bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolución y crisis de una población campesina
Authors: Osvaldo Morina Jorge
Published: July 2018

En este trabajo se analizan las condiciones de reproducción de la economía campesina en el Departamento Iruya, provincia de Salta. El estudio tiene im extenso marco temporal en los siglos xix y xx, y una permanente referencia al contexto regional y nacional. La subordinación rentística a los terratenientes, característica del siglo pasado, es parcialmente reemplazada por la subordinación al capital comercial local y al capital agroindustrial regional. Se expücitan las formas de articulación de la población campesina a la sociedad global, con énfasis en el mercado de productos y en el mercado de trabajo. Desde 1960, aproximadamente, se acentúa el deterioro cuali-cuantitativo de la producción parcelaria y se acelera la crisis y descomposición de este campesinado.
Articulación de intereses y conflicto entre actores sociales debido a la introducción de medidas de regulación ambiental en la agricultura española
Authors: Paniagua Ángel , Moyano Eduardo , Díez Cecilia
Published: July 2018

No disponible.
CHEMOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF DIFFUSE REFLECTANCE SPECTRAL DATA USING SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION FOR BLOOD GLUCOSE DETECTION
Authors: Suryakala S. Vasanthadev , Prince Shanthi
Published: July 2018

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that affects the production or usage of insulin by the body. Diabetes prevails in the body as a long-term condition which causes several other disorders if left unnoticed. Proper control of Diabetes needs continuous monitoring. The current measurement technique is invasive in nature and requires the withdrawal of blood from the body. Periodic quantification of blood glucose leads to pain and discomfort for the subject. This paper presents a non-invasive glucose measuring system using near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). This work attempts to determine the blood glucose value from the diffuse reflected spectra in the NIR region. The study is executed with the spectral signatures of 33 diabetic subjects collected non-invasively using diffuse reflectance spectrometer from a diabetic centre. Blood glucose level of the same subjects are also recorded using the clinical method. The spectral information is subjected to standard normal variate (SNV) preprocessing method to remove baseline drift and then dimension reduction using singular value decomposition (SVD) is applied to the preprocessed data. The extracted singular values when compared with the clinically measured blood glucose is found to have a proportional relationship. The proposed study using singular value decomposition paves us the way for estimating the blood glucose value non-invasively with the obtained set of clinical blood glucose and the corresponding singular value table as a standard reference set.
Virtual Machine Placement Using Statistical Mechanism in Cloud Computing Environment
Authors: Kumar Narander , Kumar Surendra
Published: July 2018

The internet has become essential and is the basis of cloud computing and will continue to be in the future. Best resource allocation is a process of placing the resources at their minimum cost/time and minimizes the load to a virtual machine. In this article, the authors propose an algorithm to optimize assignment problems and get the best placements in the resources to maintain the load on the virtual machine. Further, they also make comparisons between various optimization mechanisms for assignment problems, which is formulated for the cloud in virtual machine placement.
The Design and Development of a Modified Artificial Bee Colony Approach for the Traveling Thief Problem
Authors: Alharbi Saad T
Published: July 2018

The traveling thief problem (TTP) is a benchmark problem that consists of two well-known problems, the traveling salesman problem (TSP) and the knapsack problem (KP). It was defined to imitate complex real-world applications that comprise different interdependent sub-problems. Various approaches were proposed in the literature to solve such a problem. These approaches mostly focus on local search algorithms, heuristics methods and evolutionary approaches. In addition, some of these approaches concentrated on solving the problem by considering each sub-problem independently. Thus far, limited approaches were proposed to solve the problem using swarm intelligence. In this article, the authors introduce a modified artificial bees colony (ABC) algorithm that addresses the TTP in an interdependent manner. The performance of this approach was compared with various recent approaches in the literature using different benchmark instances. The obtained results demonstrated that it is competitive with the state-of-the-art approaches, especially on small and medium instances.
Missing Value Imputation Using ANN Optimized by Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Mishra Anjana , Naik Bighnaraj , Srichandan Suresh Kumar
Published: July 2018

Missing value arises in almost all serious statistical analyses and creates numerous problems in processing data in databases. In real world applications, information may be missing due to instrumental errors, optional fields and non-response to some questions in surveys, data entry errors, etc. Most of the data mining techniques need analysis of complete data without any missing information and this induces researchers to develop efficient methods to handle them. It is one of the most important areas where research is being carried out for a long time in various domains. The objective of this article is to handle missing data, using an evolutionary (genetic) algorithm including some relatively simple methodologies that can often yield reasonable results. The proposed method uses genetic algorithm and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) for accurately predicting missing data with higher accuracy.
Social Media and Autonomous Learning at a Latin America University
Authors: Toloza Eduardo Adrián , Laaser Wolfram Lothar
Published: July 2018

The main purpose of this article is to investigate the selection patterns and uses made of the web tools and social media in both formal and non-formal education of students. The possibility of using networks to provide a multitude of stimuli that can be used for facilitating the learning, which offer a wide range of possibilities. The authors found that in many cases, the students use the devices and applications as a ‘simple remote control' discarding all the available possibilities for learning. The criteria for selecting the respective application in many cases are arbitrary or just a response to advertising or the usage of their friends. The web tools and social media provide ample opportunities, often for free, for incorporation into learning activities. To benefit from the use of them for learning purposes, it is important to know student preferences and the way in which they handle the media, in their private and academic environments. Also, the perception of the sense of spatial, social and temporal distance, which gives shape to our relationships and daily exchanges of information is essential for teachers. It is important for universities that the usage of technologies is not drifting too far away from those which students use outside the walls of the campus.
Planning for Future Inquiry
Authors: Egbert Joy L , Shahrokni Seyed Abdollah , Zhang Xue , Yahia Intissar Ahmed , Borysenko Nataliia , Mohamed Adnan F. Saad , Herman David , Lopez-Lopez Sonia , Ezeh Chioma , Aljarih Faraj
Published: July 2018

The body of research on CALL tasks and topics grows daily; however, there are still a number of areas that are underrepresented in the literature. While there are many gaps in the CALL research to address, this article specifically focuses on eight gaps, chosen because of their perceived importance in improving CALL evidence and research practices and, by extension, language teaching and learning. In presenting the gaps, each section in this article: 1) provides a rationale for exploring the topic, 2) briefly reviews studies that typify the extant research in the focal area, and 3) provides recommendations for future research. The purpose of this article is to encourage all stakeholders in CALL to join in the rigorous and multi-perspective exploration of these under-addressed areas and strengthen the use of CALL for language learning and teaching.
A Survey on Bio-Inspired Method for Detection of Spamming
Authors: Yahlali Mebarka
Published: July 2018

The objective of this work is to show the importance of bi-inspiration SPAM filtering. To achieve this goal, the author compared two methods: Social bees vs inspiration from the Human Renal. The inspiration is taken from a biological model. Messages are indexed and represented by the n-gram words and characters independent of languages (because message can be received in any language). The results are promising and provide an important way for the use of this model for solving other problems in data mining. The author starts this article with a short introduction where the readers will see the importance of IT security—especially today. The author then explains and experiments on a two original meta-heuristics and explains the natural model and then the artificial model.
Towards A Decision Support System for Optimization of Container Placement in a Container Terminal
Authors: Bendaoud Zakaria , Yachba Khadidja
Published: July 2018

Maritime transport moves a majority of the goods and global trade around the globe. This mode of transport involves loading and unloading of containers at ports. Upon arrival at a port, the ships remain inactive during the operations of loading and unloading. The terminal operator receives a schedule indicating the dates of loading and unloading of containers and their locations in the storage areas. Once berthing takes place, ships are unloaded by gantry cranes to the handling area, where the containers are then collected for transfer to storage areas or buffer zones. Container terminals are essential inter-modal interfaces for the worldwide transportation network. An optimal location for a container terminal is very important for the operators and companies as it can minimize the number of unnecessary movements within the storage area and the terminal, which can reduce transportation costs. In this work, the authors propose a container placement problem and a solution approach through a model for decision support that can solved and optimized for the storage space available. In other words, a model that minimizes the total number of unnecessary movements, while respecting the dynamic constraints of space and time.
An RFID Best Effort Mechanism for in Motion Tracking Applications
Authors: Mota Rafael Perazzo Barbosa , Batista Daniel Macedo
Published: July 2018

In this article, the authors propose an algorithm that reduces useless responses for RFID systems in a motion environment, for tracking applications. The mechanism achieves its goals by reducing the number of packets exchanged between readers and tags. They analyze the behavior of their proposal by considering the average number of identification rounds. With extensive simulations using an RFID module for the ns-2 simulator, the authors show the benefit of the proposed mechanism. When compared to the Pure Q Algorithm and Binary Tree Slotted Aloha, their mechanism reduces the number of packets up to 43%, which is a good result in terms of performance of motion applications and energy consumption of the devices used in the communications.
Type 1 IFN Induction by Cytosolic Nucleic Acid Is Intact in Neonatal Mononuclear Cells, Contrasting Starkly with Neonatal Hyporesponsiveness to TLR Ligation Due to Independence from Endosome-Mediated IRF3 Activation
Authors: Brennan Kiva , O’Leary Bobby D. , Mc Laughlin Danielle , Breen Eamon P. , Connolly Emma , Ali Nusrat , O’Driscoll David N. , Ozaki Ema , Mahony Rebecca , Mulfaul Kelly , Ryan Aoife M. , Ni Chianain Aine , McHugh Alison , Molloy Eleanor J. , Hogan Andrew E. , Paran Sri , McAuliffe Fionnuala M. , Doyle Sarah L.
Published: July 2018

Two million infants die each year from infectious diseases before they reach 12 mo; many of these diseases are vaccine preventable in older populations. Pattern recognition receptors represent the critical front-line defense against pathogens. Evidence suggests that the innate immune system does not fully develop until puberty, contributing to impaired response to infection and impaired vaccine responses in neonates, infants, and children. The activity of the pattern recognition receptor family of cytosolic nucleic acid (CNA) sensors in this pediatric population has not been reported. We show that in direct contrast to weak TLR-induced type I IFN in human cord blood mononuclear cells, cord blood mononuclear cells are capable of initiating a potent response to CNA, inducing both antiviral type I IFN and, unexpectedly, proinflammatory TNF-α. A deficiency in Rab11-GTPase endosome formation and consequent lack of IRF3 activation in neonatal monocytes is at least in part responsible for the marked disparity in TLR-induced IFN production between neonatal and adult monocytes. CNA receptors do not rely on endosome formation, and therefore, these responses remain intact in neonates. Heightened neonatal responses to CNA challenge are maintained in children up to 2 y of age and, in marked contrast to TLR4/9 agonists, result in IL-12p70 and IFN-γ generation. CNA sensors induce robust antiviral and proinflammatory pathways in neonates and children and possess great potential for use as immunostimulants or vaccine adjuvants for targeted neonatal and pediatric populations to promote cell-mediated immunity against invasive infectious disease.
Cellular Mechanisms Controlling Surfacing of AICL Glycoproteins, Cognate Ligands of the Activating NK Receptor NKp80
Authors: Neuss Sebastian , Bartel Yvonne , Born Christina , Weil Sandra , Koch Joachim , Behrends Christian , Hoffmeister Meike , Steinle Alexander
Published: July 2018

AICL glycoproteins are cognate activation-induced ligands of the C-type lectin-like receptor NKp80, which is expressed on virtually all mature human NK cells, and NKp80–AICL interaction stimulates NK cell effector functions such as cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion. Notably, AICL and NKp80 are encoded by adjacent genes in the NK gene complex and are coexpressed by human NK cells. Whereas AICL is intracellularly retained in resting NK cells, exposure of NK cells to proinflammatory cytokines results in AICL surfacing and susceptibility to NKp80-mediated NK fratricide. In this study, we characterize molecular determinants of AICL glycoproteins that cause intracellular retention, thereby controlling AICL surface expression. Cys87 residing within the C-type lectin-like domain not only ensures stable homodimerization of AICL glycoproteins by disulfide bonding, but Cys87 is also required for efficient cell surface expression of AICL homodimers and essential for AICL–NKp80 interaction. In contrast, cytoplasmic lysines act as negative regulators targeting AICL for proteasomal degradation. One atypical and three conventional N-linked glycosylation sites in the AICL C-type lectin-like domain critically impact maturation and surfacing of AICL, which is strictly dependent on glycosylation of at least one conventional glycosylation site. However, although the extent of conventional N-linked glycosylation positively correlates with AICL surface expression, the atypical glycosylation site impairs AICL surfacing. Stringent control of AICL surface expression by glycosylation is reflected by the pronounced interaction of AICL with calnexin and the impaired AICL expression in calnexin-deficient cells. Collectively, our data demonstrate that AICL expression and surfacing are tightly controlled by several independent cellular posttranslational mechanisms.
Two new species of Chaetocnema Stephens from South Africa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)
Authors: Biondi Maurizio , D'Alessandro Paola
Published: July 2018

In this paper Chaetocnema adamastori sp. nov. and C. saldanhai sp. nov., both from Western Cape Province (Republic of South Africa), are described. The two new species are closely related with C. audisiana Biondi and C. capensis Bryant, respectively. Micrographs of diagnostic characters, including male and female genitalia, are supplied. Ecological data for each species, including habitat preference, host plant and phenology, are also reported.
New species and records of the pseudoscorpion genus Acanthocreagris from Italy (Pseudoscorpiones: Neobisiidae)
Authors: Gardini Giulio
Published: July 2018

Three new species of the genus Acanthocreagris Mahnert, 1974 are described from Lombardy (Acanthocreagris grottoloi sp. n.) and Sardinia (Acanthocreagris foghesa sp. n. and Acanthocreagris alguerensis sp. n.). Acanthocreagris sardoa (Beier, 1959) and Acanthocreagris agazzii (Beier, 1966) are redescribed respectively on specimens from Sardinia and Venetian pre-Alps and a key to adults of the Italian species of the genus is provided.
Taxonomical and bionomical notes on the Sicilian endemic water beetle Ochthebius (Cobalius) biltoni (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)
Authors: Sabatelli Simone , Mancini Emiliano , Audisio Paolo
Published: July 2018

In this paper we present additional information on taxonomy, ecological preferences and conservation biology of the rare and poorly known Sicilian endemic Ochthebius biltoni Jäch & Delgado, 2017. It represents one of the most outstanding endemic elements of the Sicilian and Italian water beetle fauna.
The use of rituximab in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: description of a monocentric cohort and review of the literature
Authors: Barsotti S. , Cioffi E. , Tripoli A. , Tavoni A. , D’Ascanio A. , Mosca M. , Neri R.
Published: July 2018

Rituximab (RTX), a chimeric monoclonal antibody targeted against CD20, has been used to treat refractory inflammatory myopathies (IIM). The primary objective of this study was to retrospectively assess the efficacy of RTX in reducing disease activity in patients with IIM refractory to conventional therapy. Secondary aim was the evaluation of adverse events (AE) during the treatment period. We examined 26 patients with a diagnosis of IIM, referred to our Rheumatology Unit and treated with RTX for active refractory disease. Patients were treated with RTX 1000 mg i.v., twice, with a 2-week interval. RTX treatment was associated with a significant reduction of creatine kinase (p=0.001) after six months compared to the baseline, an improved muscular strength measured with MMT8 (p<0.001) and a reduction of the extramuscular activity of the disease measured with MYOACT (p<0.001). In particular, RTX improved DM skin rash, arthritis and pulmonary manifestations. Autoantibody positivity (in particular antisynthetase, anti- SRP and antiRo/SSA), and a disease duration <36 months at the moment of the treatment are associated with a better response rate. Treatment with RTX was also associated with a reduction of the mean daily dose of steroids needed to control disease activity (p=0.002). Our results have confirmed that RTX is efficacious in the treatment of refractory IIM. Ad hoc controlled trials are needed to better clarify the specific subset of patients who may better respond to the treatment and the optimal therapeutic schedule.
Coexistence of sarcoidosis and Hashimoto thyroiditis
Authors: Semiz H. , Yalcin M. , Kobak S.
Published: July 2018

Sarcoidosis is a chronic, inflammatory disease with unknown cause characterized by non-caseating granuloma formations. It can present with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, skin lesions, eye involvement and locomotor system findings. Hashimoto thyroiditis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease characterized by increased autoantibody synthesis. Sarcoidosis can involve different endocrine glands. Thyroid gland involvement may lead to increased thyroid function disorders and autoantibodies. Herein, we report an 80-year-old female patient with sarcoidosis and Hashimoto coexistence.
Antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENAS) in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: correlations with clinical manifestations and disease activity
Authors: Emad Y. , Gheita T. , Darweesh H. , Klooster P. , Gamal R. , Fathi H. , El-Shaarawy N. , Gamil M. , Hawass M. , El-Refai R.M. , Al-Hanafi H. , Abd-Ellatif S. , Ismail A. , Rasker J.
Published: July 2018

The aim was to explore possible correlations of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) with clinical manifestations and disease activity indices in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. A total of 70 consecutive SLE patients (64 females) were included. Disease activity was assessed by SLE activity index (SLEDAI), and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG). Anti-Ro/SSA correlated positively with, headache (r=0.24, p=0.04), blurring of vision (r=0.25, p=0.03) and SLEDAI (r=0.25, p=0.04) and negatively with C3 (r=–0.35, p=0.003). Anti-Ro/SSA correlated with anti La/SSB antibodies (r=0.69, p<0.001), but not with anti-DNA, anti-RNP and anti-Sm antibodies. Anti-La/SSB antibodies correlated with headache (r=0.26, p=0.03), SLEDAI (r=0.25, p=0.03) and negatively with C3 (r=–0.34, p=0.004). Anti-La/SSB did not correlate with anti-RNP or anti-Sm antibodies. Anti-Sm antibodies correlated with disease duration (r=0.34, p=0.003), 24 hours urinary proteins (r=0.31, p=0.008), SLEDAI (r=0.31, p=0.009), BILAG renal score (r=0.29, p=0.02) and negatively with age at onset (r=–0.27, p=0.02), WBCs (r=–0.29, p=0.014) and C4 (r=–0.25, p=0.049). In multivariate analyses, anti-Ro/SSA antibodies remained associated with headache, blurring of vision and C3 and anti-La/SSB antibodies remained associated with C3 and with headache. Anti-Sm antibodies were independently associated with disease duration and total SLEDAI scores, while anti-RNP antibodies remained significantly associated with BILAG mucocutaneous scores only. Antibodies to ENAs are associated with clinical aspects of SLE and may play a role in the assessment of disease activity. Insight into these ENAs may lead to new approaches to diagnostic testing, accurate evaluation of disease activity and lead to target approach for SLE.
Women’s perspective of facility-based childbirth services in Ghana: A qualitative study
Authors: Avortri Gertrude S. , Modiba Lebitsi M.
Published: July 2018

Background: Many policy makers at country level in both medium and low to middle-income countries still have great difficulty deciding which quality intervention would have the greatest impact on the health outcomes delivered by their health systems. Aim: To investigate women’s perceptions about the factors that hinders or facilitates the provision of quality childbirth services in Ghana’s health care services to guide improvement efforts. Setting: The study was conducted in the greater Accra region of Ghana in two primary level hospitals (district hospitals). Methods: A qualitative study design, which is exploratory, descriptive and contextual in nature, was used. Semi-structured interviews were used to examine the perspectives of 15 women on the factors that influence the quality of childbirth services and how services could be improved in Ghana. Data were analysed through data reduction, data display and generation of themes. Results: The findings in this study revealed two major themes, firstly, barriers to quality childbirth with five subthemes: high workload, shortage of health workers, non-availability of some services, as well as poor coordination, unacceptable staff behaviour and lack of cooperation from some clients, were identified by the participants as the major causes of poor quality. Secondly, ways to improve care reported, were encouraging health workers to be patient with clients, promoting open communication, friendliness and attentiveness. The need to reorganise service provision to make it more client centred, was also highlighted. Conclusion: The study findings highlight the importance of paying attention to factors such as service organisation and coordination, high workload, inadequate number of staff, as well as limitations in infrastructure and logistics for quality services delivery. Equally important are institutionalisation of systems to continuously assess and improve staff competence and attitudes and the creation of an environment that can foster good interpersonal relationship between health care providers and patients.
Assessing the efficacy of asynchronous telehealth-based hearing screening and diagnostic services using automated audiometry in a rural South African school
Authors: Govender Samantha M. , Mars Maurice
Published: July 2018

Background: Asynchronous automated telehealth-based hearing screening and diagnostic testing can be used within the rural school context to identify and confirm hearing loss. Objective: The aims of the study were to evaluate the efficacy of an asynchronous telehealth-based service delivery model using automated technology for screening and diagnostic testing as well as to describe the prevalence, type and degree of hearing loss. Method: A comparative within-subject design was used. Frequency distributions, sensitivity, specificity scores as well as the positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Testing was conducted in a non-sound-treated classroom within a school environment on 73 participants (146 ears). The sensitivity and specificity rates were 65.2% and 100%, respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was 91.7% and the negative predictive values (NPV) and positive predictive values (PPV) were 93.8% and 100%, respectively. Results: Results revealed that 23 ears of 20 participants (16%) presented with hearing loss. Twelve per cent of ears presented with unilateral hearing impairment and 4% with bilateral hearing loss. Mild hearing loss was identified as most prevalent (8% of ears). Eight ears obtained false-negative results and presented with mild low- to mid-frequency hearing loss. The sensitivity rate for the study was low and was attributed to plausible reasons relating to test accuracy, child-related variables and mild low-frequency sensory-neural hearing loss. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that asynchronous telehealth-based automated hearing testing within the school context can be used to facilitate early identification of hearing loss; however, further research and development into protocol formulation, ongoing device monitoring and facilitator training is required to improve test sensitivity and ensure accuracy of results.
Evaluation of impact of occult hepatitis B infection in chronic HCV-infected patients: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Bhatia Mohit , Gupta Ekta , Choudhary Manish C , Jindal Ankur , Sarin Shiv Kumar
Published: July 2018

INTRODUCTION: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) may contribute to liver damage and variable therapeutic response in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection.

AIMS: To study the prevalence of OBI and to evaluate its impact and/or that of anti-HBc total seropositivity on clinical outcomes and response to directly acting antiviral (DAA) therapy in CHC-infected patients.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care liver hospital from January to May 2017.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty HBsAg-negative CHC patients who were initiated on DAA therapy were retrospectively included. Archived pretreatment baseline plasma samples were retrieved and tested for quantitative HBV DNA, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc total antibodies. HCV RNA, genotype, clinical, biochemical and histopathological parameters & treatment response data were obtained from the hospital information system.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Comparison of continuous variables was done by Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests and categorical variables by Fisher’s exact test or Pearson’s Chi-square test.

RESULTS: Prevalence of OBI was 1.25%. Anti-HBc total positivity was seen in 25% patients. Based on anti-HBc total status, patients were categorized into two groups namely Group 1 (anti-HBc positive) and Group 2 (anti-HBc negative). Group 1 patients were further categorized into three subgroups based on signal/cutoff (S/Co) of HBc total antibody semi-quantitative values. HBc total antibody levels did not influence the severity of CHC disease. Comparative evaluation of parameters such as median log10 baseline RNA (P = 0.929 and 0.464), median alanine aminotransferase (ALT 0) (P = 0.519 and 0.449), ALT at 12 weeks (P = 0.875 and 0.594), sustained virological response (SVR) at 12 weeks (P = 0.405 and 0.263) and SVR at 24 weeks (P = 0.265 and 0.625) between Groups 1 and 2 and among three categories within Group 1, respectively, were not found to be statistically significant.

Conclusions: Very low prevalence of OBI was seen in CHC patients. HBc total antibody levels did not influence clinical outcome and response to DAA therapy in this cohort.
Second-trimester fetal autopsy: A morphological study with prenatal USG correlations and clinical implications
Authors: Venkataswamy Chaitra , Gurusamy Umamaheswari , Lakshmi S. Vidhya
Published: July 2018

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to analyze the second-trimester fetal autopsies and to reemphasize the role of autopsy by comparing autopsy findings with prenatal ultrasound observations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of second-trimester fetal autopsies over a period of 7.5 years (January 2009–June 2016). A standard protocol of autopsy procedure was followed, which included external examination with photography, X-ray, internal examination, and histopathological examination. In fetuses with congenital malformations (CMs), the findings of prenatal ultrasonogram and autopsy examination were compared.

RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 66 fetuses, which includes 17 intrauterine fetal death, 49 terminations for CM, and increased risk for chromosomal abnormality. In fetuses with CM, multiple anomalies were more common than a single anomaly. The most common anomalies were seen involving central nervous system (neural tube defect) followed by the genitourinary system. Autopsy confirmed prenatal ultrasound findings in all cases except three. Complete agreement between USG findings and autopsy were seen in 17 cases (39.7%). Additional findings on autopsy were noted in 25 cases (62.2%). Among these, 15 cases had a significant change of recurrence risk due to altered initial ultrasound diagnosis.

CONCLUSION: Fetal autopsy plays an important role in arriving at the final diagnosis and detecting the cause of death. This information is very essential for the clinicians, in genetic counseling of the parents, and management of future pregnancies.
Rosuvastatin as forthcoming antibiotic or as adjuvant additive agent: In vitro novel antibacterial study
Authors: Al-Kuraishy Hayder M. , Al-Gareeb Ali I. , Al-Buhadily Ali K.
Published: July 2018

INTRODUCTION: Rosuvastatin is a lipid-lowering agent that inhibits 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase leading to a reduction of cholesterol biosynthesis. Many studies have shown an association between statins use and the reduction of sepsis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro combined antibacterial activity of rosuvastatin and cefixime.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five pathogenic bacteria isolates (Gram positive and Gram negative) were used for testing the antibacterial activity of rosuvastatin alone and in combination with cefixime.

Results: Rosuvastatin mainly inhibited Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli where it caused zones of inhibition of (17.9 ± 0.6 mm) and (16.9 ± 0.3 mm), respectively; however, it moderately inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis (12.9 ± 0.2 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (12.76 ± 0.2) and produced less inhibition for Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth where it led to a zone of inhibition equal to (9.1 ± 0.5 mm). Minimal inhibitory concentration (μg/mL) of rosuvastatin was high compared to cefixime. Fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) of rosuvastatin was low for E. coli and K. pneumoniae compared to the other types of bacterial strains. Rosuvastatin exhibited additive effects with cefixime against E. coli and K. pneumoniae. ΣFIC index was 0.536 and 0.734 for E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively.

Conclusions: Rosuvastatin has a significant antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria with a potential additive effect when used in combination with cefixime.
Clinical and laboratory standards institute versus European committee for antimicrobial susceptibility testing guidelines for interpretation of carbapenem antimicrobial susceptibility results for Escherichia coli in urinary tract infection (UTI)
Authors: Sahu Chinmoy , Jain Vidhi , Mishra Prabhakar , Prasad Kashi Nath
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND: Carbapenems show excellent activity against resistant uropathogens, and they are the antibiotics of choice for urinary tract infections (UTIs). The choice of carbapenem prescription is strongly influenced by antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) report. With the publication of recent AST guidelines by the European Committee on AST (EUCAST), we were curious to evaluate the difference in results between Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the EUCAST guidelines for the interpretation of carbapenems.

METHODS: During a period of 1 year, midstream urine specimens received in the laboratory were cultured by conventional techniques and 2932 of them grew significant colony counts of Escherichia coli. Out of them, 501 E. coli isolates which were resistant to at least six first-line antibiotics were further subjected to second-line antimicrobials imipenem and meropenem, reported by E-tests (bioMerieux, France). The E-test results were interpreted by both CLSI 2016 and EUCAST 6.0 (2016) guidelines. Weighted kappa was used to determine absolute agreement, and McNemar’s Chi-square test was used to test the difference in proportions of susceptibility between two methods, respectively.

RESULTS: Taking CLSI guidelines as a gold standard, there was 100% sensitivity in a susceptible category by the EUCAST guidelines for both the carbapenems. Weighted kappa showed good and moderate agreement between them for imipenem and meropenem, respectively. However, McNemar Chi-square test in the nonsusceptible category between the two tests was 9.38% and 33.03% for imipenem and meropenem, respectively, and they were highly significant (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: A laboratory can follow EUCAST guidelines as well and the guidelines are more useful in urinary concentrated antibiotics such as carbapenems. Further other antibiotics need to be evaluated by both these guidelines.
Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney: A rare case report
Authors: Talwar Amrita , Kishore Manjari , Bhardwaj Minakshi , Chauhan Devender Singh
Published: July 2018

Renal primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) is a rare primary renal neoplasm. Morphologically, it may mimic small blue round-cell tumor. Hence, histopathology in conjunction with immunohistochemistry plays a significant role in correctly diagnosing this malignancy. We report a case of PNET of kidney in a 30-year-old female with an extension to inferior vena cava, who succumbed following an aggressive course of illness.
Seroprevalence of HSV-1 and 2 in HIV-infected males with and without GUD: Study from a tertiary care setting of India
Authors: Munawwar Arshi , Gupta Somesh , Sharma Surendra Kumar , Singh Sarman
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is associated with an increased risk of both human immune deficiency virus (HIV) transmission and acquisition. However, in India, literature on HSV infections in in HIV-infected males has been scarce. The present study was carried out to assess the seroprevalence of these viruses in HIV-infected males, so as to provide a baseline data from India and report on HSV associated GUD prevalence in HIV infected males.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to estimate the seroprevalence of herpes simplex type 1 and 2 viruses in HIV-infected males with and without genital ulcers disease (GUD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a prospective study. We included a total of 351 male participants in this study. Among these 233 were HIV-infected and 118 HIV-uninfected males who served as controls. The seroprevalence was estimated, using HSV-1 and 2 type specific IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA.

RESULTS: HIV-infected patients had a median age of 32 ± 6.97 years (interquartile range: 28–36). Of the 351 males, 25.92% (91/351) were infected with HSV-1 and HSV-2 both. The overall seroprevalence of HSV-1 singly infected, HSV-2 singly infected, and dual infection in HIV-infected males was 39.92%, 25.58%, and 37.33% whereas in HIV-uninfected group the corresponding figures were 71.18%, 5.08%, and 3.38%, respectively. Seven of 233 (3%) HIV-infected males were having incident HSV infection. GUD was reported in both HSV-1 and HSV-2 seropositive individuals.

CONCLUSIONS: Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections were found to be associated with GUD in HIV-infected patients. The prevalence of HIV-HSV co-infection among GUD patients is high.
La Dictature Dans Les OEuvres D’ahmadou Kourouma: Une Lecture Postcoloniale
Authors: Muotoo Chukwunonso
Published: July 2018

Depuis 1960, l’année qui marque l’indépendance de la majorité des pays africains, la thématique littéraire a changé. Les nouveaux leaders africains commencent à persécuter et à maltraiter leurs confrères avec qu’ils ont lutté pour l’indépendance des nations africaines. Ces hommes deviennent des dictateurs. La dictature est un système du gouvernement qui est caractérisée par des arrestations, des détensions, les coups d’états, la torture, la tuerie et la mort. Tous ces maux deviennent l’ordre du jour après les indépendances. Donc, l’objectif de cette communication est d’identifier, traiter et analyser la dictature telle qu’elle se manifeste dans En attendant le vote des bêtes sauvages, Allah n’est pas obligé, et Quand on refuse on dit non d’Ahmadou Kourouma. Le thème de la dictature étant au centre de cette communication, la méthodologie sera celle de l’analyse textuelle et thématique. Le post colonialisme sera utilisé pour montrer l’influence des réalités sociales dans les textes de notre étude. On va proposer des solutions qu’il faudrait adopter pour qu’on puisse avoir la paix et la stabilité en Afrique.
Discrimination and Class Oppression: An Example of Ifeoma Okoye’s The Fourth World
Authors: Odinye Ifeoma Ezinne
Published: July 2018

Discrimination is a social problem which has eaten deep into the social circles of different African societies. It is seen in public or private sectors; religious or traditional groups as individuals in a given society engage in endless class struggles in order to control socio-economic and political powers. In essence, discrimination divides humanity into different classes and thus encourages marginalization and oppression in many forms; hence leading to violent protests or demonstrations. This paper examines discriminatory actions in Ifeoma Okoye’s The Fourth World in order to ascertain the causes of discrimination which divides the society into the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. In order to critically explore the different levels of discrimination and oppression in the selected novel, this research employs Marxism as the theoretical framework. In exploring the novel, the findings show massive exploitation of the proletariats by the bourgeoisie (government and rich individuals) who neglect a poverty stricken section of the society called the ‘Fourth world’ and thus cause untold hardship. This research therefore recommends that the government should bridge a gap between the rich and poor by providing basic social amenities in different areas of the society in order to enhance the living conditions of the poor. Government should also monitor sectors that manage government owned establishments for efficiency and accountability in order to protect the rights of poor citizens who are daily exploited. Key words: Discrimination, Oppression, Marxism, Class struggle, Disillusionment
Determinación del tiempo de concentración con sistemas de información geográfica
Authors: Martínez Álvarez Victoriano
Published: July 2018

En este estudio se propone una metodología para obtener, de forma automátlca, el Tiempo de Con­centracion (TC) de cuencas hidrográficas siguiendo la formulación más actual del USDA.-SCS. La me­todología desarrollada se basa en la utilización de los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG), cuyas capacidades actuales permiten realizar el análisis geomorfológlco de las cuenC.lS con gran facilidad y, por tanto, deducir automáticamente parámetros hidrológicos basados en dicha geomorfología. La metodología se caracteriza por calcular el TC teniendo en cuenta los distintos tipos de flujo con que se puede presentar la escorrentía: flujo en ladera, flujo encauzado y flujo mixto, por lo que resulta especialmente recomendable para su aplicación en pequeñas cuenC.lS, donde la Importancia relativa de los tres tipos de flujo es significativa. A modo de ejemplo, se ha aplicado en una pequeña cuenca de la Comunidad de Madrid, con una extensión aproximada de 17 km', empleando el SIG A.rcView.
Estudio hidrológico de la cuenca del río Isábena (Pirineos, España). II: respuesta hidrológica
Authors: Verdú Joan M. , Batalla Ramón J. , Martínez Casasnovas José A.
Published: July 2018

Se analiza la respuesta hidrológica de la cuenca y las subcuencas del río lsábena (Cuenca del Ebro, Pre-Pirineo). Los datos de partida los proporcionan un estudio pluviométrico de detalle y las medidas de caudal en el periodo abril 2000 - abril 2002. La modelización hidrológica se ha realizado mediante el modelo del Número de Curva calibrado. Los resultados indican una estacionalldad marcada de las crecidas, con máxlmos en otoño y primavera. las subcuencas de la parte alta aportaron el 80% de la escorrentía durante crecidas (60% desde la subcuenca de Cabecera y 20% desde la de Villacarli). En eventos tormentosos locales y convectivos los aportes máximos se desplazaron hacia el tramo medio, concretamente hacia las subcuencas de Vlllacarll y Carrasquero. las cuencas septentrionales presen­taron tiempos base superiores a 10 horas y coeficientes de escorrentía del 15%, mientras que en las subcuencas de la parte media los valores fueron de 8 h y del 4%, respectivamente. El estudio constata que la modelización hidrológica con el método del Número de Curva conlleva notables errores en estudios de crecidas de bajo periodo de retorno y que resulta de vital importancia calibrar alguno de sus parámetros con medidas de campo, como por ejemplo el caudal pico.
La integració en aules CLIL: quan les mestres creuen fronteres
Authors: Cladera Artigues Catalina , Valdés Sánchez Laura
Published: July 2018

El procés de globalització de les últimes dècades ha fomentat la valoració de l’aprenentatge de llengües estrangeres. En el context europeu, la llengua anglesa esdevé un objectiu prioritari en els sistemes educatius, que han anat introduint diferents programes bilingües. Un d’ells és el CLIL (Content and language integrated learning), en el que s’ensenya una matèria no lingüística en llengua anglesa. Aquest enfocament a dies d’avui es presenta com un gran repte pel professorat degut a la seva manca de formació. En aquest article s’analitza la interacció entre els alumnes i dues mestres que ensenyen l’anglès i les ciències conjuntament (cada una especialista en un camp) en una aula d’educació primària. Es pretén comprendre com es fa aquesta integració analitzant el focus d’atenció de les mestres i quin paper hi juguen els usos de les distintes llengües.
Los finales en la literatura infantil contemporánea
Authors: Fernández de Gamboa Vázquez Karla
Published: July 2018

Las últimas décadas del siglo XX trajeron consigo una innovación notable en la literatura infantil de las sociedades postindustriales occidentales. Este cambio, tanto literario como educativo, se ha manifestado en la producción de libros con nuevos contenidos, nuevas técnicas artísticas y formas discursivas (Silva-Díaz, 2005). Entre dichas innovaciones el uso de desenlaces que distan del arquetípico final feliz ha sido una de las más polémicas en el campo de su valoración. Tomando este debate como punto de partida, el presente estudio analiza los finales de las obras de la literatura infantil contemporánea más recomendadas por la crítica especializada dirigidas a lectores de entre 8 y 10 años. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la diversificación de los tipos de desenlace ha aumentado en los últimos años y que su uso se ha renovado adhiriéndose a las nuevas características que presenta la literatura infantil en estas primeras décadas del siglo XXI.
An interview with Thomas Morton on CLIL methodology in Spain
Authors: Fernández Barrera Alicia
Published: July 2018

The author interviewed Dr. Tom Morton of Birkbeck College (University of London) on CLIL, in June 2017.
Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education, by Ofelia García and Li Wei
Authors: Vallejo Claudia
Published: July 2018

Review of Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education, by Ofelia García and Li Wei.
Biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharides with different length of the O-specific region as a virulence factor of Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Krzyżewska Eva , Rybka Jacek
Published: July 2018

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is a biological structure with a unique composition that significantly contributes to the survival of bacteria in the unfavorable conditions of the host organism. The lipopolysaccharide constitutes about 70% of the external part of the outer membrane. The LPS molecule is composed of three different parts: lipid A, core oligosaccharide and O antigen. Despite the O-specific antigen being one of the most intensely studied surface structures of bacterial polysaccharides, a number of questions regarding the mechanism of the O antigen biosynthesis and its transport to the cell surface are still unanswered. The paper describes the biosynthesis of the lipopolysaccharide molecule, with particular emphasis on the O-specific chain biosynthesis, the mechanism of lipopolysaccharide length regulation and the influence of the type of synthesized O-specific chains on bacterial survival in adverse host organisms.
Privacy and Public Intellectual Freedom: Why Trained Library Staff Preserve and Protect Patron Confidentiality
Authors: Caudesch Miles
Published: July 2018

On the layman's level, this Commentary presents the essence of how and why library staff engage with the public while preserving patron privacy. Basic documentation, such as the Library Bill of Rights and the ALA's Intellectual Freedom Manual are referenced, along with an unsettling article about arson. After reading this Commentary, library staff should feel a renewed sense of loyalty to their profession, as well as an uncomfortable realization that every day, someone's life is held in the balance for educational good or for misapplied freedom: it is partially up to the librarian to help each person pursue excellence within the framework of free access to information.
Chasing Shadows: Visions of Our Coming Transparent World, edited by David Brin and Stephen W. Potts
Authors: Hamm Lauren Elizabeth
Published: July 2018

Chasing Shadows is a collection of short stories by various authors. The stories illustrate how transparent we've become in terms of privacy now that we're constantly connected to social media. They target such topics as government surveillance, live blogging, politics, and parenting. The collection was edited by David Brin and Stephen W. Potts.
Censorship Dateline
Authors: Stone David R.
Published: July 2018

Libraries, schools, colleges and universities, prisons, internet
Is It Legal?
Authors: Stone David R.
Published: July 2018

Libraries, schools, colleges and universities, prisons, freedom of the press, public speech, internet, social media, government speech, privacy