bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hepatoprotective Role of Green Tea, (Camellia senesis) Extract on Paracetamol Induced Hepatic Damage in Guinea-Pigs.
Authors: Oze Rita , Nwankpa P. , Oze Gabriel , Nwanjo Harrison
Published: October 2019

Aim: Green tea (Camellia senesis) is consumed because of the belief that it protects against liver related ailments. This study aims at finding the possible scientific basis for this claim.
Methodology: Twenty guinea pigs of mixed sexes were divided into 4 experimental groups of 5 animals each. Group I served as a negative control for the liver marker-enzymes, aspartate-amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Total bilirubin (TB) and its metabolite, conjugated bilirubin (CB), were also estimated. In group II, a high dose of paracetamol was used to induce hepatotoxicity. In groups III and IV, the hepatotoxcity was challenged with the extract of a green tea at 100 and 200 mg/kg.
Results: The results showed that the 100 mg/kg attenuated the serum levels of AST, ALT and ALP by 9.20, 7.30. and 5.10 % respectively. The inhibition of ALT was significant (p<0.05). The 200 mg/kg reduced the levels of the enzymes for AST by 12.00, 9.70 and 5.30% respectively (p>0.05). The serum CB was also significantly reduced by the two doses of the extract (p<0.05). The actual mechanism by which these occurred was not known.
Conclusion: The extract of the green tea may possess hepatoprotective effects.
Key words: Hepatoprotection. Liver enzymes, Green tea. (Camellia senesis). Guinea- pig
Comparative Assessment of Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar levels among Residents in Gas-Flaring and Non-Gas-Flaring Communities in Imo State
Authors: Ngwu E.E. , Egwurugwu Jude , Ugwuezumba P.C. , Alagwu E.A. , Ekweogu C.N. , Nwankpa P. , Ohamaeme M.C. , Ogunnaya Ugonne , Chukwuemeka O.G.
Published: October 2019

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of gas flare and air pollution on body mass index, blood pressure and blood sugar measures in individuals living in Niger Delta states of Nigeria.
Methodology: Two communities (a test and a control) were used for the study in Niger Delta communities in Imo State. The study was carried out among randomly selected chronically exposed and non-exposed residents. People of different occupations and sex were used for the study. Blood pressure was measured using manual mercurial sphygmomanometer in sitting position after about 10 minutes rest while random blood sugar was measured using Accu-CHEK glucometer. Body mass index(BMI) was calculated in kg/m2 as a ratio of body weight and height squared.
Results: Results showed that the mean BMI of the test group (27.88 ± 0.23) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the control (23.16 ± 0.18). Also, generally, the mean blood pressure measurements (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, mean arterial blood pressure) and blood sugar of both males and the females were significantly higher (P<0.05) when compared with the control. Blood pressure measures were higher in males while blood sugar was higher in females. Irrespective of occupation, blood pressure and blood sugar measurements showed a statistically significant increase (P<0.05) in the test group when compared with the control.
Conclusion: In conclusion, long-term exposure to oil/gas flares increased blood pressure, blood sugar and BMI all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
Keywords : Gas flaring, Blood pressure, Diabetes mellitus, Body mass index
Investigation of Additively Manufactured Wind Tunnel Models with Integrated Pressure Taps for Vortex Flow Analysis
Authors: Moioli Matteo , Reinbold Christopher , Sørensen Kaare , Breitsamter Christian
Published: October 2019

Wind tunnel models are traditionally machined from high-quality metal material; this condition reduces the possibility to test different geometric variations or models as it corresponds to incremental cost. In the last decade, the quality of additive manufacturing techniques has been progressively increasing, while the cost has been decreasing. The utilization of 3D-printing techniques suggests the possibility to improve the cost, time, and flexibility of a wind tunnel model production. Possible disadvantages in terms of quality of the model finishing, stiffness, and geometric accuracy are investigated, to understand if the production technique is capable of providing a suitable test device. Additionally, pressure taps for steady surface pressure measurements are integrated during the printing procedure and the production of complex three-dimensional highly swept wings have been selected as targets. Computational fluid dynamics tools are exploited to confirm the experimental results in accordance with the best practice approaches characterizing flow patterns dominated by leading-edge vortices. The fidelity level of the experimental data for scientific research of the described flow fields is investigated. An insight of the most important guidelines and the possible improvements is provided as well as the main features of the approach.
Special Issue on Photoacoustic Tomography
Authors: Wang Xueding , Yang Xinmai , Dean-Ben Xose Luis
Published: October 2019

Biomedical photoacoustic (or optoacoustic) tomography (PAT), or more generally, photoacoustic imaging (PAI), has been an active area of study and development in the last two decades [...]
High Order Split Operators for the Time-Dependent Wavepacket method of Triatomic Reactive Scattering in Hyperspherical Coordinates
Authors: Umer Umair , Zhao Hailin , Usman Syed , Sun Zhigang
Published: October 2019

Since the introduction of a series of methods for solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) in the 80s of the last centry, such as the Fourier transform, the split operator (SO), the Chebyshev polynomial propagator, and complex absorbing potential, investigation of the molecular dynamics within quantum mechanics principle have become popular. In this paper, the application of the time-dependent wave packet (TDWP) method using high-order SO propagators in hyperspherical coordinates for solving triatomic reactive scattering was investigated. The fast sine transform was applied to calculate the derivatives of the wave function of the radial degree of freedom. These high-order SO propagators are examined in different forms, i.e., TVT (Kinetic–Potential–Kinetic) and VTV (Potential–Kinetic–Potential) forms with three typical triatomic reactions, H + H 2 , O + O 2 and F + HD. A little difference has been observed among the performances of high-order SO propagators in the TVT and VTV representations in the hyperspherical coordinate. For obtaining total reaction probabilities with 1% error, some of the S class high-order SO propagators, which have symmetric forms, are more efficient than second order SO for reactions involving long lived intermediate states. High order SO propagators are very efficient for obtaining total reaction probabilities.
Genomic Insights into the Fungal Lignocellulolytic Machinery of Flammulina rossica
Authors: Park Young-Jin , Lee Chang-Soo , Kong Won-Sik
Published: October 2019

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the Flammulina rossica (wood-rotting basidiomycete) genome was performed to identify its carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). De novo genome assembly (31 kmer) revealed a total length of 35,646,506 bp (49.79% GC content). In total, 12,588 gene models of F. rossica were predicted using an ab initio gene prediction tool (AUGUSTUS). Orthologous analysis with other fungal species revealed that 7433 groups contained at least one F. rossica gene. Additionally, 12,033 (95.6%) of 12,588 genes for F. rossica proteins had orthologs among the Dikarya, and F. rossica contained 12 species-specific genes. CAZyme annotation in the F. rossica genome revealed 511 genes predicted to encode CAZymes including 102 auxiliary activities, 236 glycoside hydrolases, 94 glycosyltransferases, 19 polysaccharide lyases, 56 carbohydrate esterases, and 21 carbohydrate binding-modules. Among the 511 genes, several genes were predicted to simultaneously encode two different CAZymes such as glycoside hydrolases (GH) as well as carbohydrate-binding module (CBM). The genome information of F. rossica offers opportunities to understand the wood-degrading machinery of this fungus and will be useful for biotechnological and industrial applications.
Recent Advances in Kaempferia Phytochemistry and Biological Activity: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Elshamy Abdelsamed I. , Mohamed Tarik A. , Essa Ahmed F. , Abd-El Gawad Ahmed M. , Alqahtani Ali S. , Shahat Abdelaaty A. , Yoneyama Tatsuro , Farrag Abdel Razik H. , Noji Masaaki , El-Seedi Hesham R. , Umeyama Akemi , Paré Paul W. , Hegazy Mohamed-Elamir F.
Published: October 2019

Background: Plants belonging to the genus Kaempferia (family: Zingiberaceae) are distributed in Asia, especially in the southeast region, and Thailand. They have been widely used in traditional medicines to cure metabolic disorders, inflammation, urinary tract infections, fevers, coughs, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, abdominal and gastrointestinal ailments, asthma, wounds, rheumatism, epilepsy, and skin diseases. Objective: Herein, we reported a comprehensive review, including the traditional applications, biological and pharmacological advances, and phytochemical constituents of Kaempheria species from 1972 up to early 2019. Materials and methods: All the information and reported studies concerning Kaempheria plants were summarized from library and digital databases (e.g., Google Scholar, Sci-finder, PubMed, Springer, Elsevier, MDPI, Web of Science, etc.). The correlation between the Kaempheria species was evaluated via principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), based on the main chemical classes of compounds. Results: Approximately 141 chemical constituents have been isolated and reported from Kaempferia species, such as isopimarane, abietane, labdane and clerodane diterpenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenyl-heptanoids, curcuminoids, tetrahydropyrano-phenolic, and steroids. A probable biosynthesis pathway for the isopimaradiene skeleton is illustrated. In addition, 15 main documented components of volatile oils of Kaempheria were summarized. Biological activities including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticholinesterase, antioxidant, anti-obesity-induced dermatopathy, wound healing, neuroprotective, anti-allergenic, and anti-nociceptive were demonstrated. Conclusions: Up to date, significant advances in phytochemical and pharmacological studies of different Kaempheria species have been witnessed. So, the traditional uses of these plants have been clarified via modern in vitro and in vivo biological studies. In addition, these traditional uses and reported biological results could be correlated via the chemical characterization of these plants. All these data will support the biologists in the elucidation of the biological mechanisms of these plants.
Simple Route to Synthesize Fully Conjugated Ladder Isomer Copolymers with Carbazole Units
Authors: Chen Shuang , Liu Feng , Wang Chao , Shen Jinghui , Wu Yonggang
Published: October 2019

Two isomer polymers, P3 and P6, with fully conjugated ladder structures are presented by simple synthetic routes. The well-defined structures of fully conjugated ladder polymers P3 and P6 were ensured by the high yields of every reaction step. The fully rigid ladder structures were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and photophysical test. Polymers P3 and P6 with bulky alkyl side chains exhibit good solution processability and desirable thermostable properties. After the intramolecular cyclization reaction, the band gaps of polymers P3 and P6 become lower (2.86 eV and 2.66 eV, respectively) compared with polymers P1 and P4. This initial study provides insight for the rational design of fully ladder-conjugated isomeric polymers with well-defined structures.
Modification and Compounding of CaMgAl-Layered Double Hydroxides and Their Application in the Flame Retardance of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Resin
Authors: Wang Bai-nian , Chen Ming-yang , Yang Bao-jun
Published: October 2019

CaMgAl-layered double hydroxides (CaMgAl-LDHs) were synthesized by a co-precipitation method to prepare sodium oleate-modified, borate-intercalated CaMgAl-LDHs (O-CaMgAl-LDHs) using in-situ intercalation and modification, and the LDHs samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The FESEM observations showed that the as-prepared CaMgAl-LDHs had a lamellar structure with a particle size of 200~500 nm, while the O-CaMgAl-LDHs had a plate-like structure with a particle size of about 100 nm. TGA showed that O-CaMgAl-LDHs resulted in higher thermal stability at high temperature compared to CaMgAl-LDHs. O-CaMgAl-LDHs/ABS composites were prepared by adding O-CaMgAl-LDHs to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin (ABS) to test the resulting flame retardancy and mechanical properties, and the results showed that the limiting oxygen index (LOI) could increase from 18% to 26%, while the mechanical properties decreased significantly when the added fraction was 40% (relative to ABS). O-CaMgAl-LDHs, ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and expandable graphite (EG) were added into the ABS to prepare ABS composites, and the effects of different compositions on the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the ABS composites were investigated. The results showed that, when adding 5 g of O-CaMgAl-LDHs, 1 g of APP, and 14 g of EG into 40 g of ABS, the LOI of the ABS composite reached 28.8%, and the composite prepared could meet the V-0 grade requirements of the UL-94 combustion test, while the flexural strength decreased only 21.9% compared to pure ABS, the smallest decrease compared to all of the other composites.
Study on Flow Field and Rotor Safety Characteristics of MSPs Based on Flow Thermo-Coupling
Authors: Chen Yiming , Zhu Rongsheng , Lu Yonggang , Gao Zhenjun , Kang Junjun
Published: October 2019

In order to obtain the structural intensity under the operation conditions of MSP (molten salt pump), the rotor component of MSP is taken as the research object. In this paper, the influence of material properties change on the structural performance of MSP at different temperatures is analyzed. The stress distribution and strain distribution of MSP rotor components under different loads are investigated, and the intensity calculation of MSP rotor system is carried out to explore whether it meets the intensity requirements under high temperature operation, which lays a foundation for the high temperature test of MSP. The results show that the maximum deformation position of the blade working face appears at the outer edge of the impeller. When the fluid-structure coupling is applied, the blade strain law and the strain law during thermo-coupling are similar. The effect of the temperature field on the degree of blade deformation is not significant, provided that other factors remain the same. The position where the impeller equivalent stress is the largest is mainly concentrated in the area where the blade is in contact with the front and rear cover plates at the outlet of the impeller. Different degrees of stress concentration occur in the area where the blade is in contact with the impeller hub. The distribution law of the equivalent stress on the surface of the impeller cover plate is that the equivalent stress value changes periodically along the circumferential direction of the impeller, and the number of change cycles is equal to the number of impeller blades. This study can provide a reference for the structural design of MSPs.
An Orientalist Contribution to “Catholic Science”: The Historiography of Andalusi Mysticism and Philosophy in Julián Ribera and Miguel Asín
Authors: Bornstein Pablo
Published: October 2019

This article provides a historiographical analysis of the principal works on Andalusi mysticism and philosophy in Spain at the turn of the twentieth century. It portrays the intellectual background in which the Arabist scholars Julián Ribera (1858–1934) and Miguel Asín Palacios (1871–1944) developed their studies, and their particular “presentist” concerns, highlighting how their works and publications on this field cannot be detached from contemporary national debates on religious issues. The contribution of these Orientalist scholars was especially relevant to the transnational movement in defense of a Catholic science. The adherents of this movement sought ways of stressing the compatibility of dogma with the findings of unbiased scientific works, against the perceived attack to religious doctrine they sensed coming from positivist science. The Spanish Orientalists would bring to light the importance of Eastern Christian thought in the development of medieval Muslim theology, therefore vindicating the Christian origins of Andalusi philosophical and theological production and rendering it easier for the Catholic Spanish public to come to terms with Orientalist queries.
A Modular Processing Chain for Automated Flood Monitoring from Multi-Spectral Satellite Data
Authors: Wieland Marc , Martinis Sandro
Published: October 2019

Emergency responders frequently request satellite-based crisis information for flood monitoring to target the often-limited resources and to prioritize response actions throughout a disaster situation. We present a generic processing chain that covers all modules required for operational flood monitoring from multi-spectral satellite data. This includes data search, ingestion and preparation, water segmentation and mapping of flooded areas. Segmentation of the water extent is done by a convolutional neural network that has been trained on a global dataset of Landsat TM, ETM+, OLI and Sentinel-2 images. Clouds, cloud shadows and snow/ice are specifically handled by the network to remove potential biases from downstream analysis. Compared to previous work in this direction, the method does not require atmospheric correction or post-processing and does not rely on ancillary data. Our method achieves an Overall Accuracy (OA) of 0.93, Kappa of 0.87 and Dice coefficient of 0.90. It outperforms a widely used Random Forest classifier and a Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) threshold method. We introduce an adaptable reference water mask that is derived by time-series analysis of archive imagery to distinguish flood from permanent water. When tested against manually produced rapid mapping products for three flood disasters (Germany 2013, China 2016 and Peru 2017), the method achieves ≥ 0.92 OA, ≥ 0.86 Kappa and ≥ 0.90 Dice coefficient. Furthermore, we present a flood monitoring application centred on Bihar, India. The processing chain produces very high OA (0.94), Kappa (0.92) and Dice coefficient (0.97) and shows consistent performance throughout a monitoring period of one year that involves 19 Landsat OLI ( μ Kappa = 0.92 and σ Kappa = 0.07 ) and 61 Sentinel-2 images ( μ Kappa = 0.92 , σ Kappa = 0.05 ). Moreover, we show that the mean effective revisit period (considering cloud cover) can be improved significantly by multi-sensor combination (three days with Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat OLI).
Corporate Public Transparency on Financial Performance: The Moderating Role of Political Embeddedness
Authors: Li Yuxuan , Miao Xin , Zheng Dequan , Tang Yanhong
Published: October 2019

Corporate public transparency (CPT) is instrumental for companies to establish communications and trust with the public by disclosing and communicating information concerning corporate environmental and social impacts. However, it is still in dispute whether CPT can help promote corporate financial performance (CFP). This paper studied the moderating role of political embeddedness on the relationship between CPT and CFP. We investigate multiple hypotheses about the moderating roles of the political embeddedness including bureaucratic embeddedness (political connections of a chief executive officer (CEO) who was/is a government official or member of political council) and ownership embeddedness (i.e., state-owned enterprises (SOEs)). With the data of 195 observations from top 200 Chinese enterprises ranked by revenue for the years 2014~2016, the results show the following: (1) the relationship of CPT on CFP is moderated by government official and SOE ownership; (2) a negative moderating effect of government official; and (3) a negative moderating effect of SOE ownership. The research implications are further discussed. The findings of this study have practical implications for investors, stakeholders, and regulators.
Understanding the Sustainable Usage Intention of Mobile Payment Technology in Korea: Cross-Countries Comparison of Chinese and Korean Users
Authors: Lin Xin , Wu RunZe , Lim Yong-Taek , Han Jieping , Chen Shih-Chih
Published: October 2019

Mobile payment (m-payment) enables consumers to perform their payment tasks via a mobile technology platform. In this study, we summarized, evaluated, and expanded upon the literature about m-payment usage intention by synthetically integrating the advantages of three information systems theories into an integrated model, which details the complementary relationship between the objective measures, subjective perception of m-payment services, and m-payment technology–task fit characteristics. Based on a sample of 908 individuals in two different Kakaopay user groups (467 Chinese Kakaopay users in Korea and 441 local Korean Kakaopay users) and the three-model integrated optimization, we integrated the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model (UTAUT), the information systems success model (D&M ISS), and the task-technology fit model (TTF), considering moderating variables (Chinese and Korea experienced consumers) and multi-group analysis. We chose the factors influencing Chinese and Korean consumers’ usage intention as the research objects, and ultimately achieved our purpose of more accurately predicting consumer behavior patterns to expand the scale of potential Chinese consumers. The empirical results theoretically contribute to academic and practical solutions for the Korean m-payment product and help technology suppliers to stimulate the sustainable growth of Korean mobile payment consumer groups in Korea.
Direct and Indirect Impacts of Fish on Crustacean Zooplankton in Experimental Mesocosms
Authors: Feniova Irina , Sakharova Ekaterina , Karpowicz Maciej , Gladyshev Michail I. , Sushchik Nadezhda N. , Dawidowicz Piotr , Gorelysheva Zoya , Górniak Andrzej , Stroinov Yaroslav , Dzialowski Andrew
Published: October 2019

Understanding the factors that regulate phytoplankton and zooplankton is an important goal of aquatic ecologists; however, much remains unknown because of complex interactions between phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish. Zooplankton, in particular cladocerans, can be regulated by bottom–up factors either via food quantity or food quality in terms of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or phosphorus (P) contents in phytoplankton. Fish can recycle nutrients and in turn change the PUFA and P contents of algal resources, thus modifying bottom–up regulation. Furthermore, fish can change phytoplankton structure through consumption of cladocerans which selectively graze phytoplankton. We conducted a mesocosm (300 L) experiment to determine how trophic state and fish affected crustacean dynamics. The mesocosms were filled with water containing natural plankton from the eutrophic Lake Jorzec and mesotrophic Lake Majcz (Northeastern Poland), and we manipulated fish presence/absence. We also conducted a complementary life-table experiment to determine how trophic state and fish nonconsumptively affected demographic parameters of the dominant cladocerans in the mesocosms. Small and large cladoceran species responded differently to food quantity and quality. Small-bodied Ceriodaphnia were regulated mainly by resource concentrations (i.e., food quantity), while large species were limited by PUFAs (i.e., food quality). Fish likely increased food quality in terms of PUFA, primarily eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA), thus providing conditions for more successful development of Daphnia than in the fish-free treatments. Phosphorus in the seston was likely limiting for zooplankton. However, food quality in terms of phosphorus was likely less important than PUFA because zooplankton can accumulate nutrients in their body.
L'intérêt du capital de 1914 à 1965 - placements en valeurs mobilières et en or
Authors: Laforest Pierre
Published: October 2019

La présente note est la mise à jour, au début de 1965, d'études publiées, en 1944 et en 1958, sur l'évolution de la valeur nominale, du pouvoir d'achat et des taux d'intérêts qui en résultent d'un capital placé soit en valeurs mobilières à revenu fixe ou variable, compte tenu de leurs revenus, soit en or.

Dans le cadre des hypothèses retenues, on pourra remarquer que, dans l'ensemble, l'évolution du pouvoir d'achat d'un capital placé en valeurs à revenu fixe n'est devenue quelque peu favorable que depuis 1949. Le placement en or n'a pratiquement jamais été fructueux pendant le demi-siècle étudié. Seules les valeurs à revenu variable semblent avoir produit un revenu réel substantiel pendant quelques périodes. Encore convient-il de souligner que, l'étude ne tenant pas compte, notamment, des impôts perçus sur les revenus des titres, les taux d'intérêt publiés ici sont sensiblement supérieurs à la réalité.
Les salaires dans l'industrie, le commerce et les services en 1964
Authors: Padieu René
Published: October 2019

Chaque année, l'I.N.S.E.E. reçoit communication des déclarations de salaires souscrites par les employeurs auprès des services des impôts. Les statistiques qui en sont tirées permettent de connaître la répartition de la masse salariale, ainsi que d'apprécier le niveau des salaires individuels en fonction de l'activité économique, de la taille de l'entreprise, de la catégorie socio-professionnelle, de l'âge, du sexe ou de la région. L'étude ci-après constitue donc une mise à jour, pour 1964, des données publiées précédemment (2).

Bien que la méthode d'élaboration de ces statistiques ne se prête pas à la mesure précise des évolutions, on a tenté une comparaison avec les résultats précédents. Il était nécessaire en effet d'expliciter quelque peu l'augmentation (de 7 % environ) du salaire moyen d'ensemble entre 1963 et 1964. La portée d'une telle analyse reste cependant limitée, et ce n'est que sur une période de quelques années que les évolutions se dessinent avec certitude.

Enfin, on a examiné plus particulièrement quatre catégories extrêmes : les bas salaires ; les salariés de moins de vingt ans ; ceux de plus de soixante ; et enfin les cadres supérieurs. L'effectif relativement réduit de ces quatre populations ne permet pas de descendre à un très grand détail d'analyse. Il était intéressant cependant de compléter de la sorte l'étude d'ensemble.
PILOT RESEARCH OF A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION FOR CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF ACUTE INTERMITTENT PORPHYRIA
Authors: Pshenichnikova O. S. , Goncharova M. V. , Pustovoit Y. S. , Karpova I. V. , Surin V. L.
Published: October 2019

Introduction.Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is the most common and severe form of acute hepatic porphyria. AIP is caused by a deficiency in the third enzyme of the heme biosynthesis system — hydroxymethylbilanine synthase (HMBS) — and has a dominant inheritance type. However, the probability of the clinical manifestation of this condition in carriers of the mutation in the HMBS gene constitutes only 10–20 %. Thi s suggests that the presence of such a mutation can be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the development of the disease.

Aim.To search for additional genetic factors, which determine the clinical penetrance of AIP using Whole-Exome Sequencing.

Materials and methods.Sequencing of the whole exome was performed using a TruSeqExomeLibraryPrepkit (Illumina) kit by an Illumina HiSeq4000 instrument for 6 women with API with known mutations in the HMBS gene. All the patients suffered from a severe form of the disease. As a reference, a version of the hg19 human genome was used.

Results.No common mutations were found in the examined patients. However, in each patient, functional variations were found in the genes related to detoxification systems, regulation of the heme biosynthesis cascade and expression of delta-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS1) and in genes of proteins regulating nervous system. These variations require further study involving an extended number of patients with AIP manifestations and their relatives, who are asymptomatic carriers of disorders in the gene HMBS.

Conclusions.The results obtained have allowed us to formulate a hypothesis about a possible role of genetic defects in the penetrance of AIP, which determine the development of other neurological pathologies. This is evidenced by the presence of gene pathogenic variations in 5 out of 6 examined patients, defects in which are associated with hereditary myasthenia and muscle atrophy.
CHEMOTHERAPY ACCORDING TO THE R-mNHL-BFM-90 PROTOCOL IN COMBINATION WITH LENALIDOMIDE AS THE FIRST LINE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH MUM1-POSITIVE DIFFUSIVE LARGE B-CELL LYMPHOMA AND FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA GRADE 3B
Authors: Gabeeva N. G. , Koroleva D. A. , Smolyaninova A. K. , Belyaeva A. V. , Tatarnikova C. A. , Gemdzhian E. G. , Tsygankova S. V. , Bulygina E. S. , Rastorguev S. M. , Nedoluzhko A. V. , Naraikin O. C. , Biderman B. V. , Sudarikov A. B. , Obukhova T. N. , Kovrigina A. M. , Zvonkov E. E.
Published: October 2019

Introduction.Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of postgerminal origin (ABC-DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma grade 3B (FL3B) are characterised by an aggressive course and resistance to chemotherapy (CT). Both diseases are characterised by the activation of genes of the post-terminal stage of B-cell differentiation and high expression of the MUM1 transcriptional protein. Lenalidomide in combination with R-CHOP improved the results of treatment in patients with ABC-DLBCL; however, about 40 % of them remain resistant to the therapy.

Aim.The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the R-mNHL-BFM-90 protocol with lenalidomide (R2-mNHL-BFM-90), as well as to analyse possible causes of CT resistance in patients with ABC-DLBCL and FL3B.

Patients and methods.Over the period from October 2016 to December 2018, 8 patients with MUM1-positive DLBCL and FL3B were included in the research. All patients underwent a cytogenetic study of tumour samples. A mutational status of the TP53 gene was determined by Sanger sequencing.

Results.Patients received combination chemotherapy according to the R2-mNHL-BFM-90 protocol with lenalidomide at a dose of 25 mg/day, from the 1st to the 10th day of each course. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed as a consolidation in three patients. After the end of the chemotherapy, a complete remission of the disease was achieved in all patients. Relapse developed in 1 patient with a mutation in the TP53 gene. With a median follow-up period of 11 months (1–23), event-free survival was 87 %.

Conclusions. The R2-mNHL-BFM-90 protocol has demonstrated a high efficacy and acceptable toxicity in patients with ABC-DLBCL and FL3B. The presence of a mutation in the TP53 gene is established to be an extremely unfavourable prognostic factor even provided intensive treatment protocols, thus requiring the development of alternative approaches to the management of such patients.
ASSESSMENT OF HLA-COMPATIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS FOR HLA-TYPING OF PATIENT AND DONOR IN ALLOGENEIC HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION
Authors: Khamaganova E. G. , Kuzmina L. A.
Published: October 2019

Introduction.Unification of guidelines and standards concerning requirements for HLA typing and assessment of the degree of HLA match between the recipient and the donor for different types of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is of a great importance.

Aim.To present contemporary requirements for the HLA typing of a recipient and a donor for allo-HSCT, to generalize recom mendations for assessing a required match degree of a recipient and a donor and to provide data on additional immunogenetic factors capable of improving the results of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

General findings.Allo-HSCT appears to be an effective, and, in some cases, non-alternative treatment for many diseases of the blood system. The number of allo-HSCT types is constantly growing globally. Currently, an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell donor can be selected for almost every recipient having indication for this type of therapy. Such a transplantation can be performed from an HLA-identical sibling, an HLA-match unrelated donor, a partially HLA-match unrelated donor, a relative haploidentical donor or cord blood. HLA match between the recipient and the donor present itself as an important factor affecting the results of allo-HSCT. The choice of a donor should involve a correct assessment the HLA match degree between the recipient and the donor, as well as consideration of additional factors that may affect the results of allo-HSCT.
PHENOTYPIC HETEROGENEITY OF NEUTROPHILS: NEW ANTIMICROBIC CHARACTERISTICS AND DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Andryukov B. G. , Bogdanova V. D. , Lyapun I. N.
Published: October 2019

Introduction.Neutrophils are the most numerous subpopulation of leukocytes circulating in the blood; they constitute the first line of defence of the innate link of the immune system.

Aim.To generalize basic concepts about phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of neutrophils.

General findings.According to contemporary concepts, this type of blood cells performs not only antimicrobial functions, but also participates in capture and destruction of various microorganisms, including such processes as phagocytosis and intracellular degradation, degranulation and formation of extracellular neutrophilic traps after the detection of microorganisms. Neutrophils are considered to be a phenotypically heterogeneous pool of blood cells featuring a significant functional variability. Under pathological conditions, they can differentiate into discrete subpopulations with va rious phenotypic and functional characteristics. They are capable of interaction with macrophages, natural killers, dendritic and mesenchymal stem cells, B and T lymphocytes or platelets. In addition, neutrophils exhibit vector properties with respect to cancerous tumours. They possess a high morphological and functional variability, being modulators of both inflammation and active triggers of immune responses. A search for molecular markers able to efficiently differentiate neutrophil phenotypes and establish the degree of their diagnostic specificity for various pathologies is of a particular importance.
PRIAPISM AS THE FIRST SIGN OF CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKEMIA
Authors: Rustamov M. N. , Huseynov G. R. , Akhmedov I. S.
Published: October 2019

Introduction. Priapism is a prolonged painful erection lasting for more than four hours, which either persists after the termination of sexual stimulation or is not associated therewith. Priapism may be the first clinical manifestation of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Aim. To describe a clinical case of ischemic priapism that occurred in a patient with a previously undiagnosed CML.

General findings. We present a clinical observation of ischemic priapism having lasted for 18 hours, which occurred in a patient with a previously undiagnosed CML. The diagnosis of CML was subsequently established on the basis of a study of peripheral blood and bone marrow. The therapeutic tactics consisted in an immediate puncture aspiration of blood from the corpora cavernosa and an intracavernous injection of a phenylephrine solution. After priapism had been relieved, an CML therapy was applied, which allowed the recurrence of priapism in the patient to be avoided.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY MODERNIZATION OF UNITED TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Faifura Vasyl , Krainskyi Ihor
Published: October 2019

In the article to consider the issues of energy and environmental modernization of the socio-economic development of the Kupchynets association territorial municipality. The actual problems in these areas, the difficulties faced by the newly formed territorial communities, are outlined, the specific strategic directions that are to be implemented by the community in the area of energy conservation and ecological optimization of the community territory are outlined. The main among them are the authors see educational activities for community management and other stakeholders, implementation of energy management systems in the community, energy audit of objects on the territory of the community, and implementation of measures for the conservation of the environment.
ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ІГРОВИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ НА УРОКАХ У НОВІЙ УКРАЇНСЬКІЙ ШКОЛІ
Authors: Пузан Юлія
Published: October 2019

У даній статті розкриваються особливості застосування ігрових технологій у новій українській школі. Використання ігор, під час проведення уроків, дає можливість вчителю вийти на новий, творчий рівень взаємодії з учнями початкових класів. Ігрові технології навчання - це метод навчання, який передбачає застосування навчального матеріалу та змісту освіти, а також допомагає знайти та отримати бажану ціль, тобто досягти певного результату. Чим більше різноманітності ми можемо додати у викладання, тим більше шансів на задоволення потреб усіх різних учнів. Більше того, оскільки дітей потрібно вмотивувати, захоплюючі та відповідні заняття в класі є необхідними, якщо має бути реальне розуміння та засвоєння. Поки педагоги, уряд і батьки усвідомлюють психологічну потребу і переваги навчальних ігор, ця технологія стала основним інструментом педагогічного процесу.
Benefits of Integration of Computer and Information Technology into Nigerian
Secondary School Curriculum.
Authors: C.O. Lawrence
Published: October 2019

The benefits of integration of Computer and Information Technology into Nigerian secondary school curriculum
were identified and discussed. Already, Nigeria is on the wrong side of the international digital and global world
of computer technology, as it has not made significant effort to integrate Computer and Information Technology
into secondary school curriculum especially State and private owned secondary schools. A great deal of
instructional and administrative work in secondary schools in Nigeria is still carried out manually. This paper,
therefore, examines the major obstacles militating against the teaching and learning of information Technology,
and also the use of computer technology in secondary education in Nigeria. It further identifies the high cost of
computer hardware and software resources; weak infrastructure; lack of human skills and knowledge in
Computer and Information Technology, as the major stumbling block to the adoption of Information and
Communication Technology in secondary school education system in Nigeria. The study recommends that
efforts should be made by government to post skillful teachers with knowledge of Computer and Information
Technology to teach in the secondary schools so as to impact computer skills to the students, and also stabilize
electricity supply in Nigeria for effective teaching and learning process of Computer and Information
Technology.
Work Attitude Needs for Leadership and Education of University Graduates of
Technology Education in South-South States of Nigeria for National Security.
Authors: Theophilus E. Ehimen , Boniface U Ezeora
Published: October 2019

The study determined Work Attitude Needs for Leadership and Education of University Graduates of
Technology Education for National Security. The Study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The
population, for the study was 316 respondents. No sample was taken because the population was manageable.
Work Attitude Needs for Leadership of University Graduates Questionnaire (WANLUGQ) totally 14 items was
used to collect data. The instrument for data collection was face validated by three experts and the Gron.ba.ch
Alpha. Coefficient test of reliability for internal consistency for the instrument was 0.76, indicating the. high
reliability of the instrument. Data collected, were analyzed with mean, and standard deviation. The hypothesis
was tested at 0.05 level of significance using z-test. The findings revealed, that, the University Graduates of
Technology Education rates that work attitude needs for leadership considered were Highly Needed for
National Security. It was recommended among others, that University Graduates of Technology Education
should develop high sense of responsibility to enhance work attitude needs for National Security.
Awareness and Use of Electronic Information Resources in Polytechnic Library
Zungeru, Niger State, Nigeria.
Authors: H.T. Mustapha , A.O. Ahmad , Katamba A. Saka
Published: October 2019

The study investigated the awareness and use of electronic information resources in the Polytechnic library
Zungeru, Niger State, Nigeria. The study was anchored on four objectives and one hypothesis. Survey research
design was adopted. The population of the study consisted of 1,373 full time National Diploma (ND) II and High
National Diploma (HND) II students and a sample size of 301 respondents was adopted through random
sampling technique. Structured and four rating scale questionnaire and observation check-list were used as
data collection instruments. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The
findings revealed that e-books, e-journals, CD-ROM data bases and online e-resources databases were the
available electronic information resources in the Polytechnic library Zungeru. The level of awareness of
electronic information resources was low, while the mean frequency use of library electronic information
resources was on monthly basis. Some of the challenges encountered in the use of electronic information
resources include: inadequate awareness of the electronic information resources, irregular power supply and
inadequate Internet facilities in the library. The study recommended that electronic information resources such
as electronic theses/dissertations should be acquired and made available to students; the library management
should use education program to sensitise students more on the availability and usefulness of the electronic
information resources to their studies. The library management should also ensure that acquisition policy is
tailored towards users‟ information needs.
Leadership and Education for National Security.
Authors: S.U Inyang
Published: October 2019

This paper attempts to explain the influence of leadership and Education on national security. Leadership is a
vital phenomenon in the life of any nation or organization. When a leader is focus, proactive progress minded
and security conscious, the subjects enjoy lasting peace and harmony as well as security and progress. The
saying that “when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice” is a well thought out proposition which also
applies in the case of a good leader. Education on the other hand provides opportunity for individuals to take
their rightful places in the society due to its transformative power. knowledge, skills values, believes and habit
so acquired help individuals to improve their living standard and be self dependent thereby reducing
unemployment and its attendant negative consequences on national security Nelson Mandella put it succinctly
when he stated that Education is the most powerful tool which can be used to change the world. Denmark,
Ireland, New Zealand and Finland provide Education as a common good and used it to achieve not only the
Nations‟ social needs but also political, moral and economic aspirations as they also inculcate in their citizens
the necessary knowledge skills, dexterity, Character and desirable virtues that foster self actualization, national
development and security. These countries especially Finland with 100% literacy rate unarguably have one of
the best standard of living and the least crime rate in the world. Therefore good leadership and sound,
accessible and functional Educational system of a country have strong correlation with a nations economy and
security situation. A strong economy anchored on good leadership and Education reduces unemployment,
general crime rate, promote patriotism and guarantee national, regional and international security.
The Place of Education and Leadership in the Provision of Security in
Secondary Schools in Enugu State.
Authors: I.O. Izuehie , C.I. Ani
Published: October 2019

Education is the foundation and an instrument for social change in any society. It is the bedrock of a nation‟s
development.There is no nation that can grow beyond the educational level of the leaders, hence there is need
for the educated ones to occupy significant positions to improve the nation‟s development. Good leadership
enhances human security that emphasizes the protection of lives and property of individuals living in a given
nation. This can be achieved by arousing the intellectual curiosity and appetite for more knowledge and wisdom
through education. This explains the reason why education in Nigeria is still a national discourse at all levels.
This paper, therefore, x-rayed the need for education and good leadership in dealing with security issues in
secondary schools in Enugu State. It was recommended among others that there shall be an overhaul of the
educational curriculum that will provide mind developing contents that will handle the aspect of security issues
in the schools.
Extent of Utilization of Security Management Strategies for Enhancing
Secondary Schools’ Administration by Principals in Udi Education Zone, Enugu
State.
Authors: Ifeyinwa P. Eze , H. O. Ozoana
Published: October 2019

The study was carried out to examine the impact of principals‟ security management strategies for enhancing
secondary schools administration in Udi Education Zone. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for
this study. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Principals‟ population was 54
while teachers‟ population was 621, the researcher purposively sampled 124 teachers‟ and made use of the 54
principals. The researcher made use of instrument for data collection. The instrument consisted of 15 items.
The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha with an overall reliability index of 0.80
which made the instrument highly reliable. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while ttest
statistics was used to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study showed that the respondents were of
the views that, principals‟ security management strategies relating to the provision of security devices have an
impact in enhancement of secondary school administration in Udi Education Zone to a low extent. It was
recommended among others that the government should take the issue of security as a matter of priority as
well as allocating money for the purchasing of such safety and security building equipment as video
surveillance (CCTV) among others.