bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inducción y enraizamiento de brotes epicórmicos de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz Et Pavon), Oken
Authors: Carranza Patiño Mercedes Susana , Escobar Troya Ariel , Véliz Zamora Diana , Morante Carriel Jaime , Zorrilla Silva Maylin , Prieto Benavides Oscar
Published: November 2017

La atractiva apariencia de la madera de Cordia alliodora (laurel), sus características físico-mecánicas, su abundante regeneración natural, captura de carbono y protección al suelo, la hacen ideal para la reforestación. No obstante, la falta de material de siembra de buena calidad para suplir la demanda media anual, convierten la propagación vegetativa en una herramienta esencial para el mejoramiento genético, y la conservación de genotipos en bancos clonales. En este sentido, se propuso establecer una metodología para la inducción y enraizamiento de brotes epicórmicos de árboles de laurel utilizando reguladores de crecimiento vegetal. Las concentraciones de citoquininas empleadas para la inducción de brotes a partir de árboles adultos fueron de: 0, 3000, 6000, 9000 mg L-1 de BAP sola y combinadas con 1000, 2000, 3000 mg L-1 de AIA, y se determinaron utilizando un Diseño Completo Aleatorizado (DCA). Las concentraciones de auxinas para el enraizamiento de los brotes fueron de 0, 1000, y 1500 mg kg-1 de ANA y AIB, mediante un DCA con arreglo factorial 3 x 3 (hormona ANA x hormona AIB). Se evaluó la inducción de brotes epicórmicos y se obtuvieron 2.67 brotes de 16.42 cm de longitud, con 6000 mg kg-1 de BAP + 2000 mg kg-1 de AIA. El porcentaje de enraizamiento fue 54%, número de raíces 1.78, longitud 2.59 con 1500 mg kg-1 de ANA + 1500 mg kg-1 de AIB. El uso de citoquininas y auxinas fue efectivo para provocar la diferenciación celular tanto en la inducción y rizogénesis de brotes epicórmicos de laurel.
Calidad de abonos orgánicos empleados en la depresión de Quíbor-Venezuela bajo ambientes protegidos
Authors: Torres Rodríguez Duilio , Mendoza Escalona Betty J. , M. Marco Lue , E. Gómez Carlos
Published: November 2017

La depresión de Quíbor es una de las zonas agrícolas más importante de Venezuela, donde en los últimos años se han introducido sistemas de producción bajo ambientes protegidos, los cuales están acompañados por el uso de abonos orgánicos, no certi cados. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar la calidad de los abonos orgánicos empleados en sistemas de producción bajo ambientes protegidos en la depresión de Quíbor, Venezuela. Se realizó un diseño experimental completamente al azar y se evaluaron once (11) abonos orgánicos (cuatro sólidos y siete líquidos) por triplicados. Los abonos sólidos fueron colectados en la parte superior, inferior y media de las pilas, mientras que los líquidos fueron tomados directamente de los tanques de almacenamiento. Para la caracterización de los abonos se empleó el protocolo TMECC, la materia orgánica se determinó por calcinación a 450°C, el nitrógeno por Kjeldahl y los macronutrientes (potasio y calcio) y micronutrientes (cobre, manganeso, hierro y zinc) en extracto acuoso 1/20 (v/v) del material y cuantificación por absorción atómica. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que el vermicompost y compost de gallinaza presentaron los valores más altos de macronutrientes, mientras, para los abonos líquidos Macro®, fue quien presentó la mayor concentración de nitrógeno, humus1 los valores más altos de Ca y Mg y Micro® y humus2 los mayores contenidos de manganeso, hierro, cobre y zinc fueron encontrados, todos los abonos sólidos presentaron valores bajos de micronutrientes.
Comercialización de arroz en Ecuador: Análisis de la evolución de precios en el eslabón productor-consumidor
Authors: Viteri Viteri Gladys Irene , Edison Zambrano Carlos
Published: November 2017

En Ecuador el arroz tiene importancia económica y social, la super cie sembrada en el año 2013 fue de 414,096 hectáreas, con 93.94% en las provincias de Guayas y Los Ríos. La cadena genera un movimiento económico superior a los 146 millones de dólares que se inicia con el productor, luego el acopiador rural, pilador y/o agroindustrial, los comerciantes mayorista y minorista y al nal el consumidor. El objetivo de la investigación fue analizar la evolución de precios de arroz en cáscara (paddy) y pilado en los eslabones productor- consumidor y su correlación durante el periodo 2000-2013. El análisis de datos se realizó con Stat graphics para variables individuales, mediante estimación de ecuaciones de regresión y correlación. Durante los años de estudio la variable individual, precios recibidos por el productor de arroz en cáscara en promedio fue de USD 0.23 kg-1, con un rango entre USD 0.12 y USD 0.35 kg-1, mientras que la variable precios por kilogramo de arroz pilado a nivel del consumidor, registró en promedio USD 0.75, con un rango entre USD 0.47 y USD 1.05 kg-1. Se concluye que los precios del productor están directamente relacionados con el precio al consumidor y éstos a su vez se relacionan con el consumo per cápita, por lo que se realizó un pronóstico de precios para los próximos 12 años.
Estructura de tallas de captura y relación longitud-peso de peces nativos en el humedal Abras de Mantequilla, Ecuador
Authors: Ochoa Ubilla Berta Yadira , Mendoza Nieto Kléver Xavier , Vivas Moreira Roque , Urdánigo Zambrano Juan , Ferrer-Sánchez Yarelys
Published: November 2017

Este estudio tuvo como objetivos identi car la composición de capturas, describir la estructura de tallas y determinar la relación longitud-peso de las principales especies de peces nativos de interés comercial del humedal Abras de Mantequilla (AdM). Durante los meses de abril a septiembre de 2015 se recolectaron aleatoriamente 492 peces provenientes de los desembarques del humedal AdM y se midió la longitud total (Lt) y el peso total (Pt) a cada ejemplar. Para la identi cación taxonómica de las especies se utilizaron las claves, guías y catálogos especializados. La estructura de tallas se analizó mediante histogramas de frecuencia, se compararon las tallas medias de capturas (TMC) con la talla de comercialización permitida (TCP) y la talla media de madurez (TMM). La relación longitud-peso se estimó mediante la ecuación de alometría de Ricker. La especie más abundante fue Ichthyolephas humeralis seguida por Pseudocurimata spp., mientras que Leporinus ecuadoriensis fue la especie menos capturada. Rhamdia cinerascens presentó una TMC de 24.81 cm (Lt), inferior a la talla media de madurez (25 cm Lt). Ichthyolephas humeralis, Andinoacara rivulatus y Pseudocurimata spp., presentaron crecimiento alométrico negativo, y el resto de especies tuvieron crecimiento isométrico. En la mayoría de las especies de peces el reclutamiento ocurrió a una edad y tamaño óptimo en la que los peces ya aportaron con nuevos individuos a la población. Se evidenció que existe una relación entre las especies con crecimiento alométrico negativo y su abundancia en las capturas.
Biomasa de hojas caídas y otros indicadores de sustentabilidad en asociaciones de especies forestales con cacao “CCN51” en la zona Central del Litoral ecuatoriano
Authors: Ramírez Huila Gary , Torres Navarrete Emma , Cruz Rosero Nicolás , Álava Ormaza Shirley , Barrera Álvarez Alexandra Elizabeth , Jiménez Águila Marta
Published: November 2017

Se realizó el estudio de cuatro especies forestales Cybistax donnell-smithii Rose, Cordia macranthaChadat, Colubrina arborescens (Mill.) Sarg y Triplaris guayaquilensis Weed, en asociación con Theobroma cacao L. Var. CCN51. El sistema agroforestal estuvo ubicado en Quevedo, provincia de Los Ríos, Ecuador. Los árboles tuvieron seis años y el cacao de cinco años de edad, establecidos en un marco de plantación de 9 x 9 m y 3 x 3 m, respectivamente. Se aplicó un diseño de bloques al azar, con cuatro repeticiones. Las variables evaluadas fueron producción de madera y cacao, sombra, producción de hojas caídas, transferencia de N, P, K, Ca y Mg, nutrientes y contenido de humedad en el suelo. El volumen total de madera para C. donnell-smithii, C. macrantha, C. arborescens y T. guayaquilensis fue 46.49; 27.06; 21.03 y 61.37 m3 ha-1, respectivamente. La producción de cacao no presentó diferencias signi cativas entre asociaciones. Los mayores aportes anuales de biomasa de hojas caídas se produjeron en la asociación C. arborescens + cacao con 4079 kg ha-1, esta asociación realizó la mayor transferencia de N, K, Ca y Mg con 56.45; 29.54; 73.96 y 16.38 kg ha-1 a-1, respectivamente.
PSO con operador de clearing adaptativo para fomentar la diversidad
Authors: Samaniego Eduardo , Guerrero Kenya , Luis Tubay José , Trujillo Yaima , Puris Amilkar , Novoa Pavel
Published: November 2017

En el presente trabajo se aplica una variante adaptativa del operador de Clearing para fomentar la diversidad de la Meta-heurística Optimización basada en Enjambre de Partículas (PSO). El objetivo consiste en determinar si la utilización de dicho operador mejora los niveles de exploración del algoritmo PSO incrementando la diversidad de la población y por consiguiente obteniendo mejores soluciones. Para ello, se propone una forma adaptativa para controlar la distancia permitida entre soluciones y de esta forma perturbar soluciones que se encuentren muy cercanas a otra con mejor calidad. Esta idea permite estudiar diferentes alternativas de como perturbar las soluciones seleccionadas, presentando en el trabajo dos enfoques diferentes: basado en la posición actual y en la mejor posición histórica. Además, se detalla un estudio para determinar cuando se aplicará el operador de Clearing para obtener la máxima contribución al proceso de búsqueda aplicado por PSO. La propuesta fue probada en un conjunto de 20 funciones multimodales, donde los resultados mostraron que el operador de clearing mejora la exploración de la Meta-heurística PSO, obteniéndose resultados signi cativamente superiores en cuanto a calidad que el modelo PSO original.
Financial Literacy and the Use of Interest-Only Mortgages
Authors: Seay Martin C. , Preece Gloria L. , Le Vincent C.
Published: November 2017

This study explored the relationship between financial literacy and the use of interest-only mortgages using data from the 2009 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS). A series of analyses were conducted to investigate characteristics associated with the use of an interest-only mortgage as a primary mortgage, as compared to fixed-rate mortgage and adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) options. Consistent results indicate the individuals who incorrectly answered questions related to compound interest, mortgages, and diversification were more likely to be using an interest-only mortgage. Respondents with higher reported math skills were less likely to use an interest-only mortgage, whereas individuals with higher levels of financial confidence were more likely to be using one. These results reinforce concerns about a household’s ability to understand and evaluate complex mortgage products.
Ethical Behaviors and Wealth: Generation Y’s Experience
Authors: Zagorsky Jay L.
Published: November 2017

This research investigates if ethical behaviors and personal finances are related using a large scale U.S. random survey called the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). Fifteen indicators covering both ethical and unethical behaviors are compared to net worth for people in their 20s and 30s, who are called Generation Y. Breaking rules, stealing, and being arrested are associated with less wealth in this generation. Results suggest that among people in their early 20s, there is little or no relationship between ethical behaviors and wealth. However, as this cohort ages, a positive relationship between acting more ethically and wealth emerges.
The Relationship Between Credit Card Use Behavior and Household Well-Being During the Great Recession: Implications for the Ethics of Credit Use
Authors: Hunter Jennifer L. , Heath Claudia J.
Published: November 2017

This article uses a random digit dial probability sample (N = 328) to examine the relationship between credit card use behaviors and household well-being during a period of severe economic recession: The Great Recession. The ability to measure the role of credit card use during a period of recession provides unique insights to the study of credit behavior because of the knowledge that all respondents have the same macroeconomic constraint. Framed by the assumptions of the permanent income hypothesis and the life-cycle savings hypothesis, multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between credit card use behaviors and three measures of household well-being: emotional well-being, financial well-being, and general household financial condition.
Nudging Debt: On the Ethics of Behavioral Paternalism in Personal Finance
Authors: White Mark D.
Published: November 2017

In recent years, experimental psychology and behavioral economics have cast doubt on the quality and reliability of individual decision making, especially in complicated choice contexts involving risk and time. These factors imply that financial decision making is particularly subject to such doubts, which has generated calls for increased regulation based on behavioral science to help people avoid imprudent decisions regarding borrowing, such as those implemented by the relatively new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This article argues that such interventions are fraught with ethical problems based on the regulators’ inability to appreciate the complex, multifaceted, and subjective interests of borrowers and recommends alternative approaches to helping people make better borrowing decisions while respecting their personal interests.
Relieving Consumer Overindebtedness in South Africa: Policy Reviews and Recommendations
Authors: Ssebagala Ralph Abbey
Published: November 2017

A large fraction of South African consumers are highly leveraged, inadequately insured, and/or own little to no assets of value, which increases their exposure not only to idiosyncratic risk but also to severe indebtedness and/or default. This scenario can present negative ramifications that lead well beyond the confines of individual households. Thankfully, it can also be remedied by well-tailored legal debt relief mechanisms. This article reflects on the uncertainties surrounding the consumer debt relief framework of the National Credit Act in an attempt to show why it is not up to the challenge of providing meaningful relief to debt-distressed consumers. Ultimately, a comprehensive review of the current framework in favor of a discharge mechanism on simple, stated terms is proposed.
Review of Family Financial Decision Making: Suggestions for Future Research and Implications for Financial Education
Authors: Kim Jinhee , Gutter Michael S. , Spangler Taylor
Published: November 2017

This article reviews the theories and literature in intrahousehold financial decisions, spousal partners and financial decision making, family system and financial decision process, children, and financial decisions. The article draws conclusions from the literature review and discusses directions for future research and educational programs. Most financial education and counseling takes place at the individual level, whereas financial decisions take place at household and intrahousehold levels. Family members, spouses/partners, children, and others play a key role in individuals’ financial decisions. The article proposes the key programmatic implications for financial professionals and educators that need to be integrated into financial education and counseling. Understanding the unique dynamics of family financial decision making would help create effective educational and counseling strategies for the whole families.
Do Worker Expectations of Never Retiring Indicate a Preference or an Inability to Plan?
Authors: Hanna Sherman D. , Zhang Lishu , Kim Kyoung Tae
Published: November 2017

Using the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances, we found that 18% of full-time workers aged 35–60 years who were household heads expected never to retire. Expecting never to retire was more related to a failure to plan rather than a preference for working indefinitely. Most workers stating that they would never retire probably would have expected retirement ages younger than 67 years if they had planned for retirement. Evaluations of retirement adequacy of workers should carefully consider the meaning of a response of “never retire.” Financial advisors working with clients who state that they never expect to retire should assess whether that expectation is a preference or a reflection of the client’s failure to prepare for retirement.
Student Teachers’ Capacity and Willingness to Teach Financial Literacy in Flanders
Authors: De Moor Lieven , Verschetze Lindsey
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this article is to assess the student teachers’ capacity and willingness to teach financial literacy in Flanders via on-site paper surveys of 368 final-year teacher education students. We argue that the Flemish teacher education program needs to be revised to introduce financial education in secondary schools. We find that revisions to the program can improve student teachers’ capacity and increase their willingness to teach for financial literacy. Moreover, student teachers support such reforms. Thus, policymakers and researchers can use this article as a guideline for revising teacher education programs with respect to financial education.
Financial Hardship, Social Support, and Perceived Stress
Authors: Park Narang , Heo Wookjae , Ruiz-Menjivar Jorge , Grable John E.
Published: November 2017

This study examines the associations among financial hardship, perception of situation, social support, and perceived stress using data from the second wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States. Both financial hardship and perception of situation were hypothesized to be positively associated with perceived stress, whereas social support was hypothesized to act as an intervening variable between perception of situation and perceived stress. The results from a structural equation model showed that (a) financial hardship was a precursor of perception of situation, (b) perception of situation exhibited a positive effect on perceived stress, and (c) social support was negatively related to the level of perceived stress.
The Role of Economics in Education for Sustainable Development; The Baltic States' Experience
Authors: Atstaja Dzintra , Susniene Rozita , jarvis Marina
Published: November 2017

There are often no easy answers to economics, environmental and sustainable challenges on the way to sustainable development. The relationship between education and sustainable development is complex. Education, raising awareness and modifying behaviour is one of the key elements to reduce the environmental impact of an ever-increasing population. Universities all over the world play a major role in the development and dissemination of ideas of sustainable development. This article identifies general trends in the implementation of education for economics and sustainable development into higher education in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia (hereafter the Baltic States). The purpose of this study is to explore to what extent and by which approach institutions of higher education in the Baltic States have been attempting to incorporate sustainability into the curricula, and what have been the results. The article consists of a research in which the first section is dedicated to scientific publications on sustainable development in Baltic States and Europe, the second section analyses the cooperation between the participants of the Baltic University programme, and the third section describes the results of a survey. The authors of the article have questioned the objective of the course as well as discussing its economic aspects, and consider whether an education on sustainable development includes a balance between nature, the economy, and society. Also, the current initiatives and practices of higher education institutions were as¬sessed. From this analysis it is possible to determine the elements of academic development that would most likely result in a change in educational development and delivery.
Brief History of Currency Separation – Case study of Czech and Slovak Koruna
Authors: Cermakova Klara
Published: November 2017

This paper aims at describing the process of currency separation of Czech and Slovak koruna and its economic and political background, highlights some of its unique features which ensured smooth currency separation, avoided speculation and enabled preservation of the policy of a stable exchange rate and increased confidence in the new monetary systems. This currency separation was higly appreciated and its scenario and legislative background were reccommended by the IMF for use in other countries. The paper aims also to draw conclusions on performance of selected macroeconomic variables of the two successor countries with impact on monetary policy and exchange rates of successor currencies.
INCOME INEQUALITY AND SELECTED METHODS OF ITS MEASUREMENT WITH THE USE OF PRACTICAL DATA FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
Authors: Hejduková Pavlína , Kureková Lucie
Published: November 2017

This study defines the possible approaches which are used for the measurement and comparison of income inequality. It discusses the usability of these approaches and points to selected indicators of income inequality at the level of international comparison and also identifies the factors that cause income inequality. The aim of this study is to describe the relationship between customary indicators of inequality and an alternative indicator. Data was used from nine European countries and two data sources were combined: the OECD and ESS. The final data set contained 16 686 observations. By verifying the compliance of relative frequencies, the difference between countries was demonstrated to the degree of agreement with the reduction in income inequality. The results of the test on the compliance of relative frequencies allowed us to consider the question of the monotonic trend of population relative frequency. It turned out that the rate of agreement to reduce the income gap with increasing income inequality increased.
Contribution of increased life expectancy to economic growth: evidence from CEE countries
Authors: Kasnauskiene Gindra , Michnevic Karol
Published: November 2017

Population aging in a backdrop of growing life expectancy can be seen in many advanced economies, but the rapid pace of these demographic changes in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) makes it a pressing issue for the region. We investigate these two phenomena and compare results with prior research to determine their separate and combined effect on output growth in a panel regression model using Eurostat data for the period of 1996 to 2013. Our findings point to increasing life expectancy having a negative effect on the economy and the share of the population in the 30-59 age range affecting it positively. The conclusions of our research demonstrate the utility of augmenting macroeconomic models with a demographics-sensitive component and the urgency of addressing the accelerating demographic decline in the region.
Profitability Determinants of Insurance Markets in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries
Authors: Pavic Kramaric Tomislava , Miletic Marko , Pavic Ivan
Published: November 2017

This paper analyses the influence of insurance company-specific, insurance industry-specific and macroeconomic variables on performance of insurance markets in selected Central and Eastern European countries. Specifically, the research covers insurance industry in Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Poland in the period 2010 – 2014. Two performance variables were employed in the model, i.e. return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) while explanatory variables comprise of size measured on the basis of gross written premium, type dummy variable indicating life, non-life or composite insurance company, share of premium ceded to reinsurance, combined ratio, ownership variable indicating foreign or domestic ownership, age, organizational form dummy variable referring to joint stock companies or mutual and real GDP per capita growth. Employing static panel model results of the analysis reveal that variable age positively and significantly affect performance when measured with both ROA and ROE. Moreover, another variable that significantly influences performance in terms of ROE is real GDP per capita growth taking a positive sign.
Growth of Transport Sector in Karnataka: An Analysis
Authors: . Krishnappa , Prasad T. Rajendra
Published: November 2017

The significance of urban transport in India plays a major role in the reduction of poverty. Services and manufacturing industries particularly concentrate around major urban areas, and require efficient and reliable urban transport systems to move workers and connect production facilities to the logistics chain. In this regard due to the growth of IT sector in Bangalore, there has been an ongoing infrastructure investment in urban roads. With this background the present paper seeks to examine the growth and development of transport sector in Karnataka with special reference to Bangalore.
Per Capita Availability of Food Grains and Pressurized Agriculture Economy in the Reform Period in India
Authors: Gavhale Sandipan R.
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this study was to analyze per capita availability of foodgrains and agriculture system of India. The  agriculture is the backbone of our country, but recently the growth of Indian economy the share of agriculture in GDP has declined over the years and even today’s productivity of some agricultural products are declining in high extent, if compared with like the USA and China and other countries,as well,the present paper is a new attempt to focus on the dichotomy of excess foodgrain production and large-scale subsidized food distribution on the one hand, and huge wastage and millions of hungry families on the other. As well as, it clearly focuses on the issues that Indian government has not given adequate attention to the storage and transportation of foodgrains during the last three decades or so. At this point, the government is caught between huge foodgrain stocks and the states inability to absorb them. India’s agricultural sector is surprisingly fragmented when compared with other countries.
Forecasting daily streamflow values: assessing heuristic models
Authors: Karimi Sepideh , Shiri Jalal , Kisi Ozgur , Xu Tongren
Published: November 2017

Predicting streamflow values accurately is vitally important for hydrology studies. Two heuristic models, namely, gene expression programming (GEP) and support vector machine (SVM) are used and assessed utilizing data from four stations in China. The k-fold testing for local and external data management scenarios are tested extensively. Results indicate that models with inputs of current and one previous day's streamflow records provided the best accuracy. Both the GEP and SVM models can predict accurate streamflow values with respect to the observed records. GEP performed better than the SVM in all k-fold testing stages with lower skewness and standard deviation values for streamflow records. The test accuracy demonstrated high variations for the local and external k-fold case which proved the necessity of k-fold testing or data scanning procedure in daily streamflow prediction. Daily streamflow of downstream stations was also estimated using the data of upstream stations (external k-fold). The best results were obtained by the models trained using the data from the nearest upstream station. In some cases, the accuracy of the external models was found to be comparable to local models. This suggested the use of external models in streamflow prediction in the case of data scarcity.
Does rainwater harvesting pay? Water–energy nexus assessment as a tool to achieve sustainability in water management
Authors: Marteleira Rita , Niza Samuel
Published: November 2017

Demographic growth that will take place on urban centers for the next decades may constitute a new challenge for water providers, which may then have to rely on more distant and/or poorer quality sources, or opt for energy-intensive technological solutions. In this context, the water–energy nexus will assume great relevance in near future water management policies and rainwater harvesting systems (RHS) may arise as an appealing alternative. The goal of this paper was to describe RaINvesT, a holistic tool developed to assess the viability of RHS, helping to adequately size the system, while allowing estimating its embodied energy per cubic meter (kWh/m3). Additionally, considering the independence towards the public water supply network, an investment analysis is performed for both the water provider and the final user perspectives. RaINvesT was tested for a university campus: evidencing, in terms of embodied energy, a positive ratio of 0.013 kWh/m3. The investment analysis has proven the RHS to be economically viable, revealing an investment return of about 12 years. The promotion of RHS can therefore represent a viable business model for water utilities, and can be a step forward in water systems decentralization, contributing to this sector sustainability for future cities.
Climate change model as a decision support tool for water resources management in northern Iraq: a case study of Greater Zab River
Authors: Osman Y. , Al-Ansari N. , Abdellatif M.
Published: November 2017

The northern region of Iraq heavily depends on rivers, such as the Greater Zab, for water supply and irrigation. Thus, river water management in light of future climate change is of paramount importance in the region. In this study, daily rainfall and temperature obtained from the Greater Zab catchment, for 1961–2008, were used in building rainfall and evapotranspiration models using LARS-WG and multiple linear regressions, respectively. A rainfall–runoff model, in the form of autoregressive model with exogenous factors, has been developed using observed flow, rainfall and evapotranspiration data. The calibrated rainfall–runoff model was subsequently used to investigate the impacts of climate change on the Greater Zab flows for the near (2011–2030), medium (2046–2065), and far (2080–2099) futures. Results from the impacts model showed that the catchment is projected to suffer a significant reduction in total annual flow in the far future; with more severe drop during the winter and spring seasons in the range of 25 to 65%. This would have serious ramifications for the current agricultural activities in the catchment. The results could be of significant benefits for water management planners in the catchment as they can be used in allocating water for different users in the catchment.
Desalination for agriculture: water quality and plant chemistry, technologies and challenges
Authors: Kumar Rajesha , Ahmed Mansour , Bhadrachari G. , Thomas Jibu P.
Published: November 2017

The growing scarcity of fresh water has motivated the use of non-conventional and re-used water resources for agriculture by applying some efficient technologies. The desalination technologies for agricultural irrigation play a major role in satisfying growing water demands in water scarce regions. Due to stringent ionic concentration standards for agricultural irrigation water, desalination for agriculture is more energy demanding and additional post-treatment is requisite. Reverse osmosis (RO) has emerged as an efficient technology, but the burning of fossil fuels to fulfil the energy requirements is becoming expensive and emission of greenhouse gases is recognized as harmful to the environment. Thus, efforts should be directed towards cost reduction by integrating renewable energy resources into the process. Many of the bench and pilot scale trials like integrated RO with low energy such as forward osmosis (FO), nanofiltration (NF), microfiltration (MF) and solar energy revealed significant improvements in cost savings. However, all these modern technologies have their own problems which can be overcome by further research and development. This paper aims to review the main benefits and constraints associated with desalination technologies for agriculture. The available water resources, the desired qualities of water for agriculture and the challenges and future of desalination in agriculture are discussed.
Development of in-house lattice-Boltzmann simulator of bioreactors for wastewater treatment: basic concepts and initial results
Authors: Fortunato V. A. , Caneppele F. L. , Ribeiro R. , Rabi J. A.
Published: November 2017

While computational modelling has increasingly supported wastewater bioreactor engineering, novel numerical techniques have been developed such as the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM). With vinasse treatment as case study, this work is a first step towards a comprehensive LBM simulator of a continuous-flow anaerobic packed-bed reactor. Extensions from typical models comprise one-dimensional (besides time) dependence, species transport via convection and diffusion, and imposition of either Dirichlet or Danckwerts condition at inlet. The LBM simulator proved to be operational when simulating the bioreactor at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Simulated profiles show that stepwise feeding concentrations are smoothed as they are transported towards the bioreactor exit while concentrations increase or decrease in response to generation or degradation kinetics. Good fitting was observed for concentrations of acetic acid (2.1 kg-COD/m3 for HRT = 24 h) and butyric acid (1.3 kg-COD/m3 for HRT = 16 h) at the exit whereas other concentrations were numerically simulated at proper order of magnitude.
Innovative sanitation approaches could address multiple development challenges
Authors: Andersson Kim , Otoo Miriam , Nolasco Marcelo
Published: November 2017

Globally, more than 60% of the human population live without safely managed sanitation services or even lack access to basic sanitation facilities. In addition, most of the wastewater produced in the world is discharged without proper treatment. Integrated approaches are needed to address these issues and curb the resulting adverse impacts on public health and the environment, and associated societal economic losses. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides an important framework towards more sustainable sanitation development, in terms of both safe sanitation access and wastewater management. Innovative solutions that treat and enable productive safe use of water, and facilitate recovery of nutrients and organic matter from waste resources are booming. Some examples of trends are decentralized solutions, separation of waste flows, low-or no-flushing toilets, and converting faecal sludge to energy. These alternative technologies show huge potential to address many development challenges, contributing to multiple sustainable development goals but achieving upscaling has proved to be a major challenge. A paradigm shift to ‘treatment for reuse’ instead of ‘treatment for disposal’ is already taking place in the wastewater sector. Nevertheless, a better understanding of driving forces and enabling environments, new organizational models based on more service-oriented sanitation provision, and highlighting potential multiple societal benefits to attract investments from new sectors are identified areas that need further attention.
Recent Developments of 18F-FET PET in Neuro-oncology
Authors: Muoio Barbara , Giovanella Luca , Treglia Giorgio
Published: November 2017

Background:

From the past decade to date, several studies related to O-(2-
[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET) positron emission tomography (PET) in brain tumours
have been published in the literature.

Objective:

The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the recent developments and
the current role of 18F-FET PET in brain tumours according to recent literature data.

Methods:

Main findings from selected recently published and relevant articles on the role
of 18F-FET PET in neuro-oncology are described.

Results:

18F-FET PET may be useful in the differential diagnosis between brain tumours
and non-neoplastic lesions and between low-grade and high-grade gliomas. Integration of
18F-FET PET into surgical planning allows better delineation of the extent of resection
beyond margins visible with standard MRI. For biopsy planning, 18F-FET PET is particularly
useful in identifying malignant foci within non-contrast-enhancing gliomas. 18F-FET
PET may improve the radiation therapy planning in patients with gliomas. This metabolic
imaging method may be useful to evaluate treatment response in patients with gliomas
and it improves the differential diagnosis between brain tumours recurrence and posttreatment
changes. 18F-FET PET may provide useful prognostic information in high-grade
gliomas.

Conclusion:

Based on recent literature data 18F-FET PET may provide additional diagnostic
information compared to standard MRI in neuro-oncology.
Histamine H3 Receptor Ligands in the Group of (Homo)piperazine Derivatives
Authors: Szczepanska Katarzyna , Kuder Kamil , Kiec-Kononowicz Katarzyna
Published: November 2017

Since its discovery in 1983, followed by gene cloning in 1999, the histamine
H3 receptor served as an outstanding target for drug discovery. The wide spectrum of possible
therapeutic implications makes H3R's one of the most researched areas in the vast
GPCR ligands field - started from imidazole containing ligands, through various successful
imidazole replacements, with recent introduction of Wakix® to pharmaceutical market.
One such replacement is piperazine moiety, a significant versatile scaffold in rational
drug design for most of the GPCR ligands. Therefore, herein, we review ligands built on
piperazine, as well as its seven membered analogue azepine, that target H3R’s and their
potential therapeutical applications, in order to elucidate the current state of the art in this
vast field. Due to a high level of structural divergence among compounds described
herein, we decided to divide them into groups, where the key division element was the
position of nitrogen basicity decreasing moieties in (homo)piperazine ring. Paying attention
to a number of published structures and their overall high biological activity, one can
realize that the (homo)piperazine scaffold bids a versatile template also for histamine H3
receptor ligands. With two possible substitution sites and therefore a number of possible
structural combinations, piperazine derivatives stand as one of the largest group of high
importance among H3R ligands.
Trends and Prospects of Plant Proteases in Therapeutics
Authors: Balakireva Anastasia V. , Kuznetsova Natalia V. , Petushkova Anastasiia I. , Savvateeva Lyudmila V. , Zamyatnin Jr. Andrey A.
Published: November 2017

The main function of proteases in any living organism is the cleavage of proteins resulting in the degradation of damaged, misfolded and potentially harmful proteins and therefore providing the cell with amino acids essential for the synthesis of new proteins. Besides this main function, proteases may play an important role as signal molecules and participate in numerous protein cascades to maintain the vital processes of an organism. Plant proteases are no exception to this rule. Moreover, in contrast to humanencoded enzymes, many plant proteases possess exceptional features such as higher stability, unique substrate specificity and a wide pH range for enzymatic activity. These valuable features make plant-derived proteolytic enzymes suitable for many biomedical applications, and furthermore, the plants can serve as factories for protein production. Plant proteases are already applied in the treatment of several pathological conditions in the human organism. Some of the enzymes possess antitumour, antibacterial and antifungal activity. The collagenolytic activity of plant proteases determines important medical applications such as the healing of wounds and burn debridement. Plant proteases may affect blood coagulation processes and can be applied in the treatment of digestive disorders. The present review summarizes recent advances and possible applications for plant proteases in biomedicine, and proposes further development of plant-derived proteolytic enzymes in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
Recent Advances in Peptide-Based Approaches for Cancer Treatment
Authors: Conibear Anne C. , Schmid Alanca , Kamalov Meder , Becker Christian F.W. , Bello Claudia
Published: November 2017

Background:

Peptide-based pharmaceuticals have recently experienced a renaissance
due to their ability to fill the gap between the two main classes of available drugs, small
molecules and biologics. Peptides combine the high potency and selectivity typical of large
proteins with some of the characteristic advantages of small molecules such as synthetic accessibility,
stability and the potential of oral bioavailability.

Methods:

In the present manuscript we review the recent literature on selected peptide-based
approaches for cancer treatment, emphasizing recent advances, advantages and challenges of
each strategy.

Results:

One of the applications in which peptide-based approaches have grown rapidly is
cancer therapy, with a focus on new and established targets. We describe, with selected examples,
some of the novel peptide-based methods for cancer treatment that have been developed
in the last few years, ranging from naturally-occurring and modified peptides to peptidedrug
conjugates, peptide nanomaterials and peptide-based vaccines.

Conclusion:

This review brings out the emerging role of peptide-based strategies in oncology
research, critically analyzing the advantages and limitations of these approaches and the potential
for their development as effective anti-cancer therapies.
Imaging of Bacteria: Is there Any Hope for the Future Based on Past Experience?
Authors: Ebenhan Thomas , Lazzeri Elena , Gheysens Olivier
Published: November 2017

Infectious diseases remain a major health problem and cause of death worldwide. It is expected that the
socio-economic impact will further intensify due to escalating resistance to antibiotics, an ageing population and
an increase in the number of patients under immunosuppressive therapy and implanted medical devices. Even
though radiolabeled probes and leukocytes are routinely used in clinical practice, it might still be difficult to distinguish
sterile inflammation from inflammation caused by bacteria. Moreover, the majority of these probes are
based on the attraction of leukocytes which may be hampered in neutropenic patients. Novel approaches that can
be implemented in clinical practice and allow for swift diagnosis of infection by targeting the microorganism
directly, are posing an attractive strategy. Here we review the current strategies to directly image bacteria using
radionuclides and we provide an overview of the preclinical efforts to develop and validate new approaches.
Indeed, significant progress has been made in the past years, but very few radiopharmaceuticals (that were promising
in preclinical studies) have made it into clinical practice. We will discuss the challenges that remain to select
good candidates for imaging agents targeting bacteria.
Identification of Human Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors from the Constituents of EGb761 by Modeling Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Zhang Lihu , Li Dongdong , Cao Fuliang , Xiao Wei , Zhao Linguo , Ding Gang , Wang Zhen zhong
Published: November 2017

Aim and Objective:

EGb761, a standardized and well-defined product extract of Ginkgo
biloba leaves, has beneficial role in the treatment of multiple diseases, particularly Alzheimer's
disease (AD). Identification of natural acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors from EGb761 would
provide a novel therapeutic approach against the Alzheimer's disease.

Material and Method:

A series of 21 kinds of promising EGb761 compounds were selected, and
subsequently evaluated for their potential ability to bind AChE enzyme by molecular docking and a
deep analysis of protein surface pocket features.

Results:

Docking results indicated that these compounds can bind tightly with the active site of
human AChE, with favorable distinct interactions around several important residues Asp74, Leu289,
Phe295, Ser293, Tyr341, Trp286 and Val294 in the active pocket. Most EGB761 compounds could
form the hydrogen bond interactions with the negatively charged Asp74 and Phe295 residues.
Among these compounds, diosmetin is the one with the best-predicted docking score while three key
hydrogen bonds can be formed between small molecule and corresponding residues of the binding
site. Besides, other three compounds luteolin, apigenin, and isorhamnetin have better predicted
docking scores towards AChE than other serine proteases, i.e Elastase, Tryptase, Factor XA,
exhibiting specificity for AChE inhibition. The RMSD and MM-GBSA results from molecular
dymamic simulations indicated that the docking pose of diosmetin-AChE complex displayed highly
stable, which can be used for validating the accuracy of molecular docking study. Subsequently, the
AChE inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated by the Ellman's colorimetric method.

Conclusion:

The obtained results revealed that all the four compounds exhibited modest AChE
inhibitory activity, among which Diosmetin manifested remarkable anti-AChE activity, comparable
with the reference compound, Physostigmine. It can be deduced that these EGB761 compounds can
be regarded as a promising starting point for developing AChE inhibitors against AD.
AR Copy Number and AR Signaling-directed Therapies in Castrationresistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Salvi Samanta , Conteduca Vincenza , Lolli Cristian , Testoni Sara , Casadio Valentina , Zaccheroni Andrea , Rossi Lorena , Burgio Salvatore Luca , Menna Cecilia , Schepisi Giuseppe , De Giorgi Ugo
Published: November 2017

Background:

Adaptive upregulation of Androgen Receptor (AR) is the most common
event involved in the progression from hormone sensitive to Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
(CRPC). AR signaling remains the main target of new AR signalling-directed therapies such as abiraterone
and enzalutamide in CRPC patients.

Objective:

In this review, we discuss general mechanisms of resistance to AR-targeted therapies,
with a focus on the role of AR Copy Number (CN). We reported methods and clinical applications of
AR CN evaluation in tissue and liquid biopsy, thus to have a complete information regarding its role
as predictive and prognostic biomarker.

Conclusion:

Outcomes of CRPC patients are reported to be highly variable as the consequence of
tumor heterogeneity. AR CN could contribute to patient selection and tumor monitoring in CRPC
treated with new anti-cancer treatment as abiraterone and enzalutamide. Further studies to investigate
AR CN effect to these agents and its potential combination with other prognostic or predictive
clinical factors are necessary in the context of harmonized clinical trial design.