bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Get Smart: Learning and partnership with Ethiopia’s Health Extension Programme to re-envision contraceptive service delivery to young couples
Authors: Appleford Gabrielle , Cole Claire , Ayenekulu Metsehate , Newport Sue , Mulhern Emma
Published: October 2019

Background: Adolescents 360 (A360) implements the Smart Start (SS) programme through Ethiopia’s Health Extension Programme (HEP). SS is premised on financial planning as an entry point to discuss family planning (FP) with newly married couples and central to its delivery are the health extension workers (HEW). This article evaluates the A360 experience and learning from the process evaluation implemented by Itad to understand contextual barriers and enablers from the perspective of the HEW.

Methods: A purposive sampling strategy was employed whereby 27 key stakeholders were identified from Oromia, Addis Ababa and Amhara, based on exposure to the SS programme. Findings from the action research were shared with A360 through a one day sounding workshop.

Results: Findings revealed that many local government and communal respondents do not view adolescent pregnancy as a problem, unless out of wedlock, and adolescent pregnancy is closely linked to early marriage. As a result, some providers, including HEWs, acknowledged that married adolescent girls were previously ‘neglected’ by them, while husbands indicated that they had not previously been included in FP counselling. Findings also revealed some challenges with SS implementation as HEWs were ‘deprioritizing’ the intervention and many HEWs had been in situ for several years and were overworked and frustrated. Against this backdrop, A360 was viewed as adding to the HEW workload. While the programme design was focused on adolescent users, there was increasing recognition that HEWs also needed to be at the centre of solution design.

Conclusions: Despite challenges associated with the HEP, Ethiopia FP2020 plans to support the ‘next generation’ of HEWs, including a focus on adolescents and youth. To gain deeper insight and put the HEW at the centre of design, A360 will continue to work with the process evaluation to understand contextual barriers and enablers from the perspective of the HEW.
Associations of cord leptin and cord insulin with adiposity and blood pressure in White British and Pakistani children aged 4/5 years
Authors: West Jane , Santorelli Gillian , Collings Paul , Bingham Daniel , Whincup Peter , Sattar Naveed , Norris Tom , Wright John , Lawlor Debbie A.
Published: October 2019

Background: Cord leptin and cord insulin concentrations may be important biomarkers of child adiposity and cardiovascular health, especially in populations with an increased long-term risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to determine whether cord leptin and insulin are associated with adiposity and early cardiovascular health at age 4/5, and whether any associations differ between White British and Pakistani children.

Methods: Using bi-ethnic cohort data from 6060 mother-offspring pairs (2717 (44.8%) White British, 3343 (55.2%) Pakistani), we examined associations of cord leptin and insulin with adiposity (BMI, skinfold thickness) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at age 4/5.

Results: Cord leptin and insulin were higher in Pakistani compared to White British children (7.4 ng/ml versus 6.7 ng/ml and 4.1 mU/L versus 3.63 mU/L, respectively). Associations with adiposity measurements were similar in both groups and close to the null value. For example, each 10 ng/ml higher cord leptin was associated with a difference in mean childhood BMI of 0.10 kg/m2 (95% CI 0.01, 0.19) in White British, 0.01 kg/m2 (95% CI -0.08, 0.10) in Pakistani and 0.04 kg/m2 (95% CI -0.02, 0.11) in both groups combined.  Associations with systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also close to the null and consistent in both groups.

Conclusions: We found no evidence that cord leptin or insulin were likely to be valuable biomarkers for predicting later adiposity and blood pressure in White British or Pakistani children. For now, other factors such as family history and social-economic status may be more useful markers of risk.
Closing the Gap: A Learning Algorithm for Lost-Sales Inventory Systems with Lead Times
Authors: Zhang Huanan , Chao Xiuli , Shi Cong
Published: October 2019

We consider a periodic-review, single-product inventory system with lost sales and positive lead times under censored demand. In contrast to the classical inventory literature, we assume the firm does not know the demand distribution a priori and makes an adaptive inventory-ordering decision in each period based only on the past sales (censored demand) data. The standard performance measure is regret, which is the cost difference between a learning algorithm and the clairvoyant (full-information) benchmark. When the benchmark is chosen to be the (full-information) optimal base-stock policy, Huh et al. [Huh WT, Janakiraman G, Muckstadt JA, Rusmevichientong P (2009a) An adaptive algorithm for finding the optimal base-stock policy in lost sales inventory systems with censored demand. Math. Oper. Res. 34(2):397–416.] developed a nonparametric learning algorithm with a cubic-root convergence rate on regret. An important open question is whether there exists a nonparametric learning algorithm whose regret rate matches the theoretical lower bound of any learning algorithms. In this work, we provide an affirmative answer to this question. More precisely, we propose a new nonparametric algorithm termed the simulated cycle-update policy and establish a square-root convergence rate on regret, which is proven to be the lower bound of any learning algorithm. Our algorithm uses a random cycle-updating rule based on an auxiliary simulated system running in parallel and also involves two new concepts, namely the withheld on-hand inventory and the double-phase cycle gradient estimation. The techniques developed are effective for learning a stochastic system with complex system dynamics and lasting impact of decisions.

This paper was accepted by Yinyu Ye, optimization.
Mutual Funds and Mispriced Stocks
Authors: Avramov Doron , Cheng Si , Hameed Allaudeen
Published: October 2019

We propose a new measure of fund investment skill, active fund overpricing (AFO), encapsulating the fund’s active share of investments, the direction of fund active bets with regard to mispriced stocks, and the dispersion of mispriced stocks in the fund’s investment opportunity set. We find that fund activeness is not sufficient for outperformance: high (low) AFO funds taking active bets on the wrong (right) side of stock mispricing achieve inferior (superior) fund performance. However, high AFO funds receive higher flows during periods of high investor sentiment, when the performance–flow relation becomes weaker.

This paper was accepted by Karl Diether, finance.
Solving Stochastic and Bilevel Mixed-Integer Programs via a Generalized Value Function
Authors: Tavaslıoğlu Onur , Prokopyev Oleg A. , Schaefer Andrew J.
Published: October 2019

We introduce a generalized value function of a mixed-integer program, which is simultaneously parameterized by its objective and right-hand side. We describe its fundamental properties, which we exploit through three algorithms to calculate it. We then show how this generalized value function can be used to reformulate two classes of mixed-integer optimization problems: two-stage stochastic mixed-integer programming and multifollower bilevel mixed-integer programming. For both of these problem classes, the generalized value function approach allows the solution of instances that are significantly larger than those solved in the literature in terms of the total number of variables and number of scenarios.
Antiarrhythmic drugs part 2: rhythm-control drugs
Authors: Sampson Michael
Published: October 2019

Rhythm-control drugs are used to terminate arrhythmias, and/or prevent their recurrence. They are a heterogeneous group of medicines with a wide range of indications, mechanisms and pharmacological properties. In this second article of a three-part series, three commonly used rhythm-control drugs are evaluated: adenosine, amiodarone and flecainide. In addition to describing each drug and its uses, important practice points are identified with the aim of promoting safe prescribing and administration.
Improving the Quality of Teaching Internships with the Help of the Platforms
Authors: Ballesteros-Regana Cristobal , Siles-Rojas Carmen , Hervas-Gomez Carlos , Diaz-Noguera Maria Dolores
Published: October 2019

This article presents an empirical study on the perceptions of university students toward the development of the teaching practicum, using the CourseSites platform as a communication and support tool for their training. The opinions of the students were collected through a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 1500 students who were registered in the degrees of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Pedagogy (2008-2018). A descriptive, inferential and multi-level analysis was conducted, which confirmed that future teachers had activated their professional competences, as they had the chance to share their internship experiences with their faculty members and with their own classmates.
Cognitive, Affective, Social and Cultural Aspects of Teaching and Learning in Media Studies
Authors: Kabha Robin
Published: October 2019

The vision that we will present is not intended to be exhaustive or totalizing, although it does attempt to highlight the most significant aspects that characterize it. It is a reflection of more than twenty years of work in the educational field, at different levels and with different functions, it is also the result of personal evolution, and how she will be subject to evolution. Comparing media studies with the 19th century, it seems that media has conquered an essential position in every individual's life. This study meets the requirements of a growing pool of traditional and non-traditional students, including teachers, who find education as an important aspect for jobs in the modern age of information and technology. This research will utilize the literature which has been published already, including quantitative as well as qualitative measures. Past papers were selected, which were published in different areas. Comparing with other empirical research, the first phase of the procedure of the study is to collect the data The study is to identify the teachers and learner's characteristics such as affective, cognitive, and social factors which causes an impact on learning and teaching enhanced environment in media studies.
Coordination between control layer AI and on-board AI in optical transport networks [Invited]
Authors: Zhao Yongli , Yan Boyuan , Li Zhuotong , Wang Wei , Wang Ying , Zhang Jie
Published: October 2019

In optical transport networks, the urgent demand for control efficiency and intelligence has become one of the most significant challenges for telecom operators. With the development in control technology, more attention has been paid to performance enhancement of the centralized controller of software-defined optical networks (SDONs). Meanwhile, machine learning (ML) is emerging as a promising technology to facilitate the intelligence of control planes in SDONs. Some research works have been conducted to use ML to solve problems in optical transport networks. However, it is still a challenge to deploy and use computing resources. On the one hand, computing resources can be deployed inside the centralized controller of an SDON to enable control layer artificial intelligence (AI). On the other hand, computing resources can also be deployed on the hardware board to enable on-board AI. The two-layer AI functions are able to meet different intelligent requirements in data and control layers in different scenarios. Therefore, coordination between them is an important issue. In this paper, a novel control architecture based on an SDON is proposed, and it can support control layer AI and on-board AI simultaneously. Particularly, on-board AI is proposed based on edge computing to support various ML applications. To evaluate the proposed architecture, we develop an experimental testbed and demonstrate a typical use case, i.e., alarm information prediction. Experimental results show that coordination and cross-layer optimization between control layer AI and on-board AI can be achieved. However, there is much space for research in this area, and we envision some open issues.
Prevalence of mastitis in dairy goat farms in Eastern Algeria
Authors: Gabli Zahra , Djerrou Zouhir , Gabli Abd Elhafid , Bensalem Mounira
Published: October 2019

Aim: This study aimed to investigate mastitis in dairy goat farms through the California mastitis test (CMT) and bacteriological examinations. Materials and Methods: A total of 845 goats belonging to 18 farms from four regions (Tébessa, Guelma, Souk Ahras, and Skikda) were examined. Results: Clinical examination of the mammary glands showed that 30/845 (3.55%) goats had clinical mastitis and 32 goats had half-teat inflammation. CMT subclinical mastitis (SCM) was detected in 815 goats that were presumed to be healthy. CMT showed 46 (5.64%) CMT-positive goats as well as 47 (2.88%) positive half-udders with a score of ≥2. A total of 79 bacteria were isolated and identified from the 79 bacterial positive samples. Bacteriological analyses showed that Gram-positive staphylococci were largely responsible for clinical and SCM. Coagulase-negative staphylococci, with an isolation frequency of 56.96%, were the most prevalent bacteria from all isolated organisms. The second most prevalent organism was Staphylococcus aureus at 40.50% and streptococci (2.53%) had the smallest percentage of isolation. Conclusion: It is suggested that due to the prevalence of mastitis in this species, farmers should be aware of the problem to plan preventive and control measures to reduce dairy goat losses due to this disease.
Non-Enzymatic Methylglyoxal Formation From glucose Metabolites and Generation of Superoxide Anion Radical During Methylglyoxal-Dependent Cross-Links Reaction
Authors: Lankin V.Z. , Shadyro O.I. , Shumaev K.B. , Shumaev K.B. , Tikhaze A.K. , Sladkova A.A.
Published: October 2019

The paper explores the formation of a-oxoaldehydes during the interaction of glucose metabolites with hydroxyl or alkoxyl radicals. Hydroxyl radicals were generated under radiolysis of aqueous solutions, and alkoxyl radicals (t-BuO) were obtained in the model system tert-butyl hydroperoxide/Fe2+. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed that methylglyoxal was one of the organic products resulting from t-BuO-induced transformations of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate under hypoxic conditions. The interaction of lysine and methylglyoxal one of the main targets of a-oxoaldehydes in proteins was also studied. As chemiluminescence and EPR spectroscopy demonstrated, this reaction generates a methylglyoxal anion radical, a cation-radical of methylglyoxal dialkylamine and a superoxide anion radical. EPR signal of methylglyoxal-derived free radicals was observed in hypoxia, whereas only the trace amounts of these free radicals were recorded in the aerated reaction medium.
Purified glycerin in balanced diets for chicken broilers from 8 to 21 days old
Authors: Silva Mônica Calixto da , Vaz Roberta Gomes Marçal Vieira , Rodrigues Kênia Ferreira , Sousa Luciano Fernanades , Stringhini José Henrique , Fonseca Flávia Luzia Rodrigues , Parente Iberê Pereira , Alves Campos Carla Fonseca , Bezerra Latóya de Sousa , Ribeiro Mayara da Cruz , Silva Jefferson Rodrigues da
Published: October 2019

This paper aimed to evaluate the metabolizability, performance and economic viability of purified glycerin inclusion in balanced diets fed to chicken broilers from 8 to 21 days old. Two experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, 100 broilers (14 days old) were distributed in a completely randomized design into two treatments, with five replications of 10 broilers. Treatments consisted of a control diet and a test diet, in which purified glycerin replaced 10% of the control diet. In the second experiment, 200 broilers (8 days old) were distributed in a completely randomized design into four treatments (0, 2, 4 and 6% of purified glycerin inclusion), with five replications of 10 broilers. The weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, final weight, apparent metabolizable energy (AME), nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn), metabolizability coefficients of dry matter (DMMC), crude protein (CPMC) and gross energy (GEMC), and the cost of feed per kg of broiler produced were evaluated. The AME, AMEn, DMMC, CPMC and GEMC from the purified glycerin were 3790 and 3560 kcal/kg, and 83.72, 71.52 and 86.27%, respectively. The glycerin levels did not affect (p>0.05) any of the performance characteristics (weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and final weight). The lowest feeding cost and the highest gross margin were obtained for broilers fed with 6% purified glycerin. The inclusion of 6% purified glycerin in balanced diets for broilers from 8 to 21 days old was technically and economically feasible.
Viability and gene transcription of Campylobacter jejuni in infant milk formulas
Authors: De Melo Roberta Torres , Pacheco Carla Ribeiro , Monteiro Guilherme Paz , Paiva Maia Yara Cristina , Mendonça Eliane Pereira , Braz Raquelline Figueiredo , Valadares Júnior Edson Campos , Rossi Daise Aparecida
Published: October 2019

This study simulated the contamination of two varieties of infant milk formulas (homemade and commercial) with 103 and 104 CFU/mL of Campylobacter jejuni, that were kept under refrigeration (4-7ºC) for up to 48 hours. The aim of this study was to verify the maintenance of the viability and ability of Campylobacter jejuni to produce transcripts of virulence and resistance to stress conditions during periods of 0 (after preparation), 24 and 48 hours. C. jejuni remained viable during all analyzed stages and the presence of coliforms was not detected. In general, the counts reduced 1 log cycle after 48 hours for all samples, except the 104 CFU/mL inoculum of commercial formula, which reduced 2 log cycles, indicating greater injury of C. jejuni in this food matrix. C. jejuni showed to be more adapted to homemade matrix, due to high transcription of the gene related to cell invasion, ciaB, and more susceptible in the commercial matrix, due to the high transcription  of genes related to conditions of stress tolerance (dnaJ, p19, sodB). The low infective dose of C. jejuni coupled with greater vulnerability of children less than five years indicate the need for care in the preparation and maintenance of infant formulas, to prevent the use of contaminated raw material and cross-contamination, especially in homemade formulations.
Indirect response in genome wide selection using selected markers
Authors: Bhering Leonardo Lopes , Xu Shizhong
Published: October 2019

The goal of this work was to compare the effect of the accuracy and residual variance in genome wide selection using marker selection as well as using the effect of the indirect selection, using simulated and real data. In simulated data was used one sample with 200 individuals with 1,000 molecular markers in F2 population. The real data was obtained in maize with F2 population with 441 individuals and genotyping with 261 SSR markers. There was 11 traits evaluated (ear length, ear width, row number, kernels per row, 100-kernel weight, ear weight, grain yield, length of branch, number of branch, plant height and ear height). All data was analyzed using rrBLUP method and 10-fold cross-validation. In simulated and maize data the results were similar: the residual variance with few markers is lower than with the 1000 markers and the accuracy with few markers is bigger than with 1000 markers. For maize data multi trait selection, the accuracy increased when the correlation between traits is greater than 0.50 and residual variance decreased when the correlation is greater than 0.70. In this sense, these results showed that marker selection could be used as a first step in genome wide selection, improving the prediction and compute demand.
Environmental stratification in the brazilian cerrado on the yield and fiber quality of cotton genotypes
Authors: Cotrim Mayara Fávero , Farias Francisco José Correa , Carvalho Luiz Paulo de , Teodoro Larissa Pereira Ribeiro , Bhering Leonardo Lopes , Teodoro Paulo Eduardo
Published: October 2019

Environmental stratification studies are important for the plant breeding, since they allow to adequately plan the experimental network. The objective of this work was to identify similar environments for cotton cultivation in the Brazilian Cerrado regarding yield and fiber quality. Nineteen field studies were carried out in a randomized complete block design with twelve genotypes and four replicates. Agronomic (cotton seed yield and fiber percentage) and technological traits (length, micronaire, fiber strength) were evaluated. These results indicate that there are six environments (PVA3, MON, SHE1, SIN, PPA e TRIN) in which the cotton trials should be installed as a matter of priority owing to the phenotypic response pattern obtained for the evaluated traits. The remaining 13 environments are similar to each other for all traits and can be summarized in strategic locations depending on the ease of installation of the trials.
Space-temporal evaluation of changes in temperature and soil use and cover in the metropolitan region of baixada santista
Authors: Alves Laurizio Emanuel Ribeiro , Correia Filho Washington Luiz Félix , Gomes Heliofábio Barros , Oliveira-Junior José Francisco de , Sanches Fabio de Oliveira , Teodoro Paulo Eduardo
Published: October 2019

The Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista (MRBS) harbors one of the main port areas of Brazil: the Port of Santos. Due to the accelerated urban development in this region, the monitoring of biophysical parameters is fundamental. Therefore, this paper aims to i) estimate the soil surface temperature (Ts) and identify the Urban Heat Islands (UHI) formation; and ii) compare the Ts and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for MRBS from 1986 to 2016 using Landsat 5 and 8 images. Remote sensing tools are essential to meet the objectives of this work for providing both the spatial and temporal evaluation of a region. The spatial analysis was based on the NDVI to evaluate the vegetation density and size from five previously established classes (i.e., water bodies, urban grid, exposed soil and road corridors, shrub, and dense vegetation). The NDVI mapping showed a significant reduction in the cover area referred to the dense vegetation class (91.7%), while the urban grid category increased by 29.4%, resulting from the urban expansion and green cover reduction over the region during this period. Surface temperature thematic maps showed high-temperature values related to increased urbanization and decreased rainfall. Moreover, an 8°C rise in surface temperature over the last 30 years was registered due to the regional development, which has replaced natural soils by anthropic materials and reduced dense vegetation. This phenomenon has resulted in the formation and intensification of UHI, especially after the 2000s.
Vegetative growth and yield of robusta coffee genotypes cultivated under different shading levels
Authors: Venancio Luan Peroni , Do Amaral José Francisco Teixeira , Cavatte Paulo Cezar , Vargas Cynthia Teixeira , Dos Reis Edvaldo Fialho , Dias Jocione Ribeiro
Published: October 2019

The growing in shaded systems is one of the strategies adopted to mitigate the impacts of climate change on coffee trees. However, there are few studies about the effect of shading on the growth and production of clones of robusta coffee (Coffea canephora). Besides that, exist a paradigm  in Brazil of that the shading in coffee robusta is synonymous of less yield. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate whether C. canephora genotypes subjected to shading increase their yield and growth vegetative under field conditions. The study was performed between September 2013 and July 2017 (four harvests) in Alegre, Espírito Santo state, Brazil. Three genotypes of cultivar Conilon Vitória - Incaper 8142 were evaluated (03V, 06V, and 12V) and four levels of shade: full sunlight (witness) and, low, moderate and, high shade, with 38, 48 and, 68% of real capacity of shade, respectively. The shade was performed using black polyolefin screens; plants growing in full sunlight were only fenced. The tested shade levels affected the growth rate and yield of Robusta coffee plants. The shading caused a greater leaf expansion as compared to the full sunlight, as well as greater etiolation of the plagiotropic and orthotropic branches. The genotype 06V was shown to be responsive to shading, with a statistically equal production independently of shade level. The low, moderate, and high shade levels affected negatively the yield of genotypes 03V and 12V. The shading can improve the yield of Robusta coffee, in this case, of the genotype 06V of the cultivar Conilon Vitória - Incaper 8142. The success of shaded plantations depends the choice of the shade responsive genotypes and appropriate shading level.
Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antioxidant activities of the hydromethanolic fraction from Annona nutans leaves
Authors: Silva Nathália Lucca , Saldanha Aline Aparecida , Silva Denise Brentan , Carollo Carlos Alexandre , Sartori Angela Lucia Bagnatori , Soares Adriana Cristina , Siqueira João Máximo de
Published: October 2019

Annona nutans (Annonaceae) is a plant species found in Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and the Brazilian Cerrado, specifically in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil). Its common names are Araticû-Mi and Araticû-Ñu. The research contributions regarding the chemical composition and biological activities of extracts from A. nutans are rare, with only four articles being found in the literature. Therefore, the present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the hydromethanolic fraction (FHMeOH) using carrageenan-induced paw edema and hot-plate tests. In addition, the antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging, total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin content assays and quantification of the major metabolites by LC-MS were performed. Oral treatment with the FHMeOH (at a dose of 300 mg.kg-1) significantly reduced paw edema 2 h and 4 h after the inflammatory stimulus. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment with the FHMeOH (50 and 100 mg.kg-1) proved to be most effective, and the inhibition of acute inflammation was still visible 6 h after carrageenan injection. At doses of 50 and 100 mg.kg-1 (i.p.), FHMeOH exhibits central antinociceptive effects by increasing the latency of the reaction in the hot-plate model. The FHMeOH showed antioxidant potential, and the metabolites quercetin-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)-galactopyranoside, and chlorogenic acid were identified and quantified by LC-MS. Our results indicate, for the first time, that FHMeOH has anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antioxidant potential, and it is a promising source of studies for new herbal medicines
Demand forecast in the emergency department in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: De Brito Franciele Guimarães , Resende Elmiro Santos , Rodrigues Aurélia Aparecida de Araújo , Junqueira Marcelle Aparecida Barros , Barreto Vívian Ribeiro , Destro Filho João Batista
Published: October 2019

This study presents a mathematical model to carry out the demand forecasts in relation to patientes classified as green in the emergency department of a municipality in Minas Gerais, Brazil. In addition, another approach will investigate whether the green patients demand remains the same over the weekend, as compared to the weekdays, since there is no support from Primary Health Care units over the weekend. A retrospective study of the emergency service in the municipality of Monte Carmelo was carried out from January 2014 to December 2017.The time series of the patients classified as green during the host by the nurse, according to the Manchester Triage Scale, was analyzed in the temporal domain for the construction of a parametric model with the purpose of realizing the demand forecast. The Manchester Triage Scale has been adopted in most emergency department as a guiding instrument for risk classification, prioritizing the most serious cases. The data processing was fulfilled using Software R Version 3.4. The ARIMA model (1,1,1) presented a better fit for this forecast. The predictions of this model are values close to those observed for the number of patients seen that ranges from 1780.4 to 1796.6 patients per month. In relation to the demand of patients classified as green at the weekend, it has shown that it is slightly lower than the weekend, but it is still an expressive demand. The application of the models must be seen by the managers as a tool to aid decisions, thus it must support processes of planning, management and evaluation of public policies. In this context, mathematical models for demand forecasting are an instrument for management care and services.
Enhanced production of β- glucosidase by locally isolated fungal strain employing submerged fermentation
Authors: Abdullah Roheena , Nazir Chudhary Sobia , Kaleem Afshan , Iqtedar Mehwish , Nisar Kinza , Iftikhar Tehreema , Saleem Faiza
Published: October 2019

β-glucosidase has wide spectrum of biotechnological applications in different industries including food, textile, laundry detergents, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical and biofuel industry. The present investigation related to isolation, screening, and process optimization of fungal strain for enhanced production of β-glucosidase (BGL). For this purpose, different fungal stains were isolated from different sources including soil, fruits, bark of tree as well as from the compost. The screening of fungal strain for BGL production was carried out via submerged fermentation. All the tested strains were identified on the basis of micro and macroscopic features. The fungal strain having greater ability for BGL synthesis among tested ones was identified as Aspergillus niger and given the code SBT-15. The process parameter including fermentation media, temperature, pH, rate of fermentation, carbon and nitrogen sources, volume of media were optimized. Five different fermentation media were evaluated M3 medium gave maximum production. The optimal conditions for BGL production was 72 hours of incubation at 40°C, pH 6 and 50 ml fermentation medium. Glucose (1%) and ammonium sulphate (3%) were optimized as best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively.
GÊNERO ORAL BENZEÇÃO
Authors: Felix Regina Lucia , Goulart Claudia
Published: October 2019

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo  caracterizar e analisar o gênero benzeção na atualidade, prática discursiva dos benzedores como um elemento historicamente específico de uma prática social milenar, de alguém que fala em nome de uma religião, com o intuito de curar com base na fé cristã. O corpus foi constituído de quinze benzeções coletadas na cidade de Patrocínio-MG. Os pressupostos teóricos da análise são da Linguística Textual e os critérios adotados para a caracterização desse gênero foram ancorados na teoria de Travaglia (2007), que aponta cinco parâmetros de análise: o conteúdo temático, a estrutura composicional, os objetivos e funções sociocomunicativas, as características da superfície linguística e as condições de produção do gênero. Trabalhamos com a hipótese de que há pontos divergentes nas benzeções para um mesmo problema. Os resultados das análises revelam que embora haja pontos divergentes entre os benzedores na realização do gênero, isso não impede que ele se realize. Apesar das diferenças de estilo no momento da realização do gênero, em decorrência do nível de escolaridade e da movência dos benzedores no campo das vivências socioculturais, das crenças religiosas e da variação de estilos no momento da realização do gênero, a maneira de benzer é uma só.
Clinical significance of cell-free DNA concentration and integrity in serum of gastric cancer patients before and after surgery
Authors: Zhang Xueliang , Wu Zhenfeng , Shen Qian , Li Rong , Jiang Xiaohui , Wu Jindong , Li Ding , Wang Ding , Zou Chang , Zhong Yuejiao , Cheng Xianfeng
Published: October 2019

Early onset of gastric cancer (GC) is almost asymptomatic, thereby making early diagnosis and early treatment difficult. Blood samples were taken from 90 GC patients who had not undergone surgery, and from another set of 110 GC patients who had undergone surgery. The control consisted of 90 healthy individuals. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and its integrity were assayed using qPCR. The association between cfDNA levels and clinical presentations of GC was analyzed. In addition, cfDNA, carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 724 (CA724), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) were subjected to specificity and sensitivity analyses using ROC. The levels of cfDNA of GC patients before surgery were markedly higher than corresponding values in patients with GC after surgery. Post-surgery, the two indices were also significantly higher in GC patients than in the healthy group. The correlation between cfDNA concentration/integrity and gender, age, TNM stage, tumor differentiation, tumor location, neuronspecific enolase (NSE), or alpha fetoprotein (AFP) expression, was not significant in GC patients before or after surgery. However, the correlation between cfDNA and concentrations of CEA/CA125 was significant. The CA199 expression level was significantly correlated with cfDNA integrity. The AUC values of cfDNA concentration and integrity were higher than other tumor markers. Measurement of cfDNA concentration and integrity may be an ideal tumor screening method with higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional tumor biomarkers. The cfDNA concentration and integrity are significantly increased in plasma of GC patients, and may serve as promising indicators for GC.
Training workshop on Mycobacterium whole genome sequence data analysis
Authors: Hirutu Yonas Kassahun , Bayeleygne Mesert D , Desta Adey F , Tariku Tewodros , Abebe Markos
Published: October 2019

Basic bioinformatics training workshop conducted at Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This report describes a bioinformatics training initiative started at AHRI aiming to support life science researchers and postgraduates in handling next-generation sequencing data.
Training student writers in conducting peer feedback in L2 writing: A meaning-making perspective
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Yu Shulin
Published: October 2019

This study investigates how L2 (second language) student writers responded to SFL (systemic functional linguistics)-based training that was designed to assist them in harnessing meaning-making knowledge to evaluate their classmates’ essays. Conducted in a Chinese college expository writing course and based on qualitative analyses of three students’ interviews, their written feedback, as well as their reflections over one semester, the study shows that the students’ adjustment to the training occurred in a dynamic and interrelated manner. That is, along with constant teacher support and their increased knowledge gained from SFL-based training, the students transcended the limitations of their prior knowledge, which merely entailed giving feedback at the level of structural accuracy in L2 writing. They were able to gradually embrace meaning-making knowledge, although not yet fully developed. With this knowledge, they evaluated their classmates’ essays to determine if the writing content fitted the demands of valued academic compositions, such as whether and how the grammar and vocabulary were used correctly in context.
Concept of chemical reaction in chemistry textbooks
Authors: Michalisková Renata , Haláková Zuzana , Prokša Miroslav
Published: October 2019

For more than 20 years the science teachers, the researchers in science education, the educationists and the other pedagogues have been acquainted with the model of educational reconstruction. In this model there are integrated three areas of this scientific interest: the recognition of pupils’ conceptions, the investigation of scientific conceptions with didactics branch approach and the creation of an educational content (Duit, R., Gropengießer, H., & Kattmann, U. (2005). Towards science education research that is relevant for improving practice: The model of educational reconstruction. In H. E. Fischer, (Ed.), The Developing standards in research on science education (pp. 1–9). London: Taylor & Francis; Duit, R., Gropengießer, H., Kattmann, U., Komorek, M., & Parchmann, I. (2012). The model of educational reconstruction – a framework for improving teaching and learning science. In D. Jorde & J. Dillon (Eds.), Science education research and practice in Europe. Cultural perpectives in science education, 5 (pp. 13–37). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers; Kattmann, U., Duit, R., Gropengießer, H., & Komorek, M. (1997). Das Modell der Didaktischen Rekonstruktion – Ein Rahmen für naturwissenschaftsdidaktische Forschung und Entwicklung.Zeitschrift für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften, 3(3), 3–18). There is required to reconstruct the educational content for learning and teaching purposes. It leads to the educational structuring and to the clarification in scientific field. Therefore, in this contribution there is analysed a formation of the concept chemical reaction from the perspectives of the chemistry textbooks used in the 19th, the 20th and the 21st centuries in Slovakia. These findings could be useful in the process of comparison between scientific and pedagogical knowledge in this branch not only in neighbouring countries, even in the broaden European or worldwide content.
La elección de segunda persona y la construcción de identidades contextuales en el discurso radiofónico de una comunidad peninsular
Authors: Aijón Oliva Miguel Á.
Published: October 2019

En este trabajo se analizan las pautas de elección entre los cuatro paradigmas gramaticales de segunda persona del español peninsular (los prototípicos, representados por los pronombres tú y vosotros, y los desplazados, por usted y ustedes), cuando se usan para indexar a interlocutores específicos, en un corpus de discurso radiofónico de la ciudad española de Salamanca. Se plantea la hipótesis de que los fundamentos cognitivos de las personas gramaticales se proyectan en su potencial sociopragmático como recursos para la configuración de identidades contextuales. Tras clasificar a los participantes del corpus en cuatro tipos de identidad socioprofesional recurrentes en la comunicación radiofónica (locutores, personajes públicos, políticos y hablantes particulares), se calculan las frecuencias con que cada tipo dirige y recibe cada tratamiento de segunda persona. El análisis cuantitativo constituye un punto de partida para la observación cualitativa de los contextos de uso. Tras este se concluye que la elección entre las cuatro formas de segunda persona combina los parámetros sociopragmáticos de cercanía-distancia (que afecta a la elección entre formas prototípicas y desplazadas) e individualidad-grupalidad (que afecta a la elección entre formas singulares y plurales). Tales parámetros remiten, a su vez, al continuum discursivo-cognitivo entre la subjetividad y la objetividad.
Metformin suppresses the proliferation and invasion through NF-kB and MMPs in MCF-7 cell line
Authors: Besli Nail , Yenmis Guven , Tunçdemir Matem , Yaprak Sarac Elif , Doğan Sibel , Solakoğlu Seyhun , Kanigur Sultuybek Gönül
Published: October 2019

Objective

MCF-7 cells, a breast cancer cell line, are used for experiments of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer and many sub-clones representing different classes of ER-positive tumors. We aimed to determine the efficacy of metformin, a potential anti-cancer agent, on the cell proliferation, and the expressions of NF-kB (p65), MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MCF-7 cell line.

Materials and methods

MCF-7 cells (human breast adenocarcinoma) were treated with elevating doses of metformin (0–50 mM) for 24 h. The anti-proliferative effect of metformin was studied by BrdU proliferation assay, and the expression levels of NF-kB (p65), MMP-2 and MMP-9 were analyzed by immunocytochemical staining.

Results

The percentage of cell proliferation was reduced significantly by 10 and 50 mM doses of metformin (p < 0.001). The expression levels of nuclear NF-kB (p65), MMP-9 and MMP-2 were considerably reduced in 50 mM metformin treated cells while the expression of cytoplasmic NF-kB (p65) elevated compared to control group (p < 0.05). Ten millimolar metformin also reduced expression of MMP-9 significantly (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Metformin may act on the proliferation, and the processes of invasion and metastasis of MCF-7 cells through blocking NF-kB, which is intensely expressed in breast cancer cells, and through diminishing the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 significantly.
Komplementärwährungen als Instrument der Regionalentwicklung
Authors: Degens Philipp
Published: October 2019

Der Beitrag zeigt, wie Komplementärwährungskreisläufe zur lokalen Daseinsvorsorge und Regionalentwicklung beitragen können. Komplementärwährungen können im Kleinen zu einer besseren Distribution von Ressourcen führen und damit, wenn auch begrenzt, marktschaffende, markterweiternde oder markterhaltende Funktionen innehaben. Sie sind darüber hinaus ein Mittel der Vergemeinschaftung und generieren Sozialkapital. Außerdem können sie nicht-marktliche Tauschbeziehungen stärken und zu einer gesteigerten Wertschätzung von Unterstützungsleistungen auf Gegenseitigkeit beitragen.
Specific Residues in a Purine Transporter Are Critical for Dimerization, ER Exit, and Function
Authors: Kourkoulou Anezia , Grevias Pothos , Lambrinidis George , Pyle Euan , Dionysopoulou Mariangela , Politis Argyris , Mikros Emmanuel , Byrne Bernadette , Diallinas George
Published: October 2019

Transporters are transmembrane proteins that mediate the selective translocation of solutes across biological membranes. Recently, we have shown that specific interactions with plasma membrane phospholipids are essential for the formation and/or stability of functional dimers of the purine transporter UapA, a prototypic eukaryotic member of the ubiquitous nucleobase ascorbate transporter (NAT) family. Here, we provide strong evidence that distinct interactions of UapA with membrane lipids are essential for ab initio formation of functional dimers in the ER, or ER exit and further subcellular trafficking. Through genetic screens, we identify mutations that restore defects in dimer formation and/or trafficking. Suppressors of defective dimerization restore ab initio formation of UapA dimers in the ER. Most of these suppressors are located in the movable core domain, but also in the core-dimerization interface and in residues of the dimerization domain exposed to lipids. Molecular dynamics suggest that the majority of suppressors stabilize interhelical interactions in the core domain and thus assist the formation of functional UapA dimers. Among suppressors restoring dimerization, a specific mutation, T401P, was also isolated independently as a suppressor restoring trafficking, suggesting that stabilization of the core domain restores function by sustaining structural defects caused by the abolishment of essential interactions with specific lipids. Importantly, the introduction of mutations topologically equivalent to T401P into a rat homolog of UapA, namely rSNBT1, permitted the functional expression of a mammalian NAT in Aspergillus nidulans. Thus, our results provide a potential route for the functional expression and manipulation of mammalian transporters in the model Aspergillus system.
Position Effects Influence Transvection inDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: King Thomas D , Johnson Justine E , Bateman Jack R
Published: October 2019

Transvection is a form of gene regulation the depends on interactions between regulatory elements on separate chromosomes. In one form of transvection that is prevalent in Drosophila, an enhancer can act...

Transvection is an epigenetic phenomenon wherein regulatory elements communicate between different chromosomes in trans, and is thereby dependent upon the three-dimensional organization of the genome. Transvection is best understood in Drosophila, where homologous chromosomes are closely paired in most somatic nuclei, although similar phenomena have been observed in other species. Previous data have supported that the Drosophila genome is generally permissive to enhancer action in trans, a form of transvection where an enhancer on one homolog activates gene expression from a promoter on a paired homolog. However, the capacity of different genomic positions to influence the quantitative output of transvection has yet to be addressed. To investigate this question, we employed a transgenic system that assesses and compares enhancer action in cis and in trans at defined chromosomal locations. Using the strong synthetic eye-specific enhancer GMR, we show that loci supporting strong cis-expression tend to support robust enhancer action in trans, whereas locations with weaker cis-expression show reduced transvection in a fluorescent reporter assay. Our subsequent analysis is consistent with a model wherein the chromatin state of the transgenic insertion site is a primary determinant of the degree to which enhancer action in trans will be supported, whereas other factors such as locus-specific variation in somatic homolog pairing are of less importance in influencing position effects on transvection.
Rhodococcus equi virulento aislado de potrillos Fina Sangre de Carrera en Chile
Authors: Lohse Muñoz Jorge Cristián , Paredes Enrique , Vargas Danilo , Takai Shinji
Published: October 2019

El objetivo del presente estudio fue establecer el diagnóstico y aislado de variantes virulentas de la cepa Rhodococcus equi y su asociación con trastornos respiratorios, digestivos o ambos de potrillos Fina Sangre de Carrera. Se obtuvo muestras de sangre de 86 ejemplares entre 1 y 6 meses de edad con presencia de signos clínicos respiratorios y digestivos, entre 2008 y 2006 en 9 Haras de la Región Metropolitana, Chile. Todas las muestras se procesaron y analizaron mediante Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa, para detección de presencia de R. equi y sus proteínas asociadas a la virulencia (Vap) (A, C, D, E, F, G, H). El 41.9% de los potrillos fueron positivos a R. equi. Los factores de virulencia detectados fueron VapA, VapC y VapG identificados en potrillos con trastornos respiratorios en el 5,8% de la población muestreada y con asociación de Spearman r=0,885; r=0.976; r=0,885 respectivamente. No se identificaron variantes virulentas de R.equi en ninguno de los potrillos con signos clínicos digestivos.
Tripanosomiasis canina en Madre de Dios, Perú
Authors: Rojas Jaimes Jesús Eduardo , Tineo Villafuerte Edwin , Lope Huaman Roberto
Published: October 2019

El objetivo del presente estudio fue reportar la presencia de Trypanosoma sp en una muestra de sangre de un perro en Madre de Dios, Perú. El perro era residente del distrito de Las Piedras y al ser atendido en un centro médico veterinario fue reportado con diagnóstico presuntivo de ehrlichiosis. Se tomó una muestra de sangre y el frotis fue coloreado con Wright, donde se observó los tripomastigotes de Trypanosoma sp. No se realizaron cultivos y estudios moleculares debido a que la muestra se contaminó. Este es el primer reporte de tripanosomiasis canina en Madre de Dios.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue reportar la presencia de Trypanosoma sp en una muestra de sangre de un perro en Madre de Dios, Perú. El perro era residente del distrito de Las Piedras y al ser atendido en un centro médico veterinario fue reportado con diagnóstico presuntivo de ehrlichiosis. Se tomó una muestra de sangre y el frotis fue coloreado con Wright, donde se observó los tripomastigotes de Trypanosoma sp. No se realizaron cultivos y estudios moleculares debido a que la muestra se contaminó. Este es el primer reporte de tripanosomiasis canina en Madre de Dios.