainty and authority. We discuss the discourse on mathematics in advertising as ‘quasi-pedagogic’ discourse, and argue that its oversimplified forms, being empty of mathematical content, become powerful means for regulating and ‘pedagogising’ today’s global consumers

The therapeutic aspects of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) for cancer and their development: from nature to laboratory

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a group of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors, which are widely distributed in mammalian tissues. ECS regulates various cardiovascular, nervous, and immune system functions inside cells. In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence for the use of synthetic and natural cannabinoids as potential anticancer agents. For instance, the CB1 and CB2 receptors are assumed to play an important role inside the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are abundantly expressed in the brain and fatty tissue of the human body. Despite recent developments in molecular biology, there is still a lack of knowledge about the distribution of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the human kidney and their role in kidney cancer. To address this gap, we explore and demonstrate the role of the endocannabinoid system in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this brief overview, we elucidate the therapeutic aspects of the endocannabinoid system for various cancers and explain how this system can be used for treating kidney cancer. Overall, this review provides new insights into cannabinoids' mechanisms of action in both in vivo and in vitro models, and focuses on recent discoveries in the field

Variation in the timing of Covid-19 communication across universities in the UK.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, universities in the UK used social media to raise awareness and provide guidance and advice about the disease to students and staff. We explain why some universities used social media to communicate with stakeholders sooner than others. To do so, we identified the date of the first Covid-19 related tweet posted by each university in the country and used survival models to estimate the effect of university-specific characteristics on the timing of these messages. In order to confirm our results, we supplemented our analysis with a study of the introduction of coronavirus-related university webpages. We find that universities with large numbers of students are more likely to use social media and the web to speak about the pandemic sooner than institutions with fewer students. Universities with large financial resources are also more likely to tweet sooner, but they do not introduce Covid-19 webpages faster than other universities. We also find evidence of a strong process of emulation, whereby universities are more likely to post a coronavirus-related tweet or webpage if other universities have already done so

Studies of impurities behaviour for the optimization of plasmas and heating scenarios at tokamaks in perspective for ITER

This contribution reports on the recent progress of integration methods to control and minimise W and mid-Z impurity content for the optimization of plasmas and heating scenarios at tokamaks. The operational setup of diagnostics for impurity control is briefly described. It was found out that different parameters such as auxiliary heating power, deuterium gas injection rate, impurity seeding, density profile, and ELM’s frequency affect the behavior of impurities. Furthermore, ICRH use is reviewed and methods for optimisation simultaneously RF coupling and impurity control are presented.Мова йде про теперішній прогрес у розвитку методів контролю і мінімізації вольфраму та інших домішок із середнім Z для оптимізації плазми та сценаріїв нагріву плазми в токамаках. Коротко описано комплекс діагностики для контролю домішок. Виявлено, що різні параметри, такі як додаткова потужність нагріву, швидкість вприскування дейтерію, джерело домішок, профіль густини та частота ELMів, впливають на поведінку домішок. Крім того, розглядається також використання ICRH та методів одночасної оптимізації RF зв’язку і контролю домішок.Речь идет о недавнем прогрессе в развитии методов контроля и минимизации вольфрама и других примесей со средним Z для оптимизации плазмы и сценариев нагрева плазмы в токамаках. Коротко описан комплекс диагностики для контроля примесей. Обнаружено, что различные параметры, такие как дополнительная мощность нагрева, скорость впрыскивания дейтерия, источник примесей, профиль плотности и частота ELMов, влияют на поведение примесей. Кроме того, рассматривается использование ICRH и методов одновременной оптимизации RF связи и контроля примесей

Renin angiotensin system deregulation as renal cancer risk factor (Review)

For numerous years, the non-cardiovascular role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) was underestimated, but recent studies have advanced the understanding of its function in various processes, including carcinogenesis. Numerous evidence comes from preclinical and clinical studies on the use of antihypertensive agents targeting the RAS, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers. It has been demonstrated that the use of ACEIs can alter the incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and may have a positive effect by prolonging patient survival. It has an effect on the complex action of ACEI, resulting in decreased angiotensin II (Ang-II) production and altered levels of bradykinin or Ang 1-7. The present review discusses the existing knowledge on the effects of ACE and its inhibitors on RCC cell lines, xenograft models, and patient survival in clinical studies. A brief introduction to molecular pathways aids in understanding the non-cardiovascular effects of RAS inhibitors and enables the conduction of studies on combined cancer treatment with the application of ACEIs. Recent evidence regarding the treatment of hypertension associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, one of the most pronounced and common side effects in modern RCC treatment, are also outlined. Captopril, an ACEI, may be used to lower blood pressure in patients, particularly due to its additional renoprotective actions

Impact of minority concentration on fundamental (H)D ICRF heating performance in JET-ILW

ITER will start its operation with non-activated hydrogen and helium plasmas at a reduced magnetic field of B-0 = 2.65 T. In hydrogen plasmas, the two ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF) heating schemes available for central plasma heating (fundamental H majority and 2nd harmonic He-3 minority ICRF heating) are likely to suffer from relatively low RF wave absorption, as suggested by numerical modelling and confirmed by previous JET experiments conducted in conditions similar to those expected in ITER's initial phase. With He-4 plasmas, the commonly adopted fundamental H minority heating scheme will be used and its performance is expected to be much better. However, one important question that remains to be answered is whether increased levels of hydrogen (due to e. g. H pellet injection) jeopardize the high performance usually observed with this heating scheme, in particular in a full-metal environment. Recent JET experiments performed with the ITER-likewall shed some light onto this question and the main results concerning ICRF heating performance in L-mode discharges are summarized here

Interleukin 1-β, Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist, and Interleukin 18 in Children with Acute Spontaneous Urticaria

Very little is known about the role of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in urticaria. Material and Methods. Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), and IL-18 were measured in 56 children with urticaria and in 41 healthy subjects. Results. Serum IL-1β did not differ between children with acute urticaria and controls. Children with single episode of urticaria had higher levels of IL-1RA and IL-18 than healthy subjects. In children with single episode of urticaria, level of IL-1RA correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and IL-1β levels. In subjects with recurrence of urticaria IL-1RA was positively correlated with WBC and D-dimer levels. No correlation of cytokine levels and urticaria severity scores (UAS) in all children with urticaria was observed. In children with single episode of urticaria UAS correlated with CRP level. In the group with single episode of urticaria and in children with symptoms of upper respiratory infection, IL-1RA and IL-18 levels were higher than in controls. The former was higher than in noninfected children with urticaria. In conclusion, this preliminary study documents that serum IL-1RA and IL-18 levels are increased in some children with acute urticaria. However further studies are necessary to define a pathogenic role of IL-1β, IL-1RA, and IL-18 in urticaria

The Darboux-Backlund transformation for the static 2-dimensional continuum Heisenberg chain

We construct the Darboux-Backlund transformation for the sigma model describing static configurations of the 2-dimensional classical continuum Heisenberg chain. The transformation is characterized by a non-trivial normalization matrix depending on the background solution. In order to obtain the transformation we use a new, more general, spectral problem.Comment: 12 page

Equations in a consumer culture: mathematical images in advertising

Affect energises the learning and use of mathematics; a key influence comes from the images of mathematics available in society. We sought advertisements containing such ‘images’ (e.g. mathematical expressions, equations or graphs) in 1600 editions of UK newspapers, over two recent three-month periods. We found that 4.7% of editions included a ‘mathematical’ advert, compared with 1.7% found in the pilot for 1994-2003. This supports the idea that mathematical images are being used more in advertising, paralleling the increase observed anecdotally in films. The incidence varied from 8.2% among the ‘quality’ papers, to 2.3% in mid-market, to 0.6% among the ‘populars’, suggesting a correlation with the social class of the readershi