bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LEVANTAMENTO DO PERFIL DOS PROFISSIONAIS E DAS EMPRESAS DE TECNOLOGIA DA INFORMAÇÃO (TI) DA CIDADE DE ITABAIANA – SE
Authors: Silva Luciana Lourdys dos Santos , Santos Francielly dos , Souza Rosimare da Silva , Nascimento Sidney Cassemiro do , Mota Levi da Costa
Published: April 2018

A pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de tornar visível para a comunidade geral e acadêmica, o perfil dos profissionais e das empresas de tecnologia da informação (TI), existentes na cidade de Itabaiana (SE), formando uma base de conhecimento bastante útil para profissionais já atuantes na área, assim como pessoas que se interessam em entrar na área com melhor direcionamento. Além disso, o produto desta pesquisa permite às instituições de ensino da região identificarem os cursos que devem ser ofertados à comunidade para a formação adequada dos profissionais que as empresas esperam preencher suas vagas de emprego. Após a realização da pesquisa, foram analisados os dados obtidos, que permitiram traçar o perfil dos profissionais e das empresas de TI da referida cidade.
The changes in protein content of blood serum and esophageal homogenate under acid burn development in immature rats
Authors: Koval T. , Ischuk T. , Raetska Ya.
Published: April 2018

The steady increase of the number of chemical esophagus burns is noted over the past tenth anniversary. The esophageal acid burns are seen frequently in children ages 1 to 8 years. The chemical injuries sights are characterized by increase synthesis and degradation of proteins and scar formation. The cicatricial changes of the esophagus, developing as a result of burns, remain one of the most difficult problems of physiological functions maintaining. Despite of numerous studies, there are many insufficiently studied issues of esophagus burn healing and scarring process at the cellular and molecular level. Further study of the esophageal burns healing process would be useful to create effective approaches to prevention of scarring formation in esophagus.
State of hyperglycemic animals during consumption of high-calorie diet with the bionanocomposite supplement
Authors: Goloborodko Ie. , Konopelniuk V. , Ostapchenko L.
Published: April 2018

Glucose level and glucose tolerance test in blood of rats under conditions of obesity induced by consumption of high-calorie diet have been determined. It was also researched these indicators in the blood of animals that consumpt high-calorie diet with added bionanocomposite. These data suggest bionanocomposite preventive effect on the development of key indicators prediabetes.
State of glutathione system in the serum of rats in experimental osteoarthritis and administration of chondroitin sulphate
Authors: Tikhova E. , Tymoshenko M. , Kovelska Y. , Dvorshchenko K.
Published: April 2018

It was established that in osteoarthritis induced by administering of sodium monoiodacetate in the blood serum of rats glutathione system enzyme activities reduced – glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, oxidized glutathione and the ratio of redox glutathione forms moved towards oxidation. It has been found that after the introduction of the drug based on the sodium chondroitin sulphate enzyme activities grew and glutathione balance normalized in the serum of rats with chemically induced osteoarthritis.
Reaction of lymphoidal organs of rats on the growth of glioma C6
Authors: Opeida I. , Rudyk M. , Svyatetska V. , Skivka L. , Fedorchuk O.
Published: April 2018

The study of the responce of peripheral lymphoid structures to the presence of malignant tumor in the brain offers the challenge for the use of immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of this disease. This work was aimed to evaluate weight indices and cellularity of lymphoid organs in rat with C6 glioma. One was found that the growth of glioma is accompanied by changes in the cellularity of the organs of the lymphatic system. The observed changes indicate the likelihood of the presentation of C6 glioma antigens in peripheral lymphoid structures, as well as the negative impact of glioma growth on thymus and spleen homeostasis.
Outras narrativas: Imagens da Copa a partir do projeto Offside Brazil
Authors: Tidei Mariana
Published: April 2018

Resumo: O presente trabalho tem como objetivo discutir, a partir do projeto Offside Brazil, a produção de narrativas dissonantes em meio ao que se configurou como um megaevento colonizador que constituiu a Copa do Mundo de 2014. Em um momento de comunicação em rede sob o capitalismo informacional, notamos como a disputa pelo espaço urbano também se desdobra em uma disputa por narrativas com grande ênfase ao impacto das imagens disseminadas nesse processo. Portanto, esse trabalho busca pensar o potencial político das imagens em constituir um campo de experiência democrática possível, a partir de uma operação polifônica.Palavras-chave: narrativas; imagem; dissenso.Abstract: This paper intends to discuss, through the Offside Brazil project, the production of dissonant narratives during what has been configured as a colonizing mega-vent as the 2014 Fifa World Cup. At a moment configured by a network communication under informational capitalism, it is noticed how the urban space disputes also corresponds in narrative disputes, with strong emphasis in the images impact that are disseminated in this process. Therefore, this work constitutes an effort to think about the images politic potential in constituting a possible field of democratic experience through a polyphonic operation.Keywords: narratives; image; dissent.
In Vitro Evaluation of Ethanolic and Aqueous Crude Extracts of Newbouldia laevis Leaves on Bacterial Isolates from Ear Infections
Authors: Kanu Anulika M. , Kalu J.E. , Kalu T.
Published: April 2018

The antibacterial effects of ethanolic and aqueous crude extract of leaves of Newbouldia laevis were evaluated against pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli isolated from ear infections. A concentration gradient of the ethanolic and aqueous extract (12.5 mg/ml – 100 mg/ml) was prepared and its effectiveness was tested by agar well diffusion method and nutrient broth dilution technique. The organisms tested varied in pattern of susceptibility but were more sensitive at high concentrations. The zone of inhibition of aqueous extract of Newbouldia laevis on test organisms ranged from 4.0 to 15 mm while the ethanolic extracts of Newbouldia laevis on test organisms ranged from 6.5 to 21.00 mm. The comparative susceptibility of test bacteria to Newbouldia and ciprofloxacin showed that there was a significant difference in the antibacterial activity of leaf extract and the antibiotic standard. The MIC values ranged from 12.5 mg/ml to 25 mg/ml. The extract showed a higher antibacterial activity against E. coli, Bacillus spp and S. epidermidis. The result of the study suggests that the leaf extract of N. laevis has the potential and could be used as a source for new broad spectrum antibiotics to treat ear infections caused by test organisms.
Functional outcome of proximal tibial fracture treated surgically using locking compression plate
Authors: Aseri Mahendra K. , Singh Vijaypal , Sharma Pradeep Kr.
Published: April 2018

Background: Tibial plateau fractures are common intra-articular fractures, representing 1.2% of all fractures. These fractures are common in two age groups: as higher-energy fractures in younger patients and lower-energy fractures in elderly patients secondary to osteopenia. In the younger population, these injuries are associated with an increased incidence of complications like nonunion, infection, restriction of motion, and post-traumatic arthritis. The study aimed for final outcome of proximal tibial fracture using locking compression plate by minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO).

Methods: 30 cases of proximal tibial fractures were treated by using locking compression plate and studied from December 2015 to November 2017 in Department of Orthopaedics, Dr. S.N. Medical College associated group of Hospitals, Jodhpur.

Results: All the selected 30 cases were followed up for 6 months. The average time for union of fracture was 21 weeks ranging from 18-24 weeks. Full weight bearing was not allowed until 12 weeks or complete fracture union. Partial immobilization was kept for 6 weeks in long knee brace. An average flexion was achieved upto0-1140. We observed 4 cases of postoperative complications that included 2 infections, one knee stiffness and one varus deformity.

Conclusions: Surgical management of proximal tibia fractures with only lateral plating by MIPPO gave excellent reduction, rigid fixation to restore articular congruity and provides early motion to achieve optimal knee function and reducing post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Role of PFN in ipsilateral fracture neck and shaft femur: a single solution to double fracture
Authors: Dahuja Anshul , Bhatty Shiraz , Bansal Kapil , Kaur Rashmeet , Shayam Radhe
Published: April 2018

Background: Ipsilateral, concomitant femoral neck and shaft fracture is a rare fracture pattern that presents a diagnostic and treatment challenge. A variety of management modalities have been tried to treat this complex fracture pattern ranging from conservative approach to recently introduced proximal femoral nails (PFN).

Methods: We analysed the retrospective data of 25 consecutive patients who had sustained a high energy trauma who had concomitant ipsilateral fractures of the femoral shaft associated with proximal femur fractures treated with PFN between January 2010 and January 2017.

Results: Average follow up period was 1.2 years. All ipsilateral neck and shaft fractures were united with proximal femur nail (PFN). Neck fracture union averaged 4.3 months (range, 3–6 months). Shaft fracture union averaged 5.4 months (range, 4–7 months). Eighteen patients (70%) had a good functional result, five patients (21%) had fair result and in two patients the result (9%) was poor.

Conclusions: We observed although technically demanding, the reconstruction nail is an acceptable, cost effective and minimal invasive alternative for the management of concomitant ipsilateral fractures of the femoral neck and shaft, with a good functional outcome and fewer complications.
Communication in the Digital Work Environment: Implications for Wellbeing at Work
Authors: Bordi Laura , Okkonen Jussi , Mäkiniemi Jaana-Piia , Heikkilä-Tammi Kirsi
Published: April 2018

This article examines digital communication in the workplace and its association with wellbeing at work. The analysis is based mainly on workshop discussions and is complemented with log data (N = 36). Content analysis was applied to the workshop discussions, while the log data were analyzed by quantifying frequencies. Six themes were found to affect wellbeing at work: the volume of digital communication, expectations of constant connectivity, the quality of the messages, adaptation of new tools, technical problems, and flexibility in communication. In relation to wellbeing at work, digital communication was mostly perceived as demanding. However, some of the factors perceived as demanding could also provide flexibility, which was seen as enhancing wellbeing by increasing autonomy and control. Social factors, such as work habits, practices, and conventions in the workplace, seem to play an important role in the manifestation and management of the digital communication-induced load at work.
Appropriation of an Activity-based Flexible Office in daily work
Authors: Babapour Maral , Karlsson MariAnne , Osvalder Anna-Lisa
Published: April 2018

In recent years, there has been growing interest in collaborative consumption of office environments and thereby implementation of Activity-based Flexible Offices (A-FOs). Relocating to an A-FO introduces a desk-sharing policy as well as a multitude of new workspaces with different speech policies into the employee’s work context. This paper describes how employees appropriate desk-sharing and speech policies in an A-FO. The data were collected over a period of 6 months in a case organization by means of 18 shadowing sessions. The different ways in which employees appropriated the A-FO solution were (i) adopting, experimenting with, or rejecting the desk-sharing policy, and (ii) modes of interaction arising from spatial configuration and redefining speech policies. The discussion outlines the reasons behind appropriation or nonappropriation of the desk-sharing and emergent speech policies. The insights from this study provide support for organizations considering A-FOs to develop strategies for facilitating individuals’ work in these settings.
Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Flames based on a Hybrid RANS/Transported-PDF Method and REDIM Method
Authors: Yu Chunkan , Minuzzi Felipe , Maas Ulrich
Published: April 2018

A hybrid RANS/Transported-PDF model for the simulation of turbulent reacting flows based on automatically reduced mechanisms for the chemical kinetics (reaction-diffusion manifold, REDIM) is presented in this work. For modelling of turbulent reacting flows, chemistry is a key problem and affects largely the accuracy. The PDF method has been widely used since the chemical source term is in a closed form, without any modelling. Despite of this advantage of PDF method, detailed chemical kinetics is not desired due to its heavy computational effort. From this aspect, the detailed chemical kinetics is simplified by the reaction-diffusion manifold (REDIM) method. The hybrid RANS/Transported-PDF model based on REDIM reduced kinetics is applied to simulate the Sandia piloted Flame E, which has a moderate degree of local extinction. The numerical results are validated through comparison with experimental data and show good qualitative and quantitative agreements.
ENHANCE PREDICTION PERFORMANCE THROUGH CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF WIND TURBINE
Authors: Kumar Randhir , Prajapati Raju , Saurav Sudhir Kumar
Published: April 2018

India lost first place in worldwide ranking on total installed wind capacity to china. Due to some issues like, grid issue, unavailability of infrastructure, monitoring wind turbine, offshore wind related R & D activities in the country, etc. This makes attributed to the slower pace to addition of wind power capacity; due to unavailability of on-shore wind sites with sufficiently high wind velocity is expected to take centre stage in the next few years. Low wind velocity makes the investment unattractive to developers. In current situation, monitoring and R & D is an investment option. Which has already seen favourable response in a country like china Germany, Denmark would begins in India. This analyses the present situation of wind energy farm at District Devas, Madhya Pradesh and investigates the possibilities of monitor the wind turbine to enhance the performance. In this paper, wind speed, peak speed, standard deviation, wind power density is to estimated monthly at different altitude. Monitor capacity factor, energy generated through wind turbine, X-chart and R-chart drawn, maintenance and environmental impact have been analyzed.
ADAPTIVE THRESHOLD BACKGROUND SUBTRACTION FOR DETECTING MOVING OBJECT ON CONVEYOR BELT
Authors: Tripathy D.P. , Guru Raghavendra Reddy K.
Published: April 2018

Moving object detection is an important task in many computer vision classifications applications. The goal of this study is to identify a moving object detection method that provides a reliable and accurate identification of objects on the conveyor belt. In this paper, a study of the moving object detection methods is presented. Firstly, moving object detection pixel by pixel was performed using background subtraction, frame difference method. The threshold value in both background subtraction and frame difference is a fixed value, which determines the accuracy of object identification. The adaptive threshold values were calculated for both the methods to improve the accuracy. The performance of these methods was compared with the ground truth image.
SEVERAL METHODS OF FEATURE EXTRACTION TO HELP IN OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION
Authors: Prasad Binod Kumar , Kundu Rajdeep
Published: April 2018

An Optical Character Recognition (OCR) consists of three bold steps namely Preprocessing, Feature extraction, Classification. Methods of Feature extraction yield feature vectors based on which the classification of a testing pattern is executed. The paper aims at proposing some  methods of feature extraction that may go a long way to recognize a Bengali numeral or character. Pixel Ex-OR Method presents a digital gating (Ex-OR) technique to extract the information in an image. Two successive elements of a row in image matrix have been Ex-ORed and the output is again Ex-ORed with the next element.  Alphabetical coding codes a binary character image by means of letters of English alphabet. Directional features find gradient information using Sobel Masks to make position of stroke clear in an image. The features have been derived in eight standard directions and then these eight feature vectors are merged into four sets of features to reduce the system complexity and hence processing time is saved considerably. These features will help develop a Bengali numeral recognition system.
APPLICATION OF INTELLIGENT GAME THEORY APPROACH IN COGNITIVE RADIO AD HOC NETWORKS
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Kumar Avinash , Burnwal Arun Prasad
Published: April 2018

Cognitive Radio (CR) technology is imagined to solve the problems in Wireless Ad-hoc NETworks (WANET) resulting from the limited available spectrum and the inefficiency in the spectrum usage by exploiting the existing wireless spectrum opportunistically. Game theory is a process to analyze multi-person decision making situation, where each decision maker tries to maximize his own utility. In this paper, we illustrates how various interactions in Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Network (CRAHN) can be modeled as a game. It also illustrates a problem with solution approach that uses intelligent game theory technique in CRAHN.
Hydrological Response of Precipitation and Human Activities—A Case Study in the Zuli River Basin, China
Authors: Huang Chenlu , Yang Qinke , Huang Weidong , Zhang Junlong , Li Yuru
Published: April 2018

Precipitation and human activities are two essential forcing dynamics that influence hydrological processes. To investigate those impacts, the Zuli River Basin (ZRB, a typical tributary basin of the Yellow River in China) was chosen to identify the impact of precipitation and human activities on runoff and sediment discharge. A double mass curve (DMC) analysis and the test methods, including accumulated variance analysis, sequential cluster, Lee-Heghnian, and moving t-test methods was utilized to determine the abrupt change point based on data from 1956 to 2015. Correlation formulas and multiple regression methods were used to calculate the runoff and sediment discharge reduction effects of soil conservation measures and to estimate the contribution rate of precipitation and soil conservation measures to runoff and sediment discharge. Our results show that the runoff reduction effect of soil conservation measures (45%) is greater than the sediment discharge reduction effect (32%). Soil conservation measures were the main factor controlling the 74.5% and 75.0% decrease in runoff and sediment discharge, respectively. Additionally, the contribution rate of vegetation measures was higher than that of engineering measures. This study provides scientific strategies for water resource management and soil conservation planning at catchment scale to face future hydrological variability.
Explorative Multidimensional Analysis for Energy Efficiency: Dataviz Versus Clustering Algorithms
Authors: Cottafava Dario , Sonetti Giulia , Gambino Paolo , Tartaglino Andrea
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we propose a simple tool to help the energy management of a large buildings stock defining clusters of buildings with the same function, setting alert thresholds for each cluster, and easily recognizing outliers. The objective is to enable a building management system to be used for detection of abnormal energy use. First, we framed the issue of energy performance indicators, and how they feed into data visualization (Data Viz) tools for a large building stock, especially for university campuses. Both for Data Viz and clustering algorithm processes, we discussed two possible approaches to choose the right number of clusters and the identification of alert thresholds and outliers, after a brief presentation of the University of Turin's building stock case study. Different Data Viz tools have been studied to apply a specific clustering algorithm, the k-means one. An explorative analysis based on the general Multidimensional detective approach by Inselberg has been performed. Two multidimensional analysis tools, the Scatter Plot Matrix and the Parallel coordinates method have been used. Secondly, the k-means clustering algorithm has been applied on the same dataset in order to test the hypothesis made during the explorative analysis. Data Viz techniques developed in this study revealed to be very useful to explore quickly and simply a large buildings' stock, identifying the worst efficient buildings and clustering them according to their distinct functions.
Point Cloud Data Retrieval from 3D Geospatial Database for Automated Road Median Extraction
Authors: Kumar Pankaj , Lewis Paul , McElhinney Conor P.
Published: April 2018

Laser scanning systems make use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to acquire accurately georeferenced sets of dense 3D point cloud data. The information acquired using these systems produces better knowledge about the terrain objects which are inherently 3D in nature. The LiDAR data acquired from mobile, airborne or terrestrial platforms provides several benefit over conventional sources of data acquisition in terms of accuracy, resolution and attributes. However, the large volume and scale of LiDAR data have inhibited the development of automated feature extraction algorithms due to the extensive computational cost involved in it. Moreover, the heterogeneously distributed point cloud, which represents objects with varying size, point density, holes and complicated structures pose a great challenge for data processing. Currently, geospatial database systems do not provide a robust solution for efficient storage and accessibility of raw data in a way that data processing could be applied based on optimal spatial extent. In this paper, we present Global LiDAR and Imagery Mobile Processing Spatial Environment (GLIMPSE) system that provides a framework for storage, management and integration of 3D LiDAR data acquired from multiple platforms. The system facilitates an efficient accessibility to the raw dataset, which is hierarchically represented in a geographically meaningful way. We utilise the GLIMPSE system to automatically extract road median from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) point cloud. In the first part of this paper, we detail an approach to efficiently retrieve the point cloud data from the GLIMPSE system for a particular geographic area based on user requirements. In the second part, we present an algorithm to automatically extract road median from the retrieved LiDAR data. The developed road median extraction algorithm utilises the LiDAR elevation and intensity attributes to distinguish the median from the road surface. We successfully tested our algorithms on two road sections consisting of distinct road median types based on concrete and grass-hedge barriers. The use of GLIMPSE improved the efficiency of the road median extraction in terms of fast accessibility to ALS point cloud data for the required road sections. The developed system and its associated algorithms provide a comprehensive solution to the user's requirement for an efficient storage, integration, retrieval and processing of large volumes of LiDAR point cloud data. These findings and knowledge contribute to a more rapid, cost-effective and comprehensive approach to surveying road networks.
Inequalities of Hermite-Hadamard Type for Composite Convex Functions
Authors: Dragomir Silvestru
Published: April 2018

In this paper we obtain some inequalities of Hermite-Hadamard type for composite convex functions. Applications for AG, AH-convex functions,  GA, GG,  GH-convex functions and HA, HG, HH-convex function are given. Applications for p, r-convex and LogExp functions are presented as well.
Ciclo de Palestras como Ação Motivadora e Integralizadora: A Extensão no IFCE Fortalecendo a Formação dos Novos Professores de Física
Authors: Oliveira Antônio Nunes de , Lavor Otávio Paulino , Siqueira Marcos Cirineu Aguiar , Souza Emanuel Veras de , Barros Brendon Sebastião Marcos
Published: April 2018

O Ciclo de Palestras da Licenciatura em Física (CPLF) é uma atividade de extensão, promovida pela coordenação do curso de Licenciatura em Física do IFCE, Campus Sobral (IFCE Sobral), em colaboração com docentes do eixo e instituições parceiras, e que visa aproximar e integrar as comunidades interna e externa ao IFCE numa ação voltada à divulgação do conhecimento científico, bem como dos grupos de pesquisa e produções atuais em ciência. Como ação social, o evento tem desempenhado uma atividade de arrecadação de alimentos, durante as palestras, para serem doados a instituições beneficentes da região. Este texto consta de um relato do desenvolvimento do referido projeto/ação durante o ano de 2016 e condensa em si algumas das percepções dos envolvidos. Para sua produção foi feita uma pesquisa de campo, por meio de um questionário aplicado a professores, alunos e demais pessoas que estiveram presentes em momentos de realização do CPLF no ano em questão. Espera-se que esta ação, que consideramos bem-sucedida, sirva como norte para aqueles que desejam formular projetos semelhantes, que visem possibilitar uma formação sólida e abrangente aos seus discentes à medida que se aproxime a instituição da comunidade externa, fortalecendo sua identidade e a formação dos envolvidos.
Effects of Curcumin on Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Tongue: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Ardito F. , Perrone D. , Giuliani M. , Testa N.F. , Muzio L. Lo
Published: April 2018

Background:

The Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue (TSCC) is the most frequent
cancer of oral cavity often characterized by poor prognosis. Conventional therapies are not very efficient
and often may cause serious side effects. In this context, introduction of natural substances as possible
adjuvant in the treatment and prevention of cancer is becoming a relevant topic. In fact, curcumin has
been used for decades in Chinese traditional medicine for its beneficial effects. Curcumin has anticancer
properties in many tumors however, its action on the tongue carcinoma is not entirely clear and
many other investigations are necessary.

Objective:

Curcumin seems to be a good adjuvant in the treatment of head and neck tumors. However,
these studies are generic and there are not many specific studies on TSCC, the most frequent and most
aggressive cancer of the head-neck region. Our goal is to demonstrate its effectiveness also for TSCC.

Methods:

In this study, we evaluated the effects of curcumin on TSCC cells using different concentrations
(1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 µM) and 3 different treatment times (24, 48 and 72 hours). The inhibition of
adhesion, proliferation, viability, migration and apoptosis was studied.

Results:

IC50 value of curcumin is about 10 µM and there have been inhibitory effects even for treatments
at low concentrations. Curcumin reduces migration and progression of TSCC cells and it promotes
apoptosis and inhibits tumorigenesis.

Conclusions:

These results suggest the possible use of curcumin as an anti-cancer agent in TSCC. However,
in vivo studies are needed to confirm these effects and overcome its low bioavailability.
Central-To-Peripheral Arterial Stiffness Gradient in Hemodialyzed Patients Depends on the Location of the Upper-limb Vascular Access
Authors: Bia Daniel , Galli Cintia , Zocalo Yanina , Valtuille Rodolfo , Wray Sandra , Pessana Franco , Cabrera-Fischer Edmundo I.
Published: April 2018

Background: Pulse wave velocity ratio (PWV-ratio), a measure of central-to-peripheral
arterial stiffness gradient, is calculated as a quotient between carotid-femoral and carotid-radial
PWV (cf-PWV/cr-PWV). This new index has been reported to be significantly associated with increased
mortality in hemodialyzed patients. Since several reports showed differences in arterial
stiffness regarding the pathway where the vascular access (VA) is, the purpose of this research was:
a) to compare arterial stiffness values obtained in the left and right sides of the body in hemodialyzed
and non-hemodialyzed patients, and b) to analyze PWV-ratio values obtained on the side of
the body where the VA was placed and compare them to its contralateral intact side. Since it is difficult
to adequately measure cr-PWV in patients with a VA in the forearm, we measured the carotid-
brachial PWV (cb-PWV) and used it to calculate PWV-ratio (cf-PWV/cb-PWV).

Methods: A Pearson’s correlation and Bland & Altman analysis were performed in hemodialyzed
(n=135) and non-hemodialyzed (n=77) patients, to quantify the equivalence between arterial
stiffness parameters (cf-PWV, cb-PWV, PWV-ratio) obtained on each side of the body with respect
to its contralateral side.

Results: We conclude that PWV-ratio values measured on the side where the VA is placed were
significantly higher than those obtained in its contralateral side, in hemodialyzed patients included
in this research. Moreover, cf-PWV, cb-PWV and PWV-ratio values obtained on one side of the
body were always highly correlated with its contralateral side.

Conclusion: According to this research, any research involving PWV-ratio should always consider
the observed territory.
Poly-L-arginine: Enhancing Cytotoxicity and Cellular Uptake of Doxorubicin and Necrotic Cell Death
Authors: Movafegh Bahareh , Jalal Razieh , Mohammadi Zobeideh , Aldaghi Seyyede A.
Published: April 2018

Objective: Cell resistance to doxorubicin and its toxicity to healthy tissue reduce its efficiency. The
use of cell-penetrating peptides as drug delivery system along with doxorubicin is a strategy to reduce its side
effects. In this study, the influence of poly-L-arginine on doxorubicin cytotoxicity, its cellular uptake and
doxorubicin-induced apoptosis on human prostate cancer DU145 cells are assessed.

Methods:

The cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and poly-L-arginine, alone and in combination, in DU145 cells was
evaluated at different exposure times using MTT assay. The influence of poly-L-arginine on doxorubicin delivery
into cells was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and ultraviolet spectroscopy. DAPI and ethidium bromide-
acridine orange stainings, flow cytometry using annexin V/propidium iodide, western blot analysis with
anti-p21 antibody and caspase-3 activity were used to examine the influence of poly-L-arginine on doxorubicininduced
cell death.

Results:

Poly-L-arginine had no cytotoxicity at low concentrations and short exposure times. Poly-L-arginine
increased the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin in DU145 cells in a time-dependent manner. But no significant
reduction was found in HFF cell viability. Poly-L-arginine seems to facilitate doxorubicin uptake and increase
its intracellular concentration. 24h combined treatment of cells with doxorubicin (0.5 µM) and poly-L-arginine
(1 µg ml-1) caused a small increase in doxorubicin-induced apoptosis and significantly elevated necrosis in
DU145 cells as compared to each agent alone.

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that poly-L-arginine at lowest and highest concentrations act as proliferationinducing
and antiproliferative agents, respectively. Between these concentrations, poly-L-arginine increases the
cellular uptake of doxorubicin and its cytotoxicity through induction of necrosis.
Specific Cytostatic and Cytotoxic Effect of Dihydrochelerythrine in Glioblastoma Cells: Role of NF-κB/β-catenin and STAT3/IL-6 Pathways
Authors: Silva Tereza C.C. , de Faria Lopes Giselle P. , de J. Menezes-Filho Noélio , de Oliveira Diêgo M. , Pereira Ezequiel , Pitanga Bruno P.S. , dos Santos Costa Rafael , da Silva Velozo Eudes , Freire Songeli M. , Clarêncio Jorge , Borges Helena L. , Rehen Stevens K. , Moura-Neto Vivaldo , Costa Silvia L.
Published: April 2018

Background:

A glioblastoma is a primary CNS tumor that is more aggressive and lethal than other
brain tumors. Its location, rapid proliferation, invasive growth, angiogenesis and immunosuppression are the
main factors that limit its treatment, making it a major challenge to neuro-oncology.

Objective:

This study investigated the in vitro effects of the alkaloid dihydrochelerythrine (DHC), which is
extracted from Zanthoxylum stelligerum, on the viability, proliferation, cell death and β-catenin, NFκB,
STAT3/pSTAT3 and interleukins roles.

Method:

In vitro experimental models of human (U251 and GL-15) and murine (C6) glioblastoma cells were
cultured in the presence of DHC at increasing concentrations for MTT assay and exclusion trypan blue dye to
determine EC50. Afterward, C6 and U251 cells were treated with 100 µM DHC or DMSO 0.1% for cell cycle,
annexin and expression of β-catenin/NFκB/STAT3/pSTAT3 by flow cytometry or immunofluorescence. Interleukin
quantification was made by Cytometric Bead Array.

Results:

A significant decrease was observed in C6 and U251 cell viability in a time and dose-dependent manner.
GL-15 cell viability decreased only when treated with 200 µM DHC. This maximum concentration affected
neither astrocytes nor microglia viability. A cytostatic effect of DHC was observed in C6 and U251 cells after
48 h of 100 µM DHC treatment. After 72 h of DHC treatment, C6 presented 80% of annexin-V+ cells compared
to 10% of annexin-V+ U251 cells. C6 cells demonstrated significant high levels of NFκ B and β-catenin cytoplasmic
fraction. Additionally, DHC treatment resulted in higher significant levels of IL-6 than did other interleukins
and STAT3 up-regulation in U251 cells.

Conclusion:

These results demonstrate that DHC acts as a chemosensitizing agent selective for glioma cells not
affecting non-tumor cells. Considering tumor heterogeneity, DHC demonstrated an anti-cancer potential to
activate different cell death pathways. DHC demonstrated could be used for chemotherapy and immunotherapy
applications in glioblastomas in the future.
Design, Synthesis, In Vitro Anti-cancer Activity, ADMET Profile and Molecular Docking of Novel Triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine Derivatives Targeting VEGFR-2 Enzyme
Authors: El-Helby Abdel-Ghany A. , Sakr Helmy , Ayyad Rezk R.A. , El-Adl Khaled , Ali Mamdouh M. , Khedr Fathalla
Published: April 2018

Background:

Extensive studies were reported in the synthesis of several phthalazine derivatives as
promising anticancer agents as potent VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Vatalanib (PTK787) was the first anilinophthalazine
published derivative as a potent inhibitor of VEGFR. The discovery of vatalanib as a clinical candidate led to
the design and synthesis of different anilinophthalazine derivatives as potent inhibitors for VEGFR-2. The objective
of present research work is the synthesis of new agents with the same essential pharmacophoric features
of the reported and clinically used VEGFR-2 inhibitors (e.g vatalanib and sorafenib). The main core of our
molecular design rationale comprised bioisosteric modification strategies of VEGFR-2 inhibitors at four different
positions.

Material and Methods: A correlation between structure and biological activity of our designed phthalazines was
established using molecular docking and VEGFR-2 kinase assay.

Results and Discussion:

In view of their expected anticancer activity, novel triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine derivatives
5-6a-o and 3-substituted-bis([1,2,4]triazolo)[3,4-a:4',3'-c]phthalazines 9a-b were designed, synthesized and
evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity against two human tumor cell lines HCT-116 human colon adenocarcinoma
and MCF-7 breast cancer. It was found that, compound 6o the most potent derivative against both
HCT116 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Compounds 6o, 6m, 6d and 9b showed the highest anticancer activities
against HCT116 human colon adenocarcinoma with IC50 of 7±0.06, 13±0.11, 15±0.14 and 23±0.22 µM respectively
while compounds 6o, 6d, 6a and 6n showed the highest anticancer activities against MCF-7 breast cancer
with IC50 of 16.98±0.15, 18.2±0.17, 57.54±0.53 and 66.45±0.67 µM respectively. Sorafenib as a highly potent
VEGFR-2 inhibitor was used as a reference drug with IC50 of 5.47±0.3 and 7.26±0.3 µM respectively. Nine
compounds were further evaluated for their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity. Compounds 6o, 6m, 6d and 9b
emerged as the most active counterparts against VEGFR-2 with IC50 values of 0.1±0.01, 0.15±0.02, 0.28±0.03
and 0.38±0.04 µM, respectively comparable to that of sorafenib (IC50 = 0.1±0.02) µM. Furthermore, molecular
docking studies were carried out for all synthesized compounds to investigate their binding pattern and predict
their binding affinities towards VEGFR-2 active site. In silico ADMET studies were calculated for the tested
compounds. Most of our designed compounds exhibited good ADMET profile.

Conclusion:

The obtained results showed that, the most active compounds could be useful as a template for
future design, optimization, adaptation and investigation to produce more potent and selective VEGFR-2 inhibitors
with higher anticancer analogs.
Response of rice varieties to nitrogen fertilization under irrigation at Talata Mafara, Sudan savanna
Authors: Mani H. , Muhammad A. , Mahmoud , B. A. , Usman A.
Published: April 2018

A field experiment was conducted during the dry seasons of 2012 and 2013 in Irrigation Research Station, Talata Mafara, Zamfara State, Latitude 12°34ʹ00ʺ N and Longitude 6°04ʹ00ʺ E 488m above sea level in the Sudan savanna agro-ecological zone. The objective of the research was to test the effect of rice varieties to various levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization under irrigation. The experiment was laid out in a Complete Randomize Block Design (CRBD) using split plot arrangement and was replicated three times. Three rice varieties (Faro 44, 45 and 57) were allocated to the main plot and three nitrogen levels (60, 120 and 180 kg N ha-1) were allocated to the sub plot. The gross and net plot sizes were 5 x 4 and 3 x 3 m respectively. Weeds were controlled using Glyphosate as pre-plant, Butachlor as pre-emergence and Orizo plus as post-emergence herbicides and supplemented with hand pulling at 9 WAS. Fertilizer was applied in two split doses. First half was applied at planting using NPK and the remaining half at 6 WAT using Urea (46 % N). Data collected were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and significant means were separated using DMRT at 5 % level of probability. The result of the effect of variety on growth parameters showed that Faro 44 recorded higher days to 50 % anthesis but was significantly (p≤0.05) shorter in height than Faro 57. The effect of the treatment on yield parameters showed that Faro 44 recorded higher thrashing percentage, 1000-grain weight and number of grain panicle-1 significantly (p≤0.05) higher than Faro 45 and 57 in all the seasons. Increasing nitrogen levels from 60 kg N ha-1 significantly increased growth and yield parameters. Application of 180 kg N ha-1 on Faro 44 is hereby recommended for rice growing in the ecological zone.
Change in Waist Circumference With Continuous Use of a Smart Belt: An Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Lee Myeonggyun , Shin Jaeyong
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Health insurers and policymakers are trying to prevent and reduce cardiovascular diseases due to obesity. A smart belt that monitors activity and waist circumference is a new concept for conquering obesity and may be a promising new strategy for health insurers and policymakers.

OBJECTIVE

This preliminary study evaluated whether the use of a smart belt was associated with a decrease in waist circumference.

METHODS

In the manufacturer’s database, there were data on a total of 427 men at baseline. A total of 223, 81, and 27 users kept using the smart belt for 4, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. Paired t tests and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to identify the change in waist circumference at specified time intervals (at 4, 8, and 12 weeks). In addition, a linear mixed model was used to incorporate all users’ waist circumference data at each time point. Preexisting data on waist circumference and self-reported demographics were obtained from the manufacturer of the smart belt (WELT Corporation, South Korea).

RESULTS

Compared with baseline, the waist circumference (cm) decreased significantly at all time points: –0.270 for week 4, –0.761 for week 8, and –1.972 for week 12 (all P<.01). Although each paired t test had a different sample size because of loss to follow-up, the differences between baseline and each subsequent week increased. Equal continuous reduction in waist circumference was observed with the ANOVA and mixed model analysis (beta=–0.158 every week).

CONCLUSIONS

The smart belt is a newly developed, wearable device that measures real-time steps, sedentary time, and waist circumference. In this study, we showed that wearing the smart belt was associated with reducing waist circumference over 12 weeks. This direct-to-consumer smart health device may contribute toward reducing the risk of obesity and related conditions and controlling increasing health costs for health insurers.
Predicting rural patients� use of eHealth through supervised machine learning algorithms: A study on Portable Health Clinic in Bangladesh (Preprint)
Authors: Hossain Nazmul , Yokota Fumihiko , Fukuda Akira , Ahmed Ashir
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Predictive analytics through machine learning has been extensively using across industries including eHealth and mHealth for analyzing patient’s health data, predicting diseases, enhancing the productivity of technology or devices used for providing healthcare services and so on. However, not enough studies were conducted to predict the usage of eHealth by rural patients in developing countries.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to predict rural patients’ use of eHealth through supervised machine learning algorithms and propose the best-fitted model after evaluating their performances in terms of predictive accuracy.

METHODS

Data were collected between June and July 2016 through a field survey with structured questionnaire form 292 randomly selected rural patients in a remote North-Western sub-district of Bangladesh. Four supervised machine learning algorithms namely logistic regression, boosted decision tree, support vector machine, and artificial neural network were chosen for this experiment. A ‘correlation-based feature selection’ technique was applied to include the most relevant but not redundant features into the model. A 10-fold cross-validation technique was applied to reduce bias and over-fitting of the data.

RESULTS

Logistic regression outperformed other three algorithms with 85.9% predictive accuracy, 86.4% precision, 90.5% recall, 88.1% F-score, and AUC of 91.5% followed by neural network, decision tree and support vector machine with the accuracy rate of 84.2%, 82.9 %, and 80.4% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study are expected to be helpful for eHealth practitioners in selecting appropriate areas to serve and dealing with both under-capacity and over-capacity by predicting the patients’ response in advance with a certain level of accuracy and precision.
Educational Decentralization Efforts in a Centralized Country: Saudi Tatweer Principal Perceptions of New Authorities Granted
Authors: Meemar Salah S. , Poppink Sue , Bierlein Palmer Louann
Published: April 2018

This study captured the perspectives of school principals in Saudi Arabia regarding the new authorizes granted to them as part of their country’s education decentralization efforts.Â  Specifically, this study explored these principals’ perceived ability to implement the new authorities, levels of support, effectiveness, and additional desired authorities. This study provided an opportunity to analyze the early efforts of a country with a very centralized educational system to implement more significant decentralization efforts.A total of 173 Tatweer school principals completed an online survey, and findings suggest these Saudi principals perceived limited ability, low to moderate support in implementing the new authorities, and only slight agreement that the authorities were likely to achieve desired outcomes. Multiple regression analysis revealed that beliefs on the effectiveness of the authorities at achieving MOE outcomes were predicted by perceived ability to implement administrative authorities, perceived support to implement technical authorities, and years of experience.
Attitude and behaviors of mothers regarding fever in children; a Duzce University Faculty of Medicine study
Authors: Kilicaslan Onder , Sonmez Cemil İsik , Dincer Damla , Sengun Yunus , Temizkan Ramazan Cahit , Eroz Recep , Kocabay Kenan
Published: April 2018

Introduction: In mothers with fever
complaint who applied to Duzce University Faculty of Medicine Research and
Practice Hostipal, defining attitude and behaviours and general knowledge
levels about fever are aimed in this study.Methods: 230 patients who were
admitted to pediatric emergency service and general pediatric outpatient
clinics from February to June 2017 were included in the study. Questionnaires with 26 questions were evaluated in this study. Descriptive
features, chi-square test and one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s post-hoc
comparisons tests were performed in all statistical analyzes.Results: It was learned that 79.1%
of the mothers were placing the thermometers under the armpit during
measurement. Most of the mothers picked the normal body temperature as
35.5-36.4 ° C (57.8%). 74.8% of the mothers considered fever as a disease and
98.7% of the mothers thought that fever was harmful. Most of the mothers were
considering the advices of doctors on reducing fever of children (48.7%). The
most common intervention to reduce fever was to shower with warm water (73.5%).
The most preferred antipyretic was paracetamol (76.1%). As the education levels
increased, rates of showering with warm water and taking out the children's
clothes were increasing significantly (p=0.027, p=0.025, respectively).

Conclusion: In this study, it was
seen that the mother's general knowledge about fever was inadequate and there
were occasionally wrong attitudes and behaviors in order to reduce fever. We
think that detailed information about fever given to the families by physicians
will prevent unnecessary applications in this area.
Ações de governo aberto: avanços e desafios para efetivar a participação popular no Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão (SIC) da Prefeitura Municipal de Itabuna, na Bahia
Authors: Marques Carlos Alberto Bispo
Published: April 2018

Algumas iniciativas governamentais tendem a caracterizar ações que favorecem a relação entre gestão e população assistida, principalmente quando se trata do interesse por atos e fatos administrativos de relevância social. O Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão (SIC) na estrutura da gestão pública tem o propósito de abrir espaço e tornar a administração mais democrática e participativa. Discutir a implantação do SIC em Itabuna, na Bahia, é o ponto norteador da discussão neste artigo. Com base em uma pesquisa descritiva, realizou-se uma análise documental no SIC virtual e presencial desse município no período entre 2013 e 2015. O objetivo foi responder a questões relacionadas ao nível de efetividade da participação popular, às demandas do cidadão e verificar se esse direito de acesso à informação tem resultado em intervenções do gestor para aprimorar a administração pública municipal.