bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INFORMATION PROCESSING ON CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS OF A PERSON FOR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSES
Authors: Kāršenieks Jānis
Published: November 2019

In the paper, the author analyzes the personal data protection problems of the individuals for investigative purposes in the context of operational actions. In order to understand the essence of the problem, the author of the paper, using legislation and judicial practice, analyzes the essence of the personal data (data relating to criminal offenses, criminal convictions) protection rights to of individuals, the procedure for conducting criminal procedure and operational actions and the necessary amount personal data information.The scientific basis of the research is the normative acts regulating both subjects of research, and judicial practice.The paper addresses the issues, which that have not previously been investigated. The research specifies the criteria, rules and principles, which have to be considered and applied in practice when processing information on individuals’ criminal record for investigative purposes in a operational actions’ context.The aim of the paper is to investigate the guidelines for the protection of natural persons in criminal proceedings while processing information on criminal convictions.  The tasks of the investigation are as follows: to analyze the prerequisites for the personal data lawfulness’s processing relating to criminal convictions in the framework of criminal proceedings and operational activities; to identify the cases, in which the criminal prosecutors are entitled to obtain information on a person’s criminal record.  The following research methods have been used in the paper: analytical, comparative, inductive, deductive and logical methods.
Helicobacter pylori among the cases of gastritis: a one year study at a tertiary care hospital of South India
Authors: Sai Mahesh Ayathu V. S. , Tandri Shyam Sundar
Published: November 2019

Background: Gastritis is one of the commonest clinical conditions encountered by a physician. The most common cause is said to be infection with Helicobacter pylori. The present study was aimed to diagnose the prevalence of H. pylori infection among the cases of gastritis and its correlation with histopathological findings and associated rapid urease test.Methods: A one year prospective study at a tertiary care hospital was conducted and all cases of gastritis were included and socio demographic data, clinical complaints and duration were noted. Endoscopy was performed on all cases. Biopsy was performed histopathological examination with staining and graded by Houston-updated Sydney system. Rapid urease test was performed and findings noted.Results: 325 cases with 215 male and 110 female cases were included. 26.15% were in age group of more than 60 years and number of cases increased with age. Mean age of study participants was 39.12±2.8 years and heart burn was the common complaint in the study cases. 81.54% of the cases revealed endoscopic gastritis on endoscopy and hyperaemia was commonest. 83.69% were positive by rapid urease test. Rapid urease test is more sensitive than histological staining in confirmation of H. pylori infection.Conclusions: To conclude on the present study, the prevalence of H. pylori infection is on a global rise and appropriate measures to reduce the prevalence is quite an urgent necessity. Histopathological interpretation of gastric biopsies is a reliable indicator of H. pylori infection as well as gastritis grading according to the Sydney grading system.
THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF CRACK PROPAGATION DIRECTION. PART II
Authors: Dolgikh V. S. , Pulkin A. V. , Mironova E. A. , Peksheva A. A. , Stepanova L. V.
Published: November 2019

The paper is devoted to experimental study of the crack propagation direction angles under mixed mode loading in the plate with the central crack inclined at diﬀerent angles. Fracture mechanics criteria are discussed and compared. In the present paper the crack propagation direction angles on the basis of three diﬀerent fracture criteria are found. The maximum tangential stress criterion, the minimum strain energy density criterion and the deformation criterion are used and analysed. The generalized forms of these criteria have been used. It implies that the crack propagation direction angles are obtained with the Williams series expansion in which the higher order terms are kept. The calculations are performed in Waterloo Maple computer algebra software. The analysis of the crack propagation direction angles show that the inﬂuence of the higher order terms cant be ignored. The angles diﬀer considerably when the higher order terms are taken into account.
FLOW CURVATURE APPLIED TO MODELLING OF CRITICAL PHENOMENA
Authors: Balabaev M. O.
Published: November 2019

Modeling of critical phenomena is a very important problem, which has direct applied application in many branches of science and technology. In this paper we regard a modiﬁcation of the low curvature method applied to construction of invariant manifolds of autonomous fast-slow dynamic systems. We compared a new method with original ones via ﬁnding duck-trajectories and their multidimensional analogues surfaces with variable stability. Comparison was used a three-dimensional autocatalytic reaction model and a model of the burning problem.
Non-Motor Test Bench Evaluation of Efficiency of the Exhaust System of Low-Power Internal Combustion Engine of UAV
Authors: Sukhovaya E.A. , Telyashov D.A. , Pavlov G.I. , Nakoryakov P.V. , Nikitin M.A.
Published: November 2019

Currently, there is a high increase in production of air vehicles equipped with low-power internal combustion engines. The main demasking factor of such engines is the high noise of their exhaust system. To solve this problem, we made a test bench on which we estimated the efficiency of several alternate designs of mufflers. In the course of work, we studied the influence of various internal elements of the muffler on its hydrodynamic resistance and noise attenuation efficiency. According to the results obtained, we found the best design alternate design of the muffler, which effectively coped with its role.
A scoping review of the current literature exploring the nature of the horse-human relationship
Authors: Freeman Sarah Louise
Published: November 2019

Objective: To perform a scoping review of the current evidence on the horse-human relationship.
Background: The horse-human relationship has a significant impact on how horse owners care for and make decisions for their horse.
Evidentiary value: Identification of consensus and gaps in current evidence.
Methods: A literature search was performed in CAB Abstracts and Medline using search terms relating to the nature of the horse-human relationship in horses used for pleasure riding. Publications were reviewed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Original qualitative or observational research studies relating to the relationship between a horse and owner were analysed. Data were extracted on study method and population characteristics.
Results: There were 4,481 studies identified; 27 studies were included in the final data extraction. The studies covered 11 different areas, the most frequent were effect of humans on equine behaviour (5/27), equine training methods and behaviour (4/27) and horses within sport and leisure (4/27). A range of methodologies were used, with the most frequent being thematic analysis (6/27 studies), use of an instrument, tool or scale (3/27) and behavioural scoring (4/27). The majority of studies considered the human’s perspective (20/27), six considered the horse perspective and one considered both the horse and human perspective. No studies investigated the same or similar aims or objectives.
Conclusion: The current evidence on the horse-human relationship is diverse and heterogenous, which limits the strength of evidence for any particular area.
Application: Future research should focus on developing reliable and repeatable tools to assess owner motivations and horse-human relationship, to develop a body of evidence.
Un dios que se viste por los pies: la vestimenta persa en la iconografía mitraica = A god that is dressed by the feet: Persian dress in Mythraic iconography
Authors: Campos Méndez Israel
Published: November 2019

Resumen: La representación iconográfica del dios Mitra está vinculada a su imagen llevando un tipo de vestimenta que tradicionalmente se ha venido a denominar “vestido oriental” o “traje persa”. Dentro de esta forma de vestir, la presencia del pantalón (anaxyrides) alcanzó un cierto protagonismo, por su impacto cultural. Esta prenda había recibido una connotación peyorativa desde época griega a la hora de definir la alteridad bárbara aqueménida y posteriormente esta visión fue asumida por los romanos, trasladada a sus enemigos los partos. Son varios los posibles contextos en los que los seguidores de Mitra pudieron asumir su presencia dentro del marco mitraico. Nos proponemos con este artículo aclarar a qué se hace referencia cuando se utiliza la categoría de “traje persa” y cuál pudo ser la reacción que desde el culto mitraico se ejerció ante una de las prendas que formaban parte de estas ropas: el pantalón. Abstract: The iconographic representation of the god Mithra is linked to his image wearing a type of clothing that has traditionally been called "Oriental dress" or "Persian dress". Within this way of dressing, the presence of the trousers (anaxyrides) reached a certain prominence, due to its cultural impact. This garment had received a pejorative connotation from Greek times at the moment of defining the Achaemenian barbarian alterity and later this vision was assumed by the Romans, transferred to their enemies the Parthians. There are several contexts in which the followers of Mithra could assume their presence within the Mithraic context. We propose with this paper to clarify what really means this category and what could be the reaction that from the Mithraic cult was exercised before one of the pieces that were part of these clothes: the trousers.Palabras clave: Mitraísmo, traje persa, anaxyrides, iconografía, bárbaro.Key words: Mithraism, Persian Dress, anaxyrides, iconography, barbarian.
Ártemis del quitón. Una aproximación a su culto en la antigüedad = Artemis Kithone. An approach to her cult in antiquity
Authors: Tello Benedicto Jorge
Published: November 2019

Resumen: Este artículo pretende recopilar la documentación textual, tanto epigráfica como literaria, del culto de Ártemis bajo la epiclesis Κιθώνη para dibujar un escenario general de su veneración en la Antigüedad. Esta epiclesis, documentada por primera vez en Mileto en época arcaica (siglo VI a.C.), parece referirse al tipo de ofrendas que la diosa recibía bajo esta advocación. En efecto, la ofrenda de vestidos está bien atestiguada epigráficamente en el Ática y en la Jonia anatólica, donde han sido descubiertos inventarios de santuarios que describen con gran precisión ofrendas textiles en el marco del culto a Ártemis. Las fuentes literarias, por otra parte, amplían las prerrogativas de Ártemis del Quitón relacionando a la divinidad con la música, el baile e incluso con la fundación mítica de Mileto; también amplían su geografía cultual, que se inserta en el mundo dórico a través de Siracusa.Abstract: The aim of this article is to provide a general framework for Artemis Κιθώνη cult through the collection of Greek epigraphic and literary sources. This epiclesis, first attested in Miletus during the archaic period (VI BC), seems to refer to the offerings received by the goddess under this particular invocation. Indeed, clothing offerings are epigraphically recorded in Attica and in Ionia, where temple inventories describing accurately textiles as votive gifts for Artemis have been discovered. On the other hand, literary sources extend Artemis Κιθώνη prerogatives, linking her to music, dance and even to the mythical foundation of Miletus; they also expand the influence area of her cult into the Doric world through Syracuse.Palabras clave: Ártemis Κιθώνη, culto, epiclesis, inventarios de vestidos, Jonia, Mileto.Key words: Artemis Κιθώνη, cult, epiclesis, Ionia, Miletus, textile inventories.
Léxico, usos y espacios de las imágenes de culto en las leyes sagradas griegas = Lexicon, uses and spaces of the cult images in the Greek sacred laws
Authors: Tomás García Jorge
Published: November 2019

Resumen: El léxico griego ofrece una enorme variedad de conceptos para definir el uso y la presencia de las imágenes en el contexto religioso y ritual. Tomando como campo de estudio las leyes sagradas griegas y sus corpora epigráfica, nos proponemos en este trabajo definir la presencia de άγαλμα y εἰκών en estas “fuentes directas”, y los usos más significativos de los colores y las vestimentas de los actores rituales en el espacio de estas imágenes.Abstract: The Greek lexicon offers a huge variety of concepts to define the use and presence of images in the religious and ritual context. Taking as a field of study the sacred Greek laws and their epigraphic corpora, we propose in this article to define the presence of άγαλμα and εἰκών in these “direct sources”, and the most significant uses of the colors and costumes of the ritual actors in the space of these images.Palabras clave: Leyes sagradas, άγαλμα, εἰκών, imágenes, color, vestimenta, Cos. Key words: Sacred laws, άγαλμα, εἰκών, images, color, costumes, Cos.
Bonnet, Corinne y Sanzi, Ennio (eds.): Roma, la città degli dèi. La capitale dell’Impero come laboratorio religioso. (Studi Superiori, 117. Studi Storici), Roma: Carocci, 2018
Authors: Gavini Alberto
Published: November 2019

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Cataldo, Jeremiah W.: A social-political history of monotheism. From Judah to the Byzantines, London-New York: Routledge, 2018
Authors: Alciati Roberto
Published: November 2019

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Cavallero, Fabio Giorgio: Arae sacrae. Tipologia, nomi, atti, funzioni e rappresentazioni degli altari romani, Roma: L’Erma di Bretschneider, 2018
Authors: Bigault de Cazanove Olivier de
Published: November 2019

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Un paseo por las obras de Lutero = A tour of Luther’s Works
Authors: Lazcano Rafael
Published: November 2019

Resumen: La obra de Martín Lutero asienta sus raíces en factores culturales, sociales y económicos, madurados en la Alta Edad Media, y que hicieron fecundo el terreno para la proclamación, expansión geográfica y desarrollo doctrinal de la Reforma protestante. Atrapado por la palabra de Dios, el doctor de Wittenberg, un hombre de fe sencilla y sincera, descubre un nuevo modo de relacionarse con Dios por la «sola fe», la «sola gracia», y la «sola Scriptura», de cara a la justificación/salvación del ser humano. Este singular hallazgo desbanca la doctrina de la iglesia católica medieval, el papa y jerarquías eclesiásticas, indulgencias, reliquias y santos, celibato y vida monástica. Lutero, asimismo, con la fuerza de su palabra abre un horizonte de libertad sobre la vida humana y la sociedad, un nuevo modo de acceder al mundo y a la sociedad, que orientará la trayectoria de la época moderna y del hombre de nuestros días.Palabras clave: Lutero, fe, palabra de Dios, justificación/salvación, Reforma protestante, libertad, mundo moderno.Abstract: Martin Luther’s work was rooted in cultural, social and economic factors, reached maturity in the High Middle Ages, and provided fertile ground for the proclamation, geographical expansion and doctrinal development of the Protestant Reformation. Trapped by the word of God, Luther, a man of simple and sincere faith, discovered a new way of relating to God by sola fide, sola gratia, and sola Scriptura, faced with the justification/salvation of the human being. This unique discovery defeated the doctrine of the medieval Catholic church, the pope and ecclesiastical hierarchies, indulgences, relics and saints, celibacy and monastic life. Like wise, Luther through the strength of his Word opened up a horizon of freedom for human life and society, a new way of accessing the world and society, which would guide the trajectory taken by humans and modernity to this day.Key words: Luther, faith, the word of God, justification/salvation, Protestant Reformation, freedom, modern world.
Xanthomonas Wilt of Banana Drives Changes in Land-use and Ecosystem Services across Infected Landscapes
Authors: Ocimati Walter , Groot Jeroen , Tittonell Pablo , Taulya Godfrey , Ntamwira Jules , Amato Serge , Blomme Guy
Published: November 2019

Changes in land-use have been observed in banana-based systems in the African Great Lakes region affected by Xanthomonas wilt disease (XW) of banana. Through participatory focus group discussions (FGDs) and the 4-cell method, changes in land-use were retrospectively assessed in 13 XW-affected landscapes/villages along a 230 km transect from Masisi (XW arrived in 2001) to Bukavu (XW arrived around 2014) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during 2015. The four-cell chart ranked land-use by mapping the area under production and the number of households involved in production. Farmers’ perceptions on the sustainability of new land-uses were also documented. Soil nutrient content and erosion levels were measured for five major land-use options/ trajectories on 147 fields across 55 farms in three landscapes along the transect. From being ranked the most important crop (92% of landscapes i.e. produced on large areas of land and by many households) before XW outbreaks, its importance had declined with most households in 36% of the landscapes growing it on smaller farms while in 64% of cases by few households on smaller pots. Farmers uprooted entire banana mats or fields, expanding land under other crops, mainly beans, taro, sweet potato, cassava, maize, coffee and eucalyptus. Species richness did not change at landscape level, though 21 crops were introduced at farm level. Land-use for banana is however still perceived to be more sustainable due to its multi-functional roles. Soils under banana plots were found in general to be better in their chemical attributes while high erosion levels (Mg ha-1 year-1) were observed under cassava (1.7-148.9) compared with banana (0.3-10.7) and trees (0.3-5.9). The current shift away from banana could thus have profound effects on supply of key services and sustainability of the production systems. This study offers a good basis/entry point for interventions in the XW-affected landscapes.
An Exact Parallel Algorithm for the Radio k-coloring Problem
Authors: Badr Elsayed M. , Aloufi Khalid
Published: November 2019

For a positive integer k, a radio k-coloring of a simple connected graph G = (V (G), E(G)) is a mapping | f(u) - f(v)| ≥ k +1-d (u , v ) such that f :V (G)→{0,1, 2,...} for each pair of distinct vertices u and v of G, where d(u, v) is the distance between u and v in G. The span of a radio k-coloring f, rck(f), is the maximum integer it assigns to some vertex of G. The radio k-chromatic number, rck(G) of G is min{rck(f)}, where the minimum is taken over all radio k-colorings f of G. If k is the diameter of G, then rck(G) is known as the radio number of G. In this work, we propose four algorithms (two serial algorithms and their parallel versions) which related to the radio k-coloring problem. One of them is an approximate algorithm that determines an upper bound of the radio number of a given graph. The other is an exact algorithm which finds the radio number of a graph G. The approximate algorithm is a polynomial time algorithm while the exact algorithm is an exponential time algorithm. The parallel algorithms are parallelized using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard. The experimental results prove the ability of the proposed algorithms to achieve a speedup 7 for 8 processors.
Pengembangan Model Simulasi Swasembada Kedelai Berbasis Web SIWAKA.INS
Authors: Tastra I. Ketut , Abadi Farid Rakhmat , Koentjoro Bambang Sri
Published: November 2019

 
Model simulasi swasembada kedelai berbasis web yang mudah diakses dan dioperasikan perlu dikembangkan agar informasi yang diperlukan dalam proses pengambilan keputusan tersedia dengan cepat. Laboratorium Dinamika Sistem Balitkabi sejak Januari hingga Februari 2018 telah mengembangkan model simulasi swasembada kedelai berbasis web yaitu SIWAKA.INS yang merupakan pengembangan dari skrip program simulasi SIWAKA.SIM, yang dikembangkan menggunakan program simulasi open source Insightmaker.com. Tujuan penelitian adalah melakukan validasi model simulasi swasembada kedelai SIWAKA.INS. Hasil validasi menunjukkan bahwa model simulasi SIWAKA.INS cukup layak untuk diterapkan dalam memperkirakan tercapainya swasembada kedelai nasional dengan nilai R2=1 dan RMSE=4,88e-14 t. Hasil simulasi SIWAKA.INS menggunakan input model perluasan areal (PPA) 9,0%/tahun, peningkatan produktivitas (LAJUY) 9,5%/tahun, kehilangan hasil pascapanen (KHKDL) 7,5%/tahun, kenaikan penduduk (KB) 1,5%/tahun, dan peningkatan konsumsi kedelai (LAJUK) 1,0%/tahun, menunjukkan bahwa swasembada kedelai dapat tercapai pada tahun 2020-2045. Untuk periode tahun 2020-2024, simulasi tingkat swasembada kedelai mencapai 0,09-1,26 juta t, pada tingkat hasil kedelai 1,66-1,80 t/ha dan luas areal kedelai 1,66-2,35 juta ha. SIWAKA.INS bersifat open source dan dapat diakses di https://Insightmaker.com/insight/65139/SIWAKA-INS.
Role of the initial degree of anaemia and treatment model in the prognosis of gastric cancer patients treated by chemotherapy: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Li Wenhuan , Zhang Ji-Yu , Liu Wen-Hui , Chen Xian-Xian
Published: November 2019

Background: Anaemia is highly prevalent in gastric cancer (GC) patients. The role of initial haemoglobin levels in predicting the prognosis of GC patients treated by chemotherapy has not been well determined. Our present study aims to evaluate the relationship between the degree of anaemia and the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with GC. Methods: Our retrospective study enrolled 598 patients who were treated with chemotherapy when the recurrent GCs and metastatic GCs were unsuitable for surgical resection. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors that had the potential to affect patient prognosis. Additionally, the relationship between clinicopathological characteristics, including treatment method, and degree of chemotherapy-related reduction in haemoglobin was further analysed. Results: Our results revealed that patients with HBini level ≤ 80 g/L had a trend toward a shortened median OS and PFS (p=0.009 and p=0.049, respectively). Interestingly, we also found that HBdec ≥30 g/L was associated with a significantly shortened median OS and PFS (p=0.039 and p=0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that HBini levels ≤80 g/L could be used as an independent prognostic factor for recurrent and metastatic GC. More importantly, HBdec ≥30 g/L and treatment response were also significantly associated with OS and PFS. Furthermore, the degree of haemoglobin decrease was associated with chemotherapy including platinum and the number of chemotherapy cycles. Conclusion: Our study concludes that the initial degree of anaemia and a decrease in haemoglobin of ≥ 30 g/L can serve as biomarkers to predict prognosis in recurrent or metastatic GC patients, while chemotherapy treatment rather than red blood cell (RBC) transfusion can improve their prognosis. Additionally, paclitaxel should not be recommended for treating severely anaemic GC patients.
Evaluation of a new Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility system for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bloodstream infections: Speed and accuracy of Alfred 60 AST
Authors: Anton-Vazquez Vanesa , Samuel Adjepong , Cristina Suarez , Timothy Planche
Published: November 2019

Background: Blood stream infections (BSIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The time from taking blood cultures to obtain results of antibiotic sensitivity can be up to five days which impacts patient care. The Alfred 60 AST™ can reduce laboratory time from positive culture bottle to susceptibility results from 16-25 hours to 5-6 hours, transforming patient care. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility system, the Alfred 60 AST™, in clinical isolates from patients with BSIs and confirm time to results. 301 Gram-negative and 86 Gram-positive isolates were analysed directly from positive blood culture bottles following Gram staining. Antimicrobial susceptibility results and time-to-results obtained by rapid Alfred 60 AST system and BD Phoenix were compared . Results: A total of 2,196 antimicrobial susceptibility test results (AST) were performed: 1,863 Gram-negative and 333 Gram-positive. AST categorical agreement (CA) for Alfred 60 AST™ was 95% (1772/1863) for Gram-negative and 89% (295/333) for Gram-positive isolates. Gram-negative CA: ampicillin 96% (290/301); ciprofloxacin 95% (283/297); ceftriaxone 96% (75/78); meropenem 97% (288/297); piperacillin-tazobactam 95% (280/295); gentamicin 94% (279/297) and amikacin 93% (277/298). The median time to susceptibility results from blood culture flagging positive was 6.3 h vs 20 h (p<0.01) for Alfred system vs BD Phoenix™. Conclusion: Alfred 60 AST system greatly reduced time to antimicrobial susceptibility results in Gram-negative and Gram-positive BSIs with good performance and cost, particularly for Gram-negative bacteraemia. Keywords: Rapid diagnostics. Bloodstream infection. Bacteraemia. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Gram-negative bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria
Genome-wide identification and comparison of differentially expressed profiles of miRNAs and lncRNAs with associated ceRNA networks in the gonads of Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis
Authors: Ma Xiao , Cen Shuangshuang , Wang Luming , Zhang Chao , Wu Limin , Tian Xue , Wu Qisheng , Li Xuejun , Wang Xiaoqing
Published: November 2019

Background: The gonad is the major factor affecting animal reproduction. The regulatory mechanism of the expression of protein-coding genes involved in reproduction still remains to be elucidated. Increasing evidence has shown that ncRNAs play key regulatory roles in gene expression in many life processes. The roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in reproduction have been investigated in some species. However, the regulatory patterns of miRNA and lncRNA in the sex biased expression of protein coding genes remains to be elucidated. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis of miRNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), and lncRNA expression profiles to explore their regulatory patterns in the female ovary and male testis of the soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. Results: We identified 10 446 mature miRNAs, 20 414 mRNAs and 28 500 lncRNAs in the ovaries and testes, and 633 miRNAs, 11 319 mRNAs, and 10 495 lncRNAs showed different expression. A total of 2 814 target genes were identified for miRNAs. The predicted target genes of these differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs and lncRNAs included abundant genes related to reproductive regulation. Furthermore, we found that 189 DE miRNAs and 5 408 DElncRNAs showed sex-specific expression. Of these, 3 DEmiRNAs and 917 DElncRNAs were testis specific and 186 DEmiRNAs and 4 491 DElncRNAs were ovary specific. We further constructed compete endogenous lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks using bioinformatics, including 103 DEmiRNAs, 636 DEmRNAs, and 1 622 DElncRNAs. The target genes for the differentially expressed miRNAs and lncRNAs included abundant genes involved in gonadal development, including Wt1, Creb3l2, Gata4, Wnt2, Nr5a1, Hsd17, Igf2r, H2afz, Lin52, Trim71, Zar1, and Jazf1. Conclusions: In animals, miRNA and lncRNA as master regulators regulate reproductive processes by controlling the expression of mRNAs. Considering their importance, the identified miRNAs, lncRNAs, and their targets in P. sinensis might be useful for studying the molecular processes involved in sexual reproduction and genome editing to produce higher quality aquaculture animals. A thorough understanding of ncRNA-based cellular regulatory networks will aid in the improvement of P. sinensis reproductive traits for aquaculture.
HIV-1 CRF01_AE subtype and HIV-1 DNA level among patients with chronic HIV-1 infection: a correlation study
Authors: Lyu Tingxia , Yue Yongsong , Evelyn Hsieh , Han Yang , Zhu Ting , Song Xiaojing , Cao Wei , Lyu Wei , Wang Jianhua , Li Taisheng
Published: November 2019

Background: The impact of HIV-1 subtype (CRF01_AE and non-CRF01_AE) on HIV-1 DNA levels in HIV-1 chronically infected patients with suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains poorly understood. To evaluate the correlation of HIV-1 subtype with DNA level, and identify baseline predictors of HIV-1 DNA decay. Methods: ART-naïve HIV-1-infected patients from two large multi-center studies in China were classified into CRF01_AE and non-CRF01_AE subtype groups. Peripheral blood samples were collected at baseline and week 12, 24, 48 and 96 after ART initiation and total HIV-1 DNA levels were quantified by real-time PCR. HIV-1 DNA levels at week 96 were categorized into high, moderate, and low levels, reflecting HIV-1 DNA ≥ 3, 2–3, ≤ 2 log10 copies/106 PBMCs, respectively, and the corresponding proportion of CRF01_AE and non-CRF01_AE subtype were compared. The baseline predictors of low HIV-1 total DNA levels (≤ 2 log10 copies/106 PBMCs) at week 96 were evaluated using a logistic regression model. Results: Compared to the non-CRF01_AE subtypes (n=185), patients with CRF01_AE subtype (n=188) harboured a higher level of HIV-1 DNA (median: 3.19 vs. 2.95 log10 copies/106 PBMCs, P < 0.001) prior to treatment. After 96 weeks of ART, HIV-1 DNA levels remained higher in the CRF01_AE subtype group (median: 2.63 vs. 2.39 log10 copies/106 PBMCs, P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients achieving high (22.3% vs. 14.6%, P = 0.054), moderate (59.6% vs. 60.5%, P = 0.849) and low levels (18.1% vs 24.9%, P = 0.111) between CRF01_AE and non-CRF01_AE groups. In the multivariable analysis, baseline HIV-1 DNA level and CD4+ T cell count but not the subtype were independent risk factors for achieving HIV-1 DNA level ≤ 2 log10 copies/106 PBMCs. Conclusion: HIV-1 CRF01_AE subtype is neither correlated with HIV-1 DNA reservoir decline nor a prognostic factor for achieving lower HIV-1 DNA levels (≤ 2 log10 copies/106 PBMCs) after ART. However, higher HIV-1 DNA level in HIV-1 CRF01_AE patients should be aroused much attention and strengthen surveillance during ART.
Social Determinants of Psychological Wellness for Children and Adolescents in Rural NSW
Authors: Peters Ingrid , Handley Tonelle , Oakley Karen , Lutkin Sarah , Perkins David
Published: November 2019

Background: The mental wellness of children and adolescents in rural Australia is under researched and key to understanding the long-term mental health outcomes for rural communities. This study used data from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study (ARMHS), particularly the parent report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) measure for children under 18 years old and their reporting parent’s demographic information to compare this sample’s mental wellness scores to the Australian norms and to identify what personal, family, community and rurality factors contribute to child mental wellness as pertaining to the SDQ total and subdomain scores. Method: 539 children from 294 families from rural NSW were included. SDQ scores for each child as well as personal factors (sex and age), family factors (employment status, household income and sense of community of responding parent), community SES (IRSAD) and rurality (ASCG) were examined. Results: Children and adolescents from rural areas had poorer mental wellness when compared to a normative Australian sample. Further, personal and family factors were significant predictors of the psychological wellness of children and adolescents, while after controlling for other factors, community SES and level of rurality did not contribute significantly. Conclusions: Early intervention for children and families living in rural and remote communities is warranted particularly for low income families. There is a growing need for affordable, universal and accessible services provided in a timely way to balance the discrepancy of mental wellness scores between rural and urban communities.
Motor Intervention With And Without Nintendo® Wii For Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: Protocol For A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: NETO JORGE Lopes CAVALCANTE , Steenbergen Bert , Tudella Eloisa
Published: November 2019

Background: Despite the benefits highlighted by motor interventions based on virtual reality for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), there are still doubts whether these are greater than those obtained with conventional interventions due to the absence of systematized protocols and lack of evidence. Here we present a protocol to systematically compare the effects of two motor training programs (one Nintendo® Wii based and the other no-Wii motor activities) on the motor learning in children with DCD. Methods/Design: Two intervention protocols (one based on Nintendo® Wii and the other no-Wii motor activities) will be carried out, with interventions occurring twice a week in 60-minute sessions, with a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 16 sessions per child. The protocols were developed based on the domains of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children – Second Edition (MABC-2) (Manual dexterity, aiming & catching, balance), with two activities for each of the MABC -2 domains. The study will include children aged 7 to 10 with total MABC-2 score ≤16, and Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) score <46 (age of 7 years), score <55 (age group of 8 to 9 years and 11 months), or score <57 (age of 10 years) as scored by the parents. Children will be randomly allocated by draw in one of the two intervention protocols. MABC-2 and DCDQ will be applied before and after intervention to evaluate the effects of the interventions on motor performance and parents’ perception respectively. Motor learning will be assessed by means of the scores obtained in the games. Evaluators and therapists will be trained and evaluators will be blind about the data of the children in the study. Discussion: Owing to its motivating aspects, training with Nintendo® Wii may be particularly beneficial for children with DCD. The results of this study protocol will help researchers and therapists to better understand the benefits of Nintendo® Wii based motor intervention over those obtained with no-Wii interventions in children with DCD. It will also create references about more systematized protocols for replication in clinical practice, seeking the improvement of the motor components of these children. Trial registration: http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-89ydgj/
PS4DR: a multimodal workflow for identification and prioritization of drugs based on pathway signatures
Authors: Emon Mhammad Asif , Domingo-Fernández Daniel , Hoyt Charles Tapley , Hofmann-Apitius Martin
Published: November 2019

Background: During the last decade, there has been a surge towards computational drug repositioning owing to constantly increasing -omics data in the biomedical research field. While numerous existing methods focus on the integration of heterogeneous data to propose candidate drugs, it is still challenging to substantiate their results with mechanistic insights of these candidate drugs. Therefore, there is an unmet need for more innovative and efficient methods which can enable better integration of the data and knowledge for drug repositioning.
Results: Here, we present a customizable workflow (PS4DR) which not only integrates high-throughput data such as genome-wide association study (GWAS) data and gene expression signatures from disease and drug perturbations but also takes pathway knowledge into consideration to predict drug candidates for repositioning. We have collected and integrated publicly available GWAS data and gene expression signatures for several diseases and hundreds of FDA-approved drugs or those under clinical trial in this study. Additionally, different pathway databases were used for mechanistic knowledge integration in the workflow. Using this systematic consolidation of data and knowledge, the workflow computes pathway signatures that assist in the prediction of new indications for approved and investigational drugs.
Conclusion: We showcase PS4DR with applications on how this tool can be used for repurposing drugs as well as to propose drugs that can simulate disease dysregulations. We were able to validate our workflow by demonstrating its capability to predict FDA-approved drugs for their approved indications for several diseases. Further, PS4DR returned many potential drug candidates for repositioning that were backed up by epidemiological evidence extracted from the scientific literature. Source code is freely available at https://github.com/ps4dr/ps4dr.
Bio-Plex phosphoprotein assay using spinal cords and skeletal muscles of mice
Authors: Iida Madoka , Katsuno Masahisa
Published: November 2019

Bio-Plex phosphoprotein assays are magnetic bead-based immunoassays for the detection of intracellular phosphoproteins in cell and tissue lysates. The assay can be readily multiplexed to simultaneously examine the expression levels of numerous phosphorylated proteins.
Inequity in healthcare needs, health service use and financial burden of medical expenditures in China: results from a consecutive household monitoring study in Jiangsu Province
Authors: Jiang Weixi , Xu Xiaolin , Tang Shenglan , Xu Ling , Zhang Yaoguang , Elbers Chris , Cobelens Frank , Yan Lijing
Published: November 2019

Background: Although public medical insurance covers over 95% of the population in China, disparities in health service use and out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditure across income groups are still widely observed. This study aims to investigate the socio-economic disparities in perceived healthcare needs, informal care, formal care and payment for healthcare and explore their equity implication.

Methods: We assessed healthcare needs, service use and payment in 400 households in rural and urban areas in Jiangsu, China, and included only the adult sample (N=925). One baseline survey and 10 follow-up surveys were conducted during the 7-month monitoring period, and the Affordability Ladder Program (ALP) framework was adopted for data analysis. Negative binomial/zero-inflated negative binomial and logit regression models were used to explore factors associated with perceived needs of care and with the use of self-treatment, outpatient and inpatient care respectively. Two-part model and logit regression modeling were conducted to explore factors associated with OOP health expenditure and with the likelihood of incurring catastrophic health expenditure (CHE).

Results : After adjusting for covariates, rural residence was significantly associated with more perceived healthcare needs, more self-treatment, higher probability of using outpatient and inpatient service, more OOP health expenditure and higher likelihood of incurring catastrophic expenditure ( P <0.05). Compared to the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI), enrollment in the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) or in the Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) was correlated with lower probability of ever using outpatient services, but with more outpatient visits when people were at risk of using outpatient service ( P <0.05). NRCMS/URBMI enrollment was also associated with higher likelihood of incurring CHE compared to UEBMI enrollment (OR=2.02, P <0.05); in stratified analysis of the rural and urban sample this effect was only significant for the rural population.

Conclusions: The rural population in Jiangsu perceived more healthcare needs, had a higher probability of using both informal and formal healthcare services, and had more OOP health expenditure and a higher likelihood of incurring CHE. The inequity mainly exists in health care financing, and may be partially addressed through improving the benefit packages of NRCMS/URBMI.
TOPK Promotes Metastasis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Activating the Src/GSK3β/STAT3 Signaling Pathway via γ-Catenin
Authors: Jiang Yanan , Zhang Jing , Zhao Jimin , Li Zhenzhen , Chen Hanyong , Qiao Yan , Chen Xinhuan , liu kangdong , Dong Ziming
Published: November 2019

Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a fatal disease with poor prognosis. The predominant reason for ESCC-related death is distal metastasis. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying metastasis is needed for improving patient prognosis. T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) is a MAPKK-like kinase, which plays a vital role in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. However, the role of TOPK in ESCC metastasis is unclear. Methods Tissue array was used to evaluate the correlation between TOPK expression and ESCC lymph node metastasis. Wound healing assay, transwell assay, and lung metastasis mice model were used to examine the role of TOPK in the migration of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Protein kinase array, mass spectrometry (MS), and molecular modeling were used to examine the pathways and direct target proteins of TOPK that are involved in ESCC metastasis. Additionally, immunofluorescence and western blotting analyses were performed to verify these findings. Results The enhanced expression of TOPK was correlated with lymph node metastasis in the ESCC tissues. TOPK knockdown or treatment with the TOPK inhibitor (HI-TOPK-032) decreased the invasion and migration of ESCC cells in vitro. HI-TOPK-032 also inhibited the lung metastasis in ESCC cell xenograft in vivo model. Moreover, TOPK promoted the invasion of ESCC cells by activating the Src/GSK3β/STAT3 and ERK signaling pathways via γ-catenin. Conclusion The findings of this study reveal that TOPK is involved in ESCC metastasis and promoted the ESCC cell mobility by activating the Src/GSK3β/STAT3 and ERK signaling pathways. This indicated that TOPK may be a potential molecular therapeutic target for ESCC metastasis. Keywords esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; TOPK; tumor metastasis; Src/GSK3β/STAT3; γ-catenin
Biodegradation of Endocrine Disruptor Bisphenol A by Pseudomonas putida Strain YC-AE1 Isolated from Polluted Soil, Guangdong, China
Authors: Eltoukhy Adel Aly Esmail , Jia Yang , Nahurira Ruth , Abo-Kadoum M. A. , Khokhar Ibatsam , Wang Junhuan , Yan Yanchun
Published: November 2019

Background
Bisphenol A is an important organic chemical as an intermediate, final and inert ingredient in manufacturing of many important products like polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins, flame retardants, food–drink packaging coating, and other. BPA is an endocrine disruptor compound that mimics the function of estrogen causing damage to reproductive organs. Bacterial degradation has been consider as a cost effective and eco-friendly method for BPA degradation compared with physical and chemical methods. This study aimed to isolate and identify bacterial strain capable to degrade and tolerate high concentrations of this pollutant, studying the factors affecting the degradation process and study the degradation mechanism of this strain.
Results
YC-AE1 is a Gram negative bacterial strain isolated from soil and identified as Pseudomonas putida by 16S rRNA gene sequence and BIOLOG identification system. This strain found to have a high capacity to degrade the endocrine disruptor Bisphenol A (BPA). Response surface methodology using central composite design was used to statistically optimize the environmental factors during BPA degradation and the results obtained by significant model were 7.2, 30 oC and 2.5 % for optimum initial pH, temperature and inoculum size, respectively. Prolonged incubation period with low NaCl concentration improve the biodegradation of BPA. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed high coefficient of determination, R2 and Adj-R2 which were 0.9979 and 0.9935, respectively. Substrate analysis found that, strain YC-AE1 could degrade a wide variety of bisphenol A-related pollutants such as bisphenol B, bisphenol F, bisphenol S, Dibutyl phthalate, Diethylhexyl phthalate and Diethyl phthalate in varying proportion. Pseudomonas putida YC-AE1 showed high ability to degrade a wide range of BPA concentrations (0.5-1000 mg l−1) with completely degradation for 500 mg l−1 within 72 hours. Metabolic intermediates detected in this study by HPLC-MS were identified as 4,4-dihydroxy-alpha-methylstilbene, p-hydroxybenzaldeyde, p-hydroxyacetophenone, 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, 4-hydroxyphenacyl alcohol, 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, 1,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propanol and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) propanoate.
Conclusions
This study reports Pseudomonas putida YC-AE1 as BPA biodegrader with high performance in degradation and tolerance to high BPA concentration. It exhibited strong degradation capacity and prominent adaptability towards a wide range of environmental conditions. Moreover, it degrades BPA in a short time via two different degradation pathways.
Comprehensive 5-P framework for active ageing through ecological approach: an iterative systematic review
Authors: Lak Azadeh , Rashidghalam Parichehr , Myint Phyo K , Bradaran Hamid R
Published: November 2019

Background "Active Ageing" is an inclusive term thus has been defined from a variety of aspects in different domains throughout the literature. The aim of this review is to identify the aspects which play significant roles in building this concept in an ecological approach.Methods We searched seven online database s, JSTOR, Pub-Med, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ProQuest, EBSCO, and Scopus, from 2002 to 2018 (from introducing this concept by WHO) for both qualitative and quantitative articles in only English language. Two reviewers independently found the related articles using the search terms “active ageing” and “built environment” and included both “ageing” and “aging”.Results Of 1337 records which passed the screening, 86 were eligible for the inclusion for the review purpose. A total of 15 themes were derived: Personal characteristic, Behavioral attitude, Land- use, Access, Physical form, Cityscape/City Image, Public open spaces, Housing, Social Environment, Cultural Environment, Economic Environment, Good Governance, Physical Health, Mental Health, and Social Health. Ecological themes of active ageing can be defined as the 5P model: Person, Processes, Place and Policy- Making based on the Prime aspect of health.Conclusions This study sheds light on the aspects of "Active Ageing" through ecological model while offering the significance of the multidimensional nature of active ageing micro (person), meso-(process) and macro-system (place and policy-making) based on health (prime) environments according to the relationships between person and environment at the individual, interpersonal and environmental levels for the future research and population ageing policies.