32 research outputs found

    A Twist in the Song: Retracing Myth and Dante´s Poem in Heavy Metal Music

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    Abstract: The study of music is gathering strength in the academic world, although the scope is still growing, and there are plenty of elements it does not contemplate yet. As a multidisciplinary subject, music has the power of the melody and the power of the lyrics, which, apart from being able to reach any social nook, makes it a gigantic cultural tool with the force of sending any kind of message in a dynamic and effective way. The way in which heavy metal – and especially its symphonic branch – plays with this duality of melody and text, together with the mythological content where its lyrics feed on makes this genre an essential step in this kind of research. This investigation has been focused on symphonic metal as a source of mythological knowledge to build a bridge that links this genre of popular music with one of the most celebrated works of literature of all times: The  Divine Comedy: with a double purpose: on the one hand, to demonstrate the importance of this genre within our society and, on the other, to study yet one more field which has not escaped the influence of the Dantesque world. Resumen: El estudio de la música está cobrando fuerza en el mundo académico, aunque el alcance todavía está creciendo, y hay un montón de elementos que no contempla todavía. Al ser un tema multidisciplinario, la música tiene el poder de la melodía y el poder de las letras, que, además de ser capaz de llegar a cualquier rincón social, hace que sea una herramienta cultural gigantesca con la fuerza de enviar cualquier tipo de mensaje en una dinámica y manera efectiva. La manera en la que el Heavy Metal - y especialmente su rama sinfónica - juega con esta dualidad de la melodía de texto, junto con el contenido mitológico en el que sus letras se alimentan de este género se hace esencial en este tipo de investigación. Esta investigación se ha centrado en el metal sinfónico como una fuente de conocimiento mitológico para construir un puente que une el género de la música popular con una de las obras más célebres de la literatura de todos los tiempos: la Divina Comedia, con un doble objetivo: por una parte, para demostrar la importancia de este género dentro de nuestra sociedad y, por otro, para estudiar todo campo adicional que no ha escapado a la influencia del mundo dantesco.

    Use of lumpfish for sea-lice control in salmon farming: challenges and opportunities

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    Efficient sea-lice control remains one of the most important challenges for the salmon farming industry. The use of wrasse (Labridae) as cleaner fish offers an alternative to medicines for sea-lice control, but wrasse tend to become inactive in winter. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) continue to feed on sea-lice at low temperatures, and commercial production has escalated from thousands of fish in 2010 to well over 30 million juveniles deployed in 2016. However, production still relies on the capture of wild broodstock, which may not be sustainable. To meet global industry needs, lumpfish production needs to increase to reach c. 50 million fish annually and this can only come from aquaculture. We review current production methods and the use of lumpfish in sea cages and identify some of the main challenges and bottlenecks facing lumpfish intensification. Our gap analysis indicates that the areas in most need of research include better control of maturation for year-round production; formulation of appropriate diets; artificial selection of elite lines with desirable traits; and development of vaccines for certified, disease-free juvenile production. The welfare of farmed lumpfish also needs to be better quantified, and more information is needed on optimal densities and tank design. Finally, the risk of farmed lumpfish escaping from net pens needs to be critically assessed, and we argue that it might be beneficial to recover cleaner fish from salmon cages after the production cycle, perhaps using them as broodstock, for export to the Asian food markets or for the production of animal feeds

    Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

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    This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

    Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

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    Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

    A Twist in the Song: Retracing Myth and Dante´s Poem in Heavy Metal Music

    No full text
    The study of music is gathering strength in the academic world, although the scope is still growing, and there are plenty of elements it does not contemplate yet. As a multidisciplinary subject, music has the power of the melody and the power of the lyrics, which, apart from being able to reach any social nook, makes it a gigantic cultural tool with the force of sending any kind of message in a dynamic and effective way. The way in which heavy metal – and especially its symphonic branch – plays with this duality of melody and text, together with the mythological content where its lyrics feed on makes this genre an essential step in this kind of research. This investigation has been focused on symphonic metal as a source of mythological knowledge to build a bridge that links this genre of popular music with one of the most celebrated works of literature of all times: The  Divine Comedy: with a double purpose: on the one hand, to demonstrate the importance of this genre within our society and, on the other, to study yet one more field which has not escaped the influence of the Dantesque world.El estudio de la música cobra fuerza en el mundo académico si bien quedan elementos por contemplar en este nuevo campo. Como medio híbrido, la música disfruta del poder de la melodía a la par que de la letra. Su poder de llegar a cualquier nicho social convierte a la música en una enorme herramienta cultural con la fuerza de enviar cualquier tipo de mensaje de manera dinámica y efectiva. La manera en la que el Heavy Metal - y especialmente su rama sinfónica - juega con esta dualidad de la melodía y del texto, junto con el contenido mitológico del que se nutren con frecuencia sus letras convierte a este género en un paso esencial para la investigación intermedial. Este artículo se centra en el estudio del heavy metal sinfónico como una fuente de conocimiento mitológico que posibilita un puente entre la música popular y una de las obras literarias más célebres de todos los tiempos: la Divina Comedia. Por un lado, el artículo demuestra la importancia social de la música popular al tiempo que muestra cómo el género no ha escapado la influencia del mundo dantesco que permea los entornos simbólicos del mundo occidental

    Development of a Rapid Assay to Detect the Dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)

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    Amyloodinium ocellatum is a highly pathogenic dinoflagellate parasite with global distribution that causes high mortalities in the culture of tropical and sub-tropical marine and estuarine fishes. Diagnosis typically occurs through gross examination following the onset of morbidity, at which point treatment is of limited benefit. In the present study, a new molecular diagnostic tool for the rapid detection of A. ocellatum (AO) was developed using the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method (LAMP). The AO-LAMP assay designed is highly specific using a set of four primers two outer and two inner primers targeting six different regions on the 5\u27 end of the Small Subunit rDNA region (SSU rDNA) of A. ocellatum. The AO-LAMP assay, optimized for 25-30 min at 62 degrees C, amplified the DNA from A. ocellatum extracted from both water and gill tissue samples and did not amplify DNA from four closely related dinoflagellate species. The detection limit of the AO-LAMP assay was 10 fg, exceptionally higher than the conventional PCR (1 pg). In addition, the standardized AO-LAMP assay was capable of detecting single tomonts and trophonts; the assay was not affected by the presence of possible inhibitory substances present in environmental water samples or gill samples. The AO-LAMP assay developed in the present study provides a novel useful tool for the simple, rapid and sensitive detection of A. ocellatum in water and gill tissue samples, which could assist in the early detection and improved control of A. ocellatum infections in aquaculture systems. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

    In Vitro Assessment of the Chemotherapeutic Action of a Specific Hydrogen Peroxide, Peracetic, Acetic, and Peroctanoic Acid-Based Formulation Against the Free-Living Stages of \u3ci\u3eIchthyophthirius multifiliis\u3c/i\u3e (Ciliophora)

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    Traditionally, malachite green administrated as in-bath treatment was the most effective and common strategy used in freshwater aquaculture systems to control infections of the ciliate protozoan parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876. After the ban of malachite green in the USA and Europe to be used in fish for human consumption, there has been extensive research destined to find efficacious replacements. Recently, peracetic acid-based compounds have demonstrated a strong cytotoxic effect in vitro and in vivo against I. multifiliis. In the present study, we tested the efficacy of a hydrogen peroxide, peracetic, acetic and peroctanoic acid-based formulation (HPPAPA) to eliminate the free-living stages of I. multifiliis (tomonts, cysts and theronts). The results obtained showed that the administration of low doses (8, 12 or 15 mg/l) of a specific HPPAPA-based product during a short window of exposure (60 min) kills nearly all free-living stages of I. multifiliis (theronts, tomonts and cysts) within the window of treatment (similar to 100% mortality for all the stages; one-way ANOVA, P a parts per thousand currency signaEuro parts per thousand 0.001). Of note, even the lowest concentration of HPPAPA tested (8 mg/l) was able to disrupt normal cyst development and therefore theront release. The demonstrated in vitro efficacy of the peracetic acid-based product tested on the present study suggests its great potential to control I. multifiliis infections in commercial aquacultural systems

    In vitro treatments for the theront stage of the ciliate protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans

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    The ciliate protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans Brown, 1951, the ‘marine white spot’, causes one of the most important parasitic fish diseases, with extensive losses every year in mariculture and in the ornamental fish industry. In the present study, we explore the in vitro use of 8 different compounds against the theront (infective) stage of C. irritans; these compounds include extracts of natural products (epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), L-DOPA, papain), peracetic acid-based compounds (Proxitane® 5:23 and 15% peracetic acid, PAA), quinine-based compounds (quinacrine hydrochloride and chloroquine diphosphate) and hydrogen peroxide. All of these compounds had an effect on theront survival; however, only EGCG caused significant theront mortality when applied in doses ≥50 mg l–1 and over a period of 3 h; papain caused a maximum theront mortality of <50%. We discuss the type of application and potential utility of the compounds tested as part of a management control strategy for C. irritans infections in marine aquaculture and the ornamental fish industry
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