bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved maximal strength is not associated with improvements in sprint time or jump height in high-level female football players: a cluster-randomized controlled trial
Authors: Pedersen Sigurd , Heitmann Kim Arne , Sagelv Edvard H. , Johansen Dag , Pettersen Svein Arne
Published: September 2019

Background

Maximal strength increments are reported to result in improvements in sprint speed and jump height in elite male football players. Although similar effects are expected in females, this is yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of maximal strength training on sprint speed and jump height in high-level female football players.

Methods

Two female football teams were team-cluster-randomized to a training group (TG) performing maximal strength training (MST) twice a week for 5 weeks, or control group (CG) doing their regular pre-season preparations. The MST consisted of 3–4 sets of 4–6 repetitions at ≥85% of 1 repetitions maximum (1RM) in a squat exercise. Sprint speed and jump height were assessed in 5-, 10- and 15 m sprints and a counter-movement jump (CMJ) test, respectively. Nineteen participants in TG (18.3 ± 2.7 years) and 14 in CG (18.3 ± 2.4 years) completed pre- and posttests and were carried forward for final analyses.

Results

There was no improvement in neither of the sprint times (p > 0.36), nor jump height (p = 0.87). The players increased their 1RM in squats (main of effect of time: p < 0.00, pη2 = 0.704), and an interaction effect of time x group was observed (p < 0.00, pη2 = 0.516) where the TG increased their 1RM more than the CT (between subjects effects: p < 0.001, pη2 = 0.965).

Conclusions

MST improved maximal strength in female football players to a large extent; however, the improvement in maximal strength did not result in any transference to sprint speed or jump height.

Trial registration

This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov PRS (Protocol registration and results System) with the code NCT04048928, 07.08.2019, retrospectively registered.
Correction to: Genomic comparisons of Streptococcus suis serotype 9 strains recovered from diseased pigs in Spain and Canada
Authors: Zheng Han , Du Pengcheng , Qiu Xiaotong , Kerdsin Anusak , Roy David , Bai Xuemei , Xu Jianguo , Vela Ana I. , Gottschalk Marcelo
Published: September 2019

In the original publication of this article [1], the author name ‘Pengchen Du’ in author list should be ‘Pengcheng Du’.
High-dependency units play a key role in the treatment of a Chinese military patient who developed liver failure while abroad
Authors: Li Chen , Su Hai-Bin , Liu Xiao-Yan , Zhang Li-Na , Hu Jin-Hua
Published: September 2019

High-dependency units (HDUs) provide high-level care to patients who suffer from single organ failure, with the exception of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation; HDUs serve as an intermediary between general wards and Intensive Care Units. Due to military and civilian needs, our hospital has established a unique HDU for patients with liver disease in China. A Chinese military officer in the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in South Sudan was transferred to our HDU for liver failure treatment in 2018. The patient’s disease status, nutrition, sleep habits, and psychological behaviour were monitored on different scales. The patient was provided with vascular monitoring, telemetry, pulse oximetry, drug treatment, nutritional support, sleep intervention, psychological intervention, and humanistic care by a multidisciplinary treatment team. After treatment, the patient recovered and avoided liver transplantation. Based on the experience with this HDU, this new model may create an efficient treatment process for military and civilian patients with severe liver disease at home or abroad.
T1 inversion recovery pulse sequence: could it replace T1 spin echo sequence in neuroimaging by improving tissue contrast?
Authors: Shawky Mohamed , Habib Rehab , Elsawaf Ahmed
Published: September 2019

Background

T1 inversion recovery (T1IR) sequence improved tissue contrast by providing higher gray matter-white matter contrast ratio (GM-WM contrast ratio) and higher lesion contrast noise ratio (CNR). This study aims to highlight its significance in the evaluation of space-occupying lesions whether intra-axial or extra-axial and also in multiple sclerosis (MS) by comparing it with T1 spin echo (T1SE) sequence.

Result

In a total of 50 patients, 14 patients with extra-axial lesions, 18 patients with intra-axial lesions, and 18 patients with multiple sclerosis were included. The CNR was significantly higher for pre-contrast T1IR images than for pre-contrast T1SE (− 13.04 (1.20) vs − 7.73 (0.70); p value < 0.01). After giving intravenous contrast media, CNR in T1SE was higher than T1IR (11.14 (1.75) vs 9.41 (1.83)) without statistical significance (p value = 0.19) and CNR was higher in T1IR than T1SE in lesions with low enhancement ratio (ER). As well, the overall number of lesions was higher on T1IR especially in MS (10.67 (2.26) vs 3.89 (1.05); p value < 0.01).

Conclusion

On pre-contrast sequences, T1IR could be used as an added sequence in most brain lesions giving higher lesion CNR. After giving intravenous contrast media, T1IR could be used in lesions with low ER. It also could be used in situations in which gadolinium injection is contraindicated and also could be used in follow-up of MS patient by detecting a higher number of lesions that can be easily missed in T1SE.
Identifying shallow gas zones by using seismic attributes, offshore Vietnam
Authors: Van Ngo Anh Thi , Ferguson Angus John
Published: September 2019

Shallow gas zones are a major concern in offshore drilling because of their potential to quickly cause kicks or blowouts. Shallow gas hazards are identified by using a series of seismic attributes. We have combined seismic data analysis and well-log analysis to identify the location and distribution of shallow gas layers. These shallow gas zones are formed during a large influx of gas due to a blowout well. The blowout well is located in the Nam Con Son Basin, offshore Vietnam. The seismic data acquired before and after the blowout record the changes in the shallow gas location. We compare seismic data without gas effects to data affected by gas after the blowout. The changes of reflectors between 2D seismic data (preblowout well) and 3D seismic data (postblowout well) are analyzed by using seismic attributes. The shallow gas is recognized in seismic data based on several criteria such as the push-down effect that demonstrated the delay in traveltime throughout the slower zone, high amplitude with negative phase reflection at the top of shallow gas layers, and acoustic blanking from wave scattering and amplitude attenuation. Geobodies mapped are associated with shallow gas zones by merging seismic attributes to identify zones that are a combination of strong amplitudes and low frequencies. The attributes that identify known shallow gas anomalies are also applied to the entire seismic volume for identification of shallow gas hazards.
Beyoncé’s Soft Power
Authors: McLarney Ellen
Published: September 2019

This article charts Beyoncé’s multimedia intervention into the politics of the Trump presidency as she draws on the work of black Muslim and Latinx artists to challenge white monopolies on representation in the Breitbart era. It specifically looks at the political interventions Beyoncé staged through collaborations with Warsan Shire, a British poet born in Kenya to Somali parents; Awol Erizku, an Ethiopian-born American artist raised in the Bronx; and Daniela Vesco, a Costa Rican photographer. This collective of artists forge a black aesthetics at a heightened level of visibility, using new performative technologies to intervene in the politics of #BlackLivesMatter, crackdowns on Muslim and Latinx refugees and immigrants, the proposed wall with Mexico, and neo-Nazi mobilization. Focusing on Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement, the article explores the politics of representation of black bodies and black lives, as she transforms the trope of suffering black mothers and their martyred black youth into a celebration of black motherhood and the pregnant body. These images are consciously rooted in a genealogy of black women’s representations of black women’s bodies. Despite the political power of these interventions, accusations were leveled at Beyoncé of cultural appropriation and exploitation of suffering by the neoliberal entertainment machine. By mentoring these artists, Beyoncé sought to convey the fertility of creative foment across borders and power hierarchies, even if her star power ultimately eclipsed the message as well as the marginalized artist that she sought to highlight.
Women with Cameras
Authors: Linden Liz
Published: September 2019

The essay looks at photographs from American photographer Anne Collier’s ongoing series Woman with a Camera (2006–). The essay argues that Collier’s series anticipates and “invents” the selfie by using anachronistic found materials. A number of Collier’s works in Woman with a Camera depict printed matter from the postmodern period that include photographs of female models posed as if they are shooting playful self­portraits in a mirror, acting as if they are themselves the photographer. Taking Collier’s work as evidence, this essay asks questions about how and why the selfie is so specifically positioned as an artifact of our contemporary moment in technology and culture, addressing some of the more widely held assumptions about selfies and selfie culture today.
Affronting Stardom/Confronting Sexual Violence
Authors: Joyrich Lynne
Published: September 2019

Recently, there has been an explosion of charges of sexual violence and assault within the worlds of media, journalism, and entertainment, with female stars leading the way in making these charges of sexual misconduct public. Indeed, stars—located at precisely the boundaries of “public” and “private,” working at the intersection of libidinal and financial economies, marked as both “individuals” and “representatives,” figured as both “bodies” and “voices”—provide a powerful locus for both the explosion and exposure of sexual violence, which operates through and across those same categories (as, for example, definitions of sexual violence depend upon particular understandings of the connections or disconnections between bodily events and consciousness of consent or its refusal, between the “outside and the “inside,” between action and affirmation). Given confusions and conflations of these categories, sexual assault and harassment in entertainment industries have paradoxically been both presumed and disavowed, routinized and rejected, made invisible and spectacularized in ways that help to reveal the troubling dynamics of sexual violence and the “troubles” of stardom itself. This piece explores those dynamics, considering how public discourse around these scandals may help us interrogate the problems of both celebrity and sexual violence.
Social foraging extends associative odor-food memory expression in an automated learning assay for Drosophila
Authors: Sehdev Aarti , Mohammed Yunusa G. , Tafrali Cansu , Szyszka Paul
Published: September 2019

Animals socially interact during foraging and share information about the quality and location of food sources. The mechanisms of social information transfer during foraging have been mostly studied at the behavioral level, and its underlying neural mechanisms are largely unknown. Fruit flies have become a model for studying the neural bases of social information transfer, because they provide a large genetic toolbox to monitor and manipulate neuronal activity, and they show a rich repertoire of social behaviors. Fruit flies aggregate, they use social information for choosing a suitable mating partner and oviposition site, and they show better aversive learning when in groups. However, the effects of social interactions on associative odor-food learning have not yet been investigated. Here we present an automated learning and memory assay for walking flies that allows studying the effect of group size on social interactions and on the formation and expression of associative odor-food memories. We found that both inter-fly attraction and the duration of odor-food memory expression increase with group size. We discuss possible behavioral and neural mechanisms of this social effect on odor-food memory expression. This study opens up opportunities to investigate how social interactions during foraging are relayed in the neural circuitry of learning and memory expression.
Coding regions affect mRNA stability in human cells
Authors: Narula Ashrut , Ellis James , Taliaferro J. Matthew , Rissland Olivia S.
Published: September 2019

A new paradigm has emerged that coding regions can regulate mRNA stability in model organisms. Here, due to differences in cognate tRNA abundance, synonymous codons are translated at different speeds, and slow codons then stimulate mRNA decay. To ask if this phenomenon also occurs in humans, we isolated RNA stability effects due to coding regions using the human ORFeome collection. We find that many open reading frame (ORF) characteristics, such as length and secondary structure, fail to provide explanations for how coding regions alter mRNA stability, and, instead, that the ORF relies on translation to impact mRNA stability. Consistent with what has been seen in other organisms, codon use is related to the effects of ORFs on transcript stability. Importantly, we found instability-associated codons have longer A-site dwell times, suggesting for the first time in humans a connection between elongation speed and mRNA decay. Thus, we propose that codon usage alters decoding speeds and so affects human mRNA stability.
Η αντιμεταθετική ιδιότητα ως μέσο ενίσχυσης των νοερών υπολογισμών πρόσθεσης των μικρών παιδιών
Authors: Δεσλή (Desli) Δέσποινα (Despina) , Αγγέλη Χαρίκλεια-Ειρήνη
Published: September 2019

Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να εξετάσει αφενός τη χρήση της αντιμεταθετικής ιδιότητας από μικρά παιδιά και αφετέρου τη σύνδεσή της με την εκτέλεση νοερών υπολογισμών. Για τον σκοπό αυτό, πραγματοποιήθηκε έρευνα στην οποία συμμετείχαν συνολικά 100 παιδιά, ισάριθμα προερχόμενα από τη Β΄ τάξη και τη Γ΄ τάξη του δημοτικού σχολείου. Σχεδιάστηκαν και παρουσιάστηκαν τέσσερα έργα τα οποία περιλάμβαναν: α) αθροίσματα στη δεκάδα, β) αθροίσματα στα διπλά, γ) αθροίσματα ελέγχου, και δ) ισοδυναμίες. Εκτός από το τρίτο έργο, τα άλλα έργα ευνοούσαν τη χρήση της αντιμεταθετικής ιδιότητας σε προσθέσεις. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι συνολικά η επίδοση των παιδιών ήταν πολύ καλή (82%), χωρίς σημαντικές διαφορές αναφορικά με την ηλικία. Οι περισσότεροι μαθητές χρησιμοποίησαν τη στρατηγική της αντιμεταθετικής ιδιότητας στις πράξεις που την ευνοούσαν, καθώς και περισσότερο στις πράξεις με μεγάλους αριθμητικά προσθετέους. Για την εκτέλεση των πράξεων η πλειοψηφία των συμμετεχόντων, κυρίως από τη Β΄ τάξη, έκαναν χρήση των νοερών υπολογισμών, ενώ λίγοι ήταν εκείνοι που χρειάστηκαν χαρτί και μολύβι.
The role of liraglutide in the management of obesity
Authors: Fromage Gemma
Published: September 2019

Obesity has been defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Obesity is associated with multiple comorbidities, affecting mechanical systems within the body as well as metabolic and mental health. If a person is overweight or obese, a loss of 5–10% of total body weight can have a number of health advantages. In the UK, there are three medications approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for weight loss: orlistat, liraglutide and naltrexone in combination with bupropion. Liraglutide has the proprietary name Saxenda (Novo Nordisk). It may be prescribed for individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more or people with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 who have another weight-related illness, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or dyslipidaemia. As with many weight-management programmes, liraglutide works in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Enteromorpha prolifera for Bio-Crude Production: An Experimental Study on Aqueous Phase Recirculation
Authors: Zhang Jixiang , Qian Cheng , Yan Kelei , Song Jianfei , Jiang Baohui
Published: September 2019

In this study, catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of with aqueous phase recirculation (APR) was tested in order to improve bio-crude yield and reduce catalyst dosage. Bio-crude yields of 17.0% and 18.5% were obtained at 300°C in 30 min of non-catalytic HTL and catalytic HTL with 5.0% NaOH, respectively. Determination of alkali metals showed that 76.7% of the Na was recovered in the aqueous phase, indicating that APR provided the possibility for catalyst recycling. Bio-crude yields were increased to 20.0% and 22.7% when performing APR for non-catalytic and catalytic HTL, respectively. To investigate the effects of recycled catalyst and volatile aqueous products (VAPs), a different APR experiment with VAPs removal for catalytic HTL was conducted, and a bio-crude yield of 17.8% was achieved. It was concluded that bio-crude yield increased with APR, mainly due to the effects of VAPs. Keywords: Alkali metal, Aqueous phase recirculation, Hydrothermal liquefaction.
Highly Efficient Biodiesel Conversion from Soybean Oil Using Liquid-Phase Plasma Discharge Technology
Authors: Wu Sarah , Bashir Muhammad Aamir , Hsieh Hsiang , Krosuri Anilkumar , McDonald Armando
Published: September 2019

In this study, the use of liquid-phase plasma discharge (LPPD) technology to accelerate the transesterification process was explored. An innovative LPPD reactor was first evaluated by varying the conductive opening size on the dielectric plate (0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 mm) coupled with five methanol to oil molar ratios (MOMR; 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) and two liquid flowrates through the reactor (2.7 and 4.1 mL s-1) at a given catalyst (NaOH) to oil ratio (NaOR) of 0.8% (w/w). The optimal combination of opening size (1.0 mm), MOMR (5), and flowrate (2.7 mL s-1) was then fixed while the NaOR was varied from 0.4% to 1.2% (w/w) in 0.2% increments to determine the best NaOR for the reactor. The results showed that the best combination of the four operating parameters was an opening size of 1.0 mm, MOMR of 5, liquid flowrate of 2.7 mL s-1, and NaOR of 0.6% (w/w), with which a biodiesel conversion rate of 99.5% was obtained at an applied voltage of 1.2 kV. The transesterification reaction time was found to be only 923 ms. The developed LPPD technology has potential to position biodiesel competitively against petroleum diesel. Keywords: Biodiesel conversion, Liquid-phase plasma discharge, Soybean oil, Transesterification
Análisis metagenómico de la evolución de las comunidades microbianas en alimentos sometidos a refrigeración y en condiciones de ausencia de frío
Authors: Pires Virginia , Rivas Raúl , García-Fraile Paula
Published: September 2019

La cadena del frío constituye un elemento clave en seguridad alimentaria, pues la mayoría de los microorganismos detienen su crecimiento a bajas temperaturas. Se han desarrollado técnicas, basadas en la secuenciación masiva, que analizan las poblaciones bacterianas de una muestra mediante secuenciación de un fragmento del gen ribosómico 16S, permitiendo la caracterización microbiana de alimentos.El objetivo del presente estudio consistió en la identificación y cuantificación de bacterias sobre alimentos refrigerados y sin refrigerar utilizando secuenciación masiva del ADNr16S, para describir el rol del mantenimiento de la cadena del frío sobre la evolución de comunidades microbianas en alimentos.Así, se secuenció el ADN extraído de muestras de pollo, espinacas, queso fresco y yogurt, a los 2 y 4 días. Las Unidades de Operación Taxonómica (Operational Taxonomic Units: OTUs) obtenidas se compararon con bases de datos de secuencias de organismos (NCBI). Además, se realizó el cultivo de microorganismos de las muestras en el momento de su compra.De forma general se observó un aumento de la cantidad y diversidad de bacterias en las muestras sin refrigerar, confirmando que la cadena del frío retrasa el desarrollo de microorganismos en los alimentos, aumentando la vida útil de los mismos. Además, el estudio demuestra la eficacia de la secuenciación masiva del ADNr16S para estudiar el efecto de la temperatura en el desarrollo de comunidades bacterianas sobre los alimentos.
Stem taper and bark functions for Norway spruce in Norway
Authors: Pukkala Timo , Hanssen Kjersti , Andreassen Kjell
Published: September 2019

Based on data from long-term experimental fields with Norway spruce ( (L.) H. Karst.), we developed new stem taper and bark functions for Norway. Data was collected from 477 trees in stands across Norway. Three candidate functions which have shown good performance in previous studies (Kozak 02, Kozak 97 and Bi) were fitted to the data as fixed-effects models. The function with the smallest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was then chosen for additional analyses, fitting 1) site index-dependent and 2) age-dependent versions of the model, and 3) fitting a mixed-effects model with tree-specific random parameters. Kozak 97 was found to be the function with the smallest AIC, but all three tested taper functions resulted in fairly similar predictions of stem taper. The site index-dependent function reduced AIC and residual standard error and showed that the effect of site index on stem taper is different in small and large trees. The predictions of the age-independent and age-dependent models were very close to each other. Adding tree-specific random parameters to the model clearly reduced AIC and residual variation. However, the results suggest that the mixed-effects model should be used only when it is possible to calibrate it for each tree, otherwise the fixed-effects Kozak 97 model should be used. A model for double bark thickness was also fitted as fixed-effects Kozak 97 model. The model behaved logically, predicting larger relative but smaller absolute bark thickness for small trees.Picea abies
Vitamin D status in residents of Tyumen region
Authors: Suplotova Liudmila A. , Avdeeva Valeria A. , Rozhinskaya Liudmila Y.
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency worldwide is often associated with the region of residence.
AIMS: to study the level of vitamin D in serum of residents living in Tyumen region, to assess the frequency of occurrence of insufficiency and deficiency of vitamin D in the region.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational, single-site, transverse, selective, uncontrolled study of the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among adults in Tyumen region, conducted from November 2017 to March 2018.
RESULTS: Optimal levels of 25(OH)D in the residents of the Tyumen region were found in 7.3% of patients, its insufficiency was registered in 22.0% of cases, and defficiency in 70.7%. There was a weak correlation relationship between lower values of 25(OH)D in those examined with obesity according to body mass index (r = -0.104, p 0.05) and waist circumference (r = -0.239, p 0.05), and with greater body mass (r = -0.130, p 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of insufficiency and deficiency of vitamin D among the adult population living in Tyumen region has been revealed. Additionally, it has been established that the level of vitamin D is not associated with gender and age, but is associated with BMI, waist circumference and body weight of patients.
Predictors of visceral obesity in normal weight obstructive sleep apnea patients
Authors: Brodovskaya Tatyana O. , Kovin Egor A. , Bazhenova Oxana V. , Grishina Irina F. , Peretolchina Tatiana F.
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is epidemiologically related to adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The pathophysiology clues are metabolic changes and obesity. The most studied anthropometric predictors of obesity, such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), are influenced by various factors such as sex, type of constitution, hydration balance. The normal range of BMI and WC limits the diagnostic search for metabolic disturbances and visceral obesity in patients with respiratory sleep distress and can lead to increased cardiovascular risks.
AIMS: to investigate the visceral obesity predictors in normal weight patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We had performed а cross-sectional study, 68 patients were examined with mean age of 38.24 7.4 years. The main group (38 individuals) was represented by patients with OSAS. The control group consisted of healthy individuals without OSAS. Alternative markers of visceral obesity, such as lipid accumulation products, visceral obesity index, conicity index have been studied.
RESULTS: In the main group we found different disorders of lipid metabolism such as the increase in triglyceride levels by 94%, low-density lipids by 32%, total cholesterol by 10% compared with the control group. Anthropometric evidence was obtained for excessive fat accumulation in patients with normal body weight and OSAS: WC was 89.6 5.7 cm in the main group and was higher than in the control group 83.7 6.3 cm (p = 0.024) due to an increase in the visceral fat compartment, as evidenced by the conicity index (67.2 7.0 and 59.3 6.2 respectively, p = 0.032) and waist to height ratio (0.58 0.05 and 0.53 0.04 in the main and control groups, respectively, p = 0.041). Correlation relationships between the severity of sleep apnea syndrome and visceral obesity indicators were revealed.
CONCLUSIONS: Normal weight patients with breathing disorders are at risk of visceral fat obesity and, thereby, increased cardiovascular risk. Assessment of additional markers of visceral obesity in patients with normal body weight and sleep apnea is recommended to include in the dynamic observation programms.
The experience of sibutramine administration in patients with obesity and controlled arterial hypertension
Authors: Shupenina Elena Y. , Yushchuk Elena N. , Vasyuk Yury A. , Yureneva Svetlana V. , Dubrovina Anastasia V.
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a metabolic disorder that becomes epidemic. Visceral adiposity increases the risk of arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and other comorbidities. According to this, the main aim of obesity treatment is not only a weight loss but also a decrease of the risk of comorbidities.
AIMS: to assess the efficiency and safety of sibutramine in patients with obesity and arterial hypertension, to evaluate the drug influence on epicardial fat thickness.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 57 patients aged 35-60 with obesity and arterial hypertension were included in the study. All patients at the beginning and after 7 months of follow-up underwent complex examination including anthropometric measurement, ECG, office and ambulatory blood pressure measurement, echocardiography. Patients with controlled arterial hypertension were included. During the first month of follow-up patients were given general weight loss recommendations. Then sibutramine was added. Control visits to assess efficiency and safety of drug treatment were held after 1 and 6 months of follow-up.
RESULTS: Women predominated among the study participants. Visceral adiposity was approved by anthropometric measurements among all patients. Most patients had impaired left ventricle geometry: concentric remodeling or hypertrophy. During the first month of follow-up the weight loss was mild: 2 kg (less than 2%) in average. Sibutramine for 1 month the weight loss increased: 3.7 kg (more than 2%) in average. After 6 months of drug administration the weight loss of patients consisted 8.6 kg (6.2%) in average. According to echocardiography results indexed mass of LV myocardium decreased in all patients more significantly in women. Also in this group of patients significant decrease of epicardial fat thickness was revealed. Adverse events of sibutramine were revealed in 26.3% of patients. The most frequent were constipation (12.3%) and dry mouth (10.6%). The severity of symptoms persisted for 1 month and then decreased, additional therapy was not required.
CONCLUSIONS: Sibutramine treatment of obesity promotes effective weight loss, influences the adipose tissue distribution, decreases the progress of associated comorbidities. Sibutramine is an effective and safe drug that can be used in patients with visceral adiposity and controlled arterial hypertension.
T/A polymorphism of the FTO gene and lifestyle are associated with fat accumulation in different age groups of men
Authors: Bondareva Elvira A. , Zadorozhnaya Ludmila V. , Khomyakova Irina A.
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND: Adiposity development and its complications are determined by lifestyle, genetic mechanisms and their interactions. Among the obesity-related genes, polymorphisms in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are strongly associated with body fat estimates in different populations.
AIMS: to examine the association between the FTO polymorphism (T/A, rs9939609) and fat accumulation in adult russian males.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study engaged 205 participants; the age ranged from 17 to 52 years. Samples of buccal smears were collected and genomic DNA was isolated for T/A polymorphism genotyping. Anthropometric measurements were conducted with caliperometry and body composition was estimated by bioimpedance analysis.
RESULTS: Genotype frequencies in the whole studied sample were as follows FTO*TT 14%, FTO*AT 52,6%, FTO*AA 33,4% (2HW = 1,65 p=0,193). The minor A allele was significantly associated with increased fat accumulation and abdominal adiposity.
CONCLUSIONS: Among different lifestyle modifications regular and consistent programmes of exercise are most efficient strategy to reduce abdominal fat deposits significantly, independent of FTO genotype.
Antecedentes eclesiológicos de g. B. Montini - San Pablo VI. A propósito de su reciente canonización
Authors: Berckholtz Benavides Klaus
Published: September 2019

Un aspecto quizá poco conocido del recientemente canonizado papa Pablo VI es que, incluso antes de ser elegido Sumo Pontífice, era un experto estudioso de la Iglesia, a la que dedicó varios de sus escritos. Se analizan en este artículo las características más importantes de su aproximación eclesiológica, centrando la atención en los años de su ministerio episcopal en Milán. Para ello se pasa revista a su formación humanística, filosófica y teológica, así como a los autores más relevantes que marcaron su perspectiva eclesiológica. Se ofrece asimismo una mirada sintética de los principales textos en los que abordó el misterio de la Iglesia.
Teología política y racionalidad práctica
Authors: Parrilla Martínez Desiderio
Published: September 2019

En el presente artículo desarrollamos una teología política general como condición de posibilidad de cualquier teología política sistemática, libre de las aporías denunciadas en la célebre polémica de 1970. En primer lugar, plantearemos una teología política sistemática capaz de superar las mencionadas aporías. A continuación, expondremos los antecedentes más relevantes de esta crítica de la razón teopolítica centrada en su dimensión práctica. Finalmente concluiremos nuestra investigación mostrando la teoría de la acción aristotélico-escolástica como corolario de esta teología política general.
Melhoria do processo de importação a partir de conceitos do lean
Authors: Goulart Betina Capanema , Pereira Carla Roberta , Leite Luciana Rosa , Bond Danielle
Published: September 2019

O processo de importação é considerado um processo complexo devido ao alto lead time de suprimento e muita burocracia, ocasionando elevados estoques na importadora. Este artigo apresenta uma proposta de melhoria no processo de suprimentos de itens importados do setor automotivo, a partir da aplicação de conceitos do Lean Office. Para tanto, utilizou-se a ferramenta Mapeamento de Fluxo de Valor (MFV) para entender o fluxo dos itens importados e identificar pontos de desperdício. Assim, foi proposta a utilização de um mix de itens para importação, a partir da demanda do cliente interno e alteração do modal de transporte marítimo para aéreo. Esta proposta possibilitou reduções significativas no estoque e no lead time de entrega, de modo a atender a demanda mais rapidamente, com uma redução de 70% nas atividades que não agregam valor e 73% no tempo total de ciclo do processo de importação. Resultando numa economia anual de R$53.000,00.
Aplicação da metodologia scrum em um estudo de caso de engenharia
Authors: Baldo Rodrigo Fernando Galzerano , Cerri Domingos Guilherme Pellegrino , Silva Alessandro Lucas da , Zuim Julia Brandino , Mergulhão Larissa Eichemberguer Martinez , Adolpho Matheus Normanton , Boschi Thais Foschini , Garcia Rhenan Fernandes Hergert , Favalli Rafael
Published: September 2019

Este trabalho teve por objetivo descrever a aplicação do modelo Scrum, de gerenciamento de projetos, em um projeto de desenvolvimento de uma estufa para hortaliças. Foi utilizado o modelo Scrum adaptado para o ambiente educacional (eduScrum), como forma de melhor gerenciar as etapas de desenvolvimento da estufa. Para a execução do projeto, foi utilizada uma equipe multifuncional, a qual tinha conhecimentos na área de Engenharia de Produção, Manufatura, Mecatrônica e Agrícola. Como resultados da aplicação do modelo Scrum, pode-se observar que o projeto foi executado dentro do tempo pré-determinado e, um dos fatores que corroboraram para isso, foi o sistema de gates, que permitiram o maior controle do projeto. Além disso, foi determinado também, um conjunto de indicadores de desempenho, que auxiliaram na condução das etapas de desenvolvimento da estufa. Portanto, concluiu-se que o modelo Scrum utilizado foi de fundamental importância para o bom resultado do projeto.
Apoptosis and Cell Death (Mechanisms, Pharmacology and Promise for the Future)
Authors: Franko Ján , Pomfy Mikuláš , Prosbová Terry
Published: September 2019

Rapidly growing body of evidence on cell death mechanisms and its disorders during last five years has replaced old paradigms and opened new horizons in medicine. Identification of different morphological and signaling aspects, as well as variances in requirement for energy enabled us to construct a theory of three main types of cell death: necrosis, apoptosis, and lysosomal cell death. Mitochondria, certain oncoproteins such as Bcl-2 family, and special catabolic enzymes participating in cellular demise might serve as targets for pharmacological manipulation. Upregulation or downregulation of programmed cell death has been implicated in ischemic, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune disorders, as well as in oncology and chronic inflammation. This minireview brings a short overview of genesis and development of theories on programmed cell death and apoptosis, summarizes basic relevant facts on apoptotic mechanisms and draws a new hypothesis on possible implication in medicine and surgery.
The Dynamics of the Hexavalent Chromium Induced Apoptotic Patterns in vitro
Authors: Rudolf Emil , Peychl Jan , Červinka Miroslav
Published: September 2019

Although hexavalent chromium has been shown to induce apoptosis in cells cultivated in vitro, there appear to be no studies focusing on the dynamics of this process. To find out about dynamic patterns of hexavalent chromium-induced apoptosis, we treated Hep2 cells with 150 μg/ml potassium chromate and recorded their behavior as well as appearance of some crucial organelles using different morphological and biochemical methods. We found that Hep2 cells showed the earliest observable changes at 6 hours after the treatment (blebbing, chromatin shrinkage), with the entire apoptotic process lasting up to 24 hours. While all the observed cell features clearly prove apoptosis induced by hexavalent chromium, a typical apoptotic hallmark, DNA ladder, seems not to occur in this type of cells. On the other hand, in HL-60 cells, used as a control, this ladder was observable.
Teoria systemów-światów Immanuela Wallersteina i jej recepcja w archeologii: część III – okres wpływów rzymskich
Authors: Ciesielska Adriana
Published: September 2019

Immanuel Wallerstein’s centre-periphery model lies at the root of many archaeological studies, particularly studies of romanisation. One of them has been an article written by Peter S. Wells, but we have also studies done by Richard Higley concerning Roman Britain, Susan Frankenstein and Michael Rowland concerning the social hierarchy in Roman Germany. Actually several archaeologists tried to study these topic according to the Wallerstein’s world-systems theory. We can observe that the application of the theory into archaeology has always very important heuristic value.
Interpretacja stanowisk prahistorycznych Niaux i la Vache w Pirenejach jako „miejsc pamięci” i „krajobrazu pamięci”
Authors: Głód Anna
Published: September 2019

This article is an attempt to interpret Niaux prehistoric sites (where rites and rock paintings were discovered) and La Vache (the place where the prehistoric people were camped) in the Pyrenees as “sites of memory” and “landscape of memory”. The article attempts to answer the question of whether cave positions that are the subject of the work can be interpreted and defined as “sites of memory” from a modern point of view, and whether the cave in Niaux could be a kind of “site of memory” for the prehistoric population. Additionally, whether the area within which these two caves are located can be considered as part of the “landscape of memory”.
Czysto ludzka sprawa? Archeologiczne przywracanie pamięci o trudnej przeszłości przez tropienie naturo-kulturowych przemian cmentarzy wojennych
Authors: Zalewska Anna , Cyngot Dorota , Czarnecki Jacek , Kiarszys Grzegorz
Published: September 2019

In this article the outcomes of historical, archaeological, spatial and anthropological research concerning material remnants of the war cemeteries left by the Great War in Central Poland, in the area of Rawka and Bzura are presented. On the example of one of the four communes (Nowa Sucha) subjected to research under the project Archaeological Revival of Memory of the Great War (ARM), the processes of creation, transformation, decay, destruction and re-making present the resting places of the soldiers fallen between December 1914 and July 1915 are shown. In the first part, we sketch the output atmosphere that accompanied the primary context in which war cemeteries were established and place the war cemeteries in the network of social, formal and legal determinants. In the second part, we frame the historical and social contexts in which the resting places of the fallen soldiers of the German and Russian armies were massively created. Than, we show the difficulties associated with locating particular war cemeteries and signal strengths and obstacles in correlating results of archival research and use of remote sensing and archaeological methods in order to restore the memory of war cemeteries and establish their current and future condition as material warnings. Also we stress the looping of cultural and natural factors both in the process of protecting and destroying material condition of war cemeteries. Finally, on the example of one of the cemeteries we show how slow and arduous but at the same time promising can be the process of transformation from a forgotten/plowed cemetery into a place of/in memory, and as an agent struggling with the continuous nature-cultural transformations.
International Constitutional Law and Judicial Review of Domestic Human Rights Legislation
Authors: Enonchong Laura-Stella
Published: September 2019

This article discusses the idea of international human rights law as ‘constitutional law’. It applies the French concept of Le contrôle de conventionnalité des lois, to demonstrate the constitutional potentials of international human rights law in the domestic sphere. In most monist constitutional systems based on the French civilian model, international law takes precedence over acts of parliament and other domestic legislation. Due in part to that hierarchy, conventionnalité permits the courts to review domestic law for compatibility with international law. From that perspective, international human rights norms can be said to have assumed a ‘para-constitutional’ function. Using two case studies from francophone Africa, this article argues that conventionnalité has the potential to play a significant role in the domestic implementation of international human rights and ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive domestic human rights regime.
A numerical method for an inverse source problem for parabolic equations and its application to a coefficient inverse problem
Authors: Nguyen Phuong Mai , Nguyen Loc Hoang
Published: September 2019

Two main aims of this paper are to develop a numerical method to solve an inverse source problem for parabolic equations and apply it to solve a nonlinear coefficient inverse problem.
The inverse source problem in this paper is the problem to reconstruct a source term from external observations.
Our method to solve this inverse source problem consists of two stages. We first establish an equation of the derivative of the solution to the parabolic equation with respect to the time variable.
Then, in the second stage, we solve this equation by the quasi-reversibility method.
The inverse source problem considered in this paper is the linearization of a nonlinear coefficient inverse problem.
Hence, iteratively solving the inverse source problem provides the numerical solution to that coefficient inverse problem.
Numerical results for the inverse source problem under consideration and the corresponding nonlinear coefficient inverse problem are presented.
Crystal structure of poly[diaqua-(μ4-4-(3,5-dicarboxy-κ1
O-phenoxy)phthalato-κ3
O:O′:O′)cadmium(II)], C16H12CdO11
Authors: Sun Tao , Li Ke
Published: September 2019

C16H12CdO11, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 14.6977(6) Å, b = 5.9706(2) Å, c = 20.7220(10) Å, β = 109.802(5)°, V = 1710.91(13) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0456, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1583, T = 296(2) K.
Crystal structure of (2-([1,1-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2-oxyethyl]iminomethyl)-5-(n-decyl)phenolato)-dimethyl-tin(IV), C23H39NO5Sn
Authors: Lee See Mun , Lo Kong Mun , Tiekink Edward R.T.
Published: September 2019

C23H39NO5Sn, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 6.0101(2) Å, b = 9.2999(2) Å, c = 22.3110(6) Å, α = 91.482(2)°, β = 90.594(3)°, γ = 102.631(2)°, V = 1216.28(6) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0425, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1158, T = 100(2) K.
Monumental Absences in Ancient Historiography
Authors: Spielberg Lydia
Published: September 2019

This article demonstrates that ancient historians did not simply draw upon inscriptions and statues as sources, but also subverted the original messages of these artefacts by placing their own spin on events. These readings ‘against the grain’ take place both where the historical monument exists and has been seen by the historian, as in Thucydides’ digression on the Peisistratids’ inscriptions and decrees, and where the monument is either inaccessible or nonexistent (e. g. Livy’s discussion of the 493 BC Latin treaty and Tacitus’ analysis of the senate-decrees issued for Germanicus’ funeral). By reinterpreting monuments, historians enable sources to transcend their semiotic function and elevate them into commemorative objects. However, this process of reframing and negotiation does not only occur to individual monuments; as this chapter demonstrates, Classical historiography also includes more general commentary on the usefulness of material sources as transmitters of the past.
Intermediality in the Metamorphoses
Authors: Dinter Martin T.
Published: September 2019

This article provides an intermedial re-reading of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, treating a wide range of passages from Echo and Narcissus in Book 2 to the final sphragis which rounds off Book 15. As its title indicates, the Metamorphoses is at heart a poem about transformations. It is therefore imbued with a sense of dynamism and volatility, which in turn renders it a fertile source of represented intermedial transposition. This chapter explores three processes relating to this wider concept: ‘creation’, where a medial product is woven, painted, or sculpted, ‘human-to-media transformations’, which provide a subversive take on intermediality due to their negative connotations, and ‘meta-intermediality’, through which Ovid comments on media and their narratological potential within the wider poem. By thus problematising medial communication, Ovid identifies and advocates a hierarchy of art forms based on their effectiveness as monumentalising devices: within this system, engravings – owing to their permanence – take precedence over woven or written products. This tendency comes to the fore in the final book of the Metamorphoses, in which Ovid links his poetry to the Fates’ records on ‘brass and solid iron’ (Ov. Met. 15.808–815). In so doing, he does not only assert the authority which his work possesses as a prophecy for Rome’s greatness, but also appoints himself as a renowned bard for the ages.
Stories from the Frontier: Bridging Past and Present at Hadrian’s Wall
Authors: Stocks Claire
Published: September 2019

A corn modius, excavated in 1915 at Carvoran Roman fort, survives as an enduring testament to the memory sanctions applied to the emperor Domitian after his death. Domitian’s name has been hammered out, even though the rest of the engraved text – which reveals the capacity of this measuring vessel – has been preserved. Taking this case study as its springboard, this article reflects on how artefacts act as battlegrounds for the parallel processes of commemoration and censorship. It exemplifies, moreover, how a modern video-game for school-aged children which Stocks co-designed about Vindolanda, an Imperial-era Roman fort at Hadrian’s Wall, can serve a similar function. By translating the physical realities of that site into virtual images, and challenging players to solve a fictional murder mystery within this simulated environment, the game creates a new means through which students might be led into the past: it allows them to co-create history by selecting narrative paths and engaging intermedially with ancient Vindolanda. Far from being all ‘fun and games’, this process is especially effective as a pedagogical tool: players experience history not as readers, spectators, or listeners, but as visitors, endowed with first-person access to the stories and places of Britain’s Roman past.
Effect of xylitol on gut microbiota in an in vitro colonic simulation
Authors: Xu Yuanyuan , Chen Yi , Xiang Shasha , Ye Kun , Bao Xuan , Zhu Xuan , Ge Yin , Shi Lihua , Lin Mengyi
Published: September 2019

Objective

Xylitol has been commonly used as a sweetener and dental caries protective agent. However, how xylitol influences the composition and metabolism of gut microbiota is not known yet. This study aimed to dissect the changes of microbiota and their metabolites under xylitol supplementation in an in vitro colonic simulation.

Materials and methods

A single-phase continuous fermentation model was used to culture human fecal flora and the 16s rDNA and short chain fatty acid were analyzed.

Results and discussion

It was found that gut microbiota composition differentiated after xylitol supplementation only for the beginning 3 days. Xylitol significantly enhanced the relative amount of butyrate synthesizing bacteria such as Clostridium and Phascolarctobacterium. Meanwhile, xylitol increased the production of propionic acid and butyrate. An increase of Escherichia population sizes after xylitol supplementation was beyond expectation. By Spearman analysis, a positive relationship between Escherichia and Bifidobacterium was found.

Conclusion

xylitol can rapidly enhance the total amount of short chain fatty acids, but its influence will disappear after 3 days of fermentation. Results of this investigation can be a guideline for the further investigations on xylitol in relation to gut microbiota and the daily intake determinations.