bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Evaluative study of tourism Industry in Jammu and Kashmir: A Northern state of India.
Authors: Sachdeva Suresh , Ahmad Ganai Ishfaq
Published: April 2018

This paper attempts to make an in-depth study of tourism, which would help in developing the course of tourism industry in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Tourism is considered as one sector that can propel growth, contribute foreign exchange, and provide employment that too to low skilled persons. One of the important dimensions of tourism is the cultural exchange among various nationalities and among the people of different states. As on one hand, tourism is seen as an economic option and on the other side the greater social and human effect. Jammu and Kashmir offers different types of tourism, which are highlighted in this paper, which type of tourism is most liked and is popular among tourists, is also presented in this paper for proper development of tourism industry in the state of Jammu and Kashmir

Keywords: In-depth, Foreign exchange, community development, Harmony.
INTRODUCCIÓN A LA CONTABILIDAD GENERAL
Authors: Gamboa Salinas Jenny Margoth , Santiago Chávez Nora Isabel
Published: April 2018

La presente obra denominada Introducción a la Contabilidad General es de vital importancia para todos los sectores empresariales, en virtud de que constituye una herramienta fundamental para el manejo adecuado de la información financiera como apoyo fundamental en la toma de decisiones.
La metodología utilizada se fundamenta en aspectos contables sencillos, claros, concretos, capaz de que las personas que utilicen este trabajo académico comprendan fácilmente su contenido. Su terminología contable se basa en los principios de contabilidad generalmente aceptados, así como la Ley de Régimen Tributario Interno vigente en el país, Servicio de Rentas Internas, Superintendencia de Compañías, Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipalidad de Ambato.
Además, los fundamentos teóricos están vinculados técnicamente con ejercicios eminentemente prácticos y reales, lo que permitirá a las personas que inician eneste campo contable cimentar sus conocimientos esenciales para poder integrar las fases posteriores del proceso contable.
MERCADEO CORPORATIVO INTERNO. Una relación con el ámbito legal
Authors: Guamán Guevara María Dolores , Caisa Yucailla Elías David , Acosta Morales María Gabriela , Miranda López Rodrigo Fernando , Cepeda Luna Fidel Edmundo
Published: April 2018

El libro Mercadeo Corporativo Interno; una relación con el Ámbito Legal, es de mucha importancia para los especialistas de todos los sectores empresariales,así como para docentes y dicentes de educación superior, presenta fundamentos en el área de Administración, Gestión del Talento Humano, Legislación Laboral, se constituye en una herramienta que facilita las actividades empresariales. Mercadeo interno corporativo aborda temas acerca de las empresas comercializadoras, calidad en el servicio, estrategias de mercadeo con los clientes internos y normativas legales.
En la metodología se incluyen, tres unidades de fundamento teórico aplicaciones sencillas y prácticas que permitan al lector construir escenarios prácticos que ayuden a una comprensión más amplia y adecuada de los temas que se abordan. La obra detalla referencias básicas que intentan ser una guía académica que contribuya a la formación profesional y también que aporte en el ámbito legal a los empresarios sustentado en leyes que regulan el mercado del país y los componentes del mercadeo corporativo.
Kapitalizmin Şafağında: Kent, Polis ve Güvenlik
Authors: SUBAŞİ Erol
Published: April 2018

Bu çalışma kent ve
güvenlik arasındaki bağlantıyı polis kavramı üzerinden incelemektedir. Polis
ile kent arasındaki sosyo-tarihsel ilişki bugün unutulmuş ve polis kavramının
anlam yelpazesi daralmıştır. Polis, bugün işlevi ya suçluları yakalamak ve suçu
önlemek olan bir meslek-kuruma indirgenmekte; ya da hâkim sınıfların tabi sınıfların
siyasallaşmasını baskıladığı bir zor aygıtı olarak görülmektedir. Her iki
yaklaşım da devlet erkinin bir formu olarak polis erkinin tarihsel seyir içinde
üstlendiği daha geniş sosyo-politik işlevleri yakalamaktan uzaktır. Bu
eleştiriden hareketle bu çalışmanın temel argümanına göre polis erki kent
güvenliğini, salt suçluları yakalayarak, suçu önleyerek ya da siyasal
toplumsallaşmayı bastırarak değil; özgül sosyo-politik projeler ile uyumlu bir
şekilde kente ait belirli normları, kültürel referansları, kimlikleri ve
davranış kalıplarını imal ederek sağlamaktadır. Bu sav, tarihsel bağlamda,
feodalizmden kapitalizme geçiş sorunsalı çerçevesinde tartışılacaktır. Ayrıca
çalışma, bu temel argümanla bağlantılı olarak dört yan argüman ileri
sürmektedir. Birincisine göre, kent ve polis arasındaki tarihsel ve etimolojik
bağlantı polisin daralan anlamına rağmen bugün de varlığını korumaktadır.
İkincisi, tarihsel seyri içinde düzen ve toplumsal düzen kavramlarındaki
değişikliklere koşut olarak polis erkinin işlevi değişmiştir. Üçüncüsü, polis
erki tarihsel süreç içinde burjuva sivil toplumun değerlerinin üretilmesinde
kilit bir rol üstlenmiştir. Dördüncüsü, feodalizmden kapitalizme geçiş
döneminde polis erki mülksüz yığınların ücretli emeğe dönüşümünde nazım rol oynamıştır.
Türkiye’de Konut Söylemlerinde Yaşanan Değişimin Reklamlar Üzerinden Analizi - İstanbul Örneği
Authors: ŞAHİN Pınar , ŞENER Sinan Mert
Published: April 2018

Türkiye’de barınma

biçimlerinde yaşanan değişimler sonucunda, günümüzde konut mekânı, üzerine

yüklenen anlamlar aracılığıyla, bireyin toplumsal statüsünü ve yaşam tarzını

belirleyen bir tüketim metası haline gelmiştir. Kuşkusuz, konutun üstlendiği bu

yeni rolünde, sloganlar ve gerçeküstü görseller ile tüketici kitlelerini

manipüle eden reklamların payı büyüktür. Reklamlar bir ürüne talep yaratma

amacı güden anlam yapıları olmanın ötesinde, içerdikleri söylemlerle

bulundukları toplumların egemen değerlerini yansıtan, dönemin siyasi, ekonomik

ve sosyal yapısı hakkında ipuçları veren kültürel metinlerdir. Bu bağlamda,

reklam söylemleri üzerinden konut anlayışında yaşanan değişimi okumak ve

farklılaşan talepler doğrultusunda şekillenen konut üretim türlerini irdelemek

bu araştırmanın temel amacıdır. Çalışma alanı olarak, gerek kentsel, gerek

toplumsal bağlamda en dramatik değişimlere sahne olan İstanbul seçilmiştir.

Araştırmada, Türkiye’de yayınlanan konut reklamlarının tarihsel süreçte, içerik

bakımından nasıl yapılandırıldığının belirlenmesine yönelik olarak, iletişim

çalışmalarında en çok tercih edilen yöntemlerden biri olan içerik analizi

yöntemi uygulanmıştır. Bu çerçevede, reklamlar her dönemde içerdikleri

söylemlere göre; mimariye yönelik söylemler, konum-ulaşım odaklı söylemler,

sosyal ve kültürel avantajlara yönelik söylemler, soyut söylemler, güvenlik

odaklı söylemler, teknik ve altyapıya yönelik söylemler ve satış-ödeme-yatırım

odaklı söylemler olarak alt başlıklar halinde irdelenmiştir. Analiz kapsamında

elde edilen sonuçlar, reklamların yayınlandıkları dönemin koşulları

çerçevesinde değerlendirilmiştir. Bu bağlamda dönemlere ait reklamlar üzerinden

yapılan analizler, değişen reklam imgelerinin belirlenmesi, neoliberal

politikaların ve küreselleşme sürecinin öncesi-sonrasında yaşanan toplumsal ve

mekânsal dönüşümlerin açıklanması bakımından önemlidir.
Effect of Parameter Selection on Fuzzy Clustering
Authors: Ozdemir Ozer , Kaya Asli
Published: April 2018

Clustering is one of the
most useful tasks in data mining process for discovering groups and identifying
interesting distributions and patterns in the underlying data. Cluster analysis
seeks to partition given data set into groups based on specified features so
that the data points within a group are more similar to each other than the
points in different groups. Clustering can be performed in hard or fuzzy mode.
One of the important conditions in order to reach accurate results in
clustering analysis is to determine the initial parameters. In many studies,
researchers do not have prior information about the number of clusters.
Clustering algorithms in general need the number of clusters as a prior, which
is mostly hard for domain expert to estimate. In this work, in order to
overcome this problem, cluster validity indices in literature were reviewed and
these indices were used in genetic data set. The result was simply analyzed and
according to the analysis, validity indices do not always discover the optimal
number of clusters.
Sequential neurological improvements after conservative treatment in patients with complete motor paralysis caused by cervical spinal cord injury without bone and disc injury
Authors: Mori Eiji , Ueta Takayoshi , Maeda Takeshi , Ideta Ryousuke , Yugué Itaru , Kawano Osamu , Shiba Keiichiro
Published: April 2018

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated neurological improvements after conservative treatment in patients with complete motor paralysis caused by acute cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) without bone and disc injury.

METHODS

This study was retrospective. The authors evaluated neurological outcomes after conservative treatment of 62 patients with complete motor paralysis caused by cervical SCI without bone and disc injury within 72 hours after trauma. The sequential changes in their American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grades were reviewed at follow-up 24–72 hours, 1 week, and 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 31 patients with a baseline AIS grade of A, 2 (6.5%) patients improved to grade B, 5 (16.1%) improved to grade C, and 2 (6.5%) improved to grade D by the 6-month follow-up. The 22 (71.0%) patients who remained at AIS grade A 1 month after injury showed no neurological improvement at the 6-month follow-up. Of the 31 patients with a baseline AIS grade of B, 12 (38.7%) patients showed at least a 1-grade improvement at the 1-month follow-up; 11 (35.5%) patients improved to grade C and 16 (51.6%) patients improved to grade D at the 6-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Even in patients with complete motor paralysis caused by cervical SCI without bone and disc injury within 72 hours after trauma, approximately 30% of the patients with an AIS grade of A and 85% of the patients with an AIS grade B improved neurologically after conservative treatment. It is very important to recognize the extent of neurological improvement possible with conservative treatment, even for severe complete motor paralysis.
Risk factor analysis of proximal junctional kyphosis after posterior osteotomy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Wang Tianhao , Zhao Yongfei , Liang Yan , Zhang Haocong , Wang Zheng , Wang Yan
Published: April 2018

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to analyze the incidence and risk factors of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who underwent pedicle subtraction osteotomy.

METHODS

The records of 83 patients with AS and thoracolumbar kyphosis who underwent surgery at the authors’ institution between 2007 and 2013 were reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of PJK. The radiographic measurements, including proximal junctional angle (PJA), sagittal parameters, and pelvic parameters of these 2 groups, were compared at different time points: before surgery and 2 weeks, 12 months, and 2 years after surgery. Oswestry Disability Index scores were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Overall, 14.5% of patients developed PJK. Before surgery, the mean PJAs in the 2 groups were 13.6° and 8.5°, respectively (p = 0.008). There were no significant differences in age, sex, and body mass index between groups. Patients with PJK had a larger thoracolumbar kyphotic angle (50.8° ± 12.6°) and a greater sagittal vertical axis (21.7 ± 4.3 cm) preoperatively than those without PJK. The proportion of patients with PJK whose fusion extended to the sacrum was 41.2% (7/17), which is significantly greater than the proportion of patients with PJK whose lowest instrumented vertebra was above the sacrum. Oswestry Disability Index scores did not significantly increase in the PJK group compared with the non-PJK group.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors found that PJK occurs postoperatively in patients with AS with an incidence of 14.5%. Risk factors of PJK include larger preoperative sagittal vertical axis, PJA, and osteotomy angle. Reducing the osteotomy angle in some severe cases and extending fusion to a higher, flatter level would be also beneficial in decreasing the risk of PJK.
Minimally invasive direct lateral, retroperitoneal transforaminal approach for large L1–2 disc herniations with intraoperative CT navigational assistance: technical note and report of 3 cases
Authors: Oyelese Adetokunbo A. , Fridley Jared , Choi David B. , Telfeian Albert , Gokaslan Ziya L.
Published: April 2018

Upper lumbar (L1–2, L2–3) disc herniations are distinct in their diffuse presenting clinical symptomatology and have poorer outcomes with surgical intervention than those following mid and lower lumbar disc herniations and disc surgery. The authors present the cases of 3 patients with L1–2 disc herniations and significant stenosis of the spinal canal. The surgical approach used here combined the principles of transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic discectomy and the extreme lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedures with intraoperative CT-guided navigational assistance. The approach provides a safe corridor of direct visualization to the ventral thecal sac with minimal bony resection and could, in principle, reduce neurological injury and biomechanical instability, which likely contribute to poor outcomes at this level.
Frameless robot-assisted stereoelectroencephalography in children: technical aspects and comparison with Talairach frame technique
Authors: Abel Taylor J. , Varela Osorio René , Amorim-Leite Ricardo , Mathieu Francois , Kahane Philippe , Minotti Lorella , Hoffmann Dominique , Chabardes Stephan
Published: April 2018

OBJECTIVE

Robot-assisted stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is gaining popularity as a technique for localization of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) in children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Here, the authors describe their frameless robot-assisted SEEG technique and report preliminary outcomes and relative complications in children as compared to results with the Talairach frame–based SEEG technique.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed the results of 19 robot-assisted SEEG electrode implantations in 17 consecutive children (age < 17 years) with pharmacoresistant epilepsy, and compared these results to 19 preceding SEEG electrode implantations in 18 children who underwent the traditional Talairach frame–based SEEG electrode implantation. The primary end points were seizure-freedom rates, operating time, and complication rates.

RESULTS

Seventeen children (age < 17 years) underwent a total of 19 robot-assisted SEEG electrode implantations. In total, 265 electrodes were implanted. Twelve children went on to have EZ resection: 4 demonstrated Engel class I outcomes, whereas 2 had Engel class II outcomes, and 6 had Engel class III–IV outcomes. Of the 5 patients who did not have resection, 2 underwent thermocoagulation. One child reported transient paresthesia associated with 2 small subdural hematomas, and 3 other children had minor asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhages. There were no differences in complication rates, rates of resective epilepsy surgery, or seizure freedom rates between this cohort and the preceding 18 children who underwent Talairach frame–based SEEG. The frameless robot-assisted technique was associated with shorter operating time (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Frameless robot-assisted SEEG is a safe and effective means of identifying the EZ in children with pharmacoresistant partial epilepsy. Robot-assisted SEEG is faster than the Talairach frame–based method, and has equivalent safety and efficacy. The former, furthermore, facilitates more electrode trajectory possibilities, which may improve the localization of epileptic networks.
Molecular characterization of berry skin color reversion on grape somatic variants
Authors: Ferreira Vanessa , Castro Isaura , Carrasco David , Pinto-Carnide Olinda , Arroyo-García Rosa
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND: During grapevine domestication somatic variation has been used as a source of diversity for clonal selection. OBJECTIVE: This work provides additional information on the molecular mechanisms responsible for berry skin color reversion on a subset of somatic variants for berry skin color never investigated before. METHODS: The berry color locus and its surrounding genomic regionwere genetically characterized through a layer-specific approach, which has already been proven to be a successful method to decipher the molecular mechanisms responsible for color reversions on somatic variants. RESULTS: Deletions of different extent and positions were detected among less-pigmented/unpigmented variants derived from a pigmented wild-type. These deletions affected only the inner cell layer in the less pigmented variants and both cell layers in the unpigmented variants. Regarding the pigmented variants derived from an unpigmented wild-type, only one group was distinguished by the Gret1 retrotransposon partial excision from the VvMybA1 promoter. Moreover, within this latter group, VvMybA2 showed an important role regarding the phenotypic variation, through the recovery of the functional G allele. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation focused on the berry color locus using somatic variants for berry skin color, promotes a better understanding of the evolutionary events behind their origin and variability, opening an opportunity for their use in the genetic improvement of varieties.
Assessment of Olfactory Perception in Individuals with Motion Sickness
Authors: Jacquot Laurence , Millot Jean-Louis , Paillard Aurore Colette
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND: Individuals who experience motion sickness (MS) frequently mention the presence of smells in the environment as a factor favoring the occurrence of MS symptoms. The aim of the present work was to compare olfactory function in MS sensitive (MS+) and insensitive (MS-)
subjects.METHODS: Olfactory testing included determination of odor detection thresholds, subjective evaluation of the quality (intensity, hedonicity, and familiarity) of three different odorants (limonene, isovaleric acid, and petrol) as well as measures of skin conductance responses
to these three odorants.RESULTS: Results showed no difference in olfactory sensitivity between MS+ and MS- subjects. However, findings of both subjective (odor quality self-rating) and objective (psychophysiological responses) measures did reveal that the affective response to petrol
odor was significantly different in MS+ and in MS- subjects. Indeed, on a scale from 0 (unpleasant) to 10 (pleasant) MS+ subjects rated petrol odor as more unpleasant (mean = 2.52) than MS- subjects (mean = 4.15) and rise-time of skin conductance responses to petrol odor was significantly
longer in MS+ (mean = 5.98 s) compared to MS- subjects (mean = 3.22 s).DISCUSSION: Our study delves further into the knowledge of the relationship between motion sickness and olfaction by demonstrating a modified olfactory perception in motion sickness sensitive subjects at both
the psychophysical and psychophysiological levels.Jacquot L, Millot J-L, Paillard AC. Assessment of olfactory perception in individuals with motion sickness. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(5):428–433.
Metabolic Syndrome in the German Air Force: Prevalence and Associations with BMI and Physical Fitness
Authors: Weber Frank
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that can affect a pilot’s health. The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the German Air Force.METHODS: All German military pilots are examined regularly
at the German Air Force Center of Aerospace Medicine. The data are stored in a special database designed for that purpose. A database query was performed. The following parameters were analyzed: age, duration of observation, BMI, physical working capacity (PWC 170), blood pressure, erythrocyte
sedimentation rate (ESR), cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose.RESULTS: For the time period of 1996 to 2016, the data of 12,014 pilots were analyzed. Overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 0.9% (95% CI 0.7–1.1%). Participants with a metabolic
syndrome had a significantly higher BMI (28.3 vs. 24.1), lower PWC 170 (2.3 vs. 2.7) and higher ESR (4.7 vs. 3.6, mm first hour) than the healthy participants. On average, BMI gradually increased over the years and PWC 170 decreased over the years in all participants. There was no increase
of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome during the observational period.CONCLUSION: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among German Military pilots is low and is not connected to the duration of service.Weber F. Metabolic syndrome in the German Air Force: prevalence and
associations with BMI and physical fitness. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(5):469–472.
Effects of Graphene-Oxide-Modified Coating on the Properties of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites
Authors: Bowman Sean , Hu Xiaoyu , Jiang Qiuran , Qiu Yiping , Liu Wanshuang , Wei Yi
Published: April 2018

Graphene oxide (GO) modified with ferrites (GO@Fe3O4) were studied to determine their effect on the interfacial properties of continuous carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites. The GO@Fe3O4 were introduced by mixing them directly in an acrylic-styrene (AS) sizing emulsion suitable for the making of continuous carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and towpregs. A magnetic field was then generated during the online sizing using coils in order to change the morphology of the coating on the fiber. The effect on the obtained sizing quality and final properties of continuous carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites was then studied. The results showed that the topography of the sized fibers was modified, showing a kind of “drag” effect and more than a 32% increase was obtained for interlaminar shear strength.
A Mixed-Integer Programming Model for Assessing Energy-Saving Investments in Domestic Buildings under Uncertainty
Authors: Kontogiorgos Panagiotis , Chrysanthopoulos Nikolaos , Papavassilopoulos George P.
Published: April 2018

A decision support tool has been developed to evaluate energy-saving intervention investments for domestic buildings. Various potential interventions are considered, each affecting energy consumption and savings, as well as the total financial cost of the investment. The decision problem is formulated as a mixed-integer programming problem. The implemented methodologies increase the efficiency and efficacy of the solution algorithms and can be applied to most realistic cases. The tool allows users to customize the problem based on their own preferences and find the optimal combination of investments. Uncertainty complicating the decision process is addressed by using interval analysis; therefore, the robustness of the optimal decision can be evaluated to facilitate the decision-making process. A domestic building in the Mediterranean area is used as a case study to demonstrate the functionality of this tool and to evaluate the impact of the decision-maker’s uncertainty on the optimal decision.
Optimal Design of a Band Pass Filter and an Algorithm for Series Arc Detection
Authors: Ji Hong-Keun , Wang Guoming , Kim Woo-Hyun , Kil Gyung-Suk
Published: April 2018

Detection and analysis of series arcs is significantly meaningful for preventing arc-caused electrical fires in advance. However, the improvement of arc detection sensitivity and the discrimination of arc conditions are still challenges when developing an arc fault detector. In this paper, arc signals in various loads with three major incomplete connection states were detected and further analyzed using the discrete wavelet transform. It was verified that the db13 was the optimal mother wavelet to analyze the arc pulses and the decomposed signals in the detail components of D5, D6, D7, and D8 were related with arc phenomena. Therefore, a band pass filter with a frequency from 2.4 to 39 kHz was designed, which can extract arc signals while eliminating the AC mains current and noise generated in loads. By investigating the arc signal energy as well as the arc pulse counts that were important parameters of arc occurrence, an arc diagnosis algorithm was developed based on LabVIEW program for electrical fire prevention.
Erratum: Khan, M.O.; et al. A Load Flow Analysis for an AC/DC Hybrid Distribution Network Incorporated with Distributed Energy Resources for Different Grid Scenarios. Energies, 2018, 11, 367
Authors: Khan Muhammad , Jamali Saeed , Noh Chul-Ho , Gwon Gi-Hyeon , Kim Chul-Hwan
Published: April 2018

The authors wish to make the following changes to their paper [...]
Visualizing Individual Tree Differences in Tree-Ring Studies
Authors: Trouillier Mario , Van der Maaten-Theunissen Marieke , Harvey Jill E. , Würth David , Schnittler Martin , Wilmking Martin
Published: April 2018

Averaging tree-ring measurements from multiple individuals is one of the most common procedures in dendrochronology. It serves to filter out noise from individual differences between trees, such as competition, height, and micro-site effects, which ideally results in a site chronology sensitive to regional scale factors such as climate. However, the climate sensitivity of individual trees can be modulated by factors like competition, height, and nitrogen deposition, calling attention to whether average chronologies adequately assess climatic growth-control. In this study, we demonstrate four simple but effective methods to visually assess differences between individual trees. Using individual tree climate-correlations we: (1) employed jitter plots with superimposed metadata to assess potential causes for these differences; (2) plotted the frequency distributions of climate correlations over time as heat maps; (3) mapped the spatial distribution of climate sensitivity over time to assess spatio-temporal dynamics; and (4) used t-distributed Stochastic Neighborhood Embedding (t-SNE) to assess which trees were generally more similar in terms of their tree-ring pattern and their correlation with climate variables. This suite of exploratory methods can indicate if individuals in tree-ring datasets respond differently to climate variability, and therefore, should not solely be explored with climate correlations of the mean population chronology.
Discriminating between Seasonal and Chemical Variation in Extracellular Enzyme Activities within Two Italian Beech Forests by Means of Multilevel Models
Authors: Fioretto Antonietta , Innangi Michele , De Marco Anna , Menta Cristina , Papa Stefania , Pellegrino Antonella , Virzo De Santo Amalia
Published: April 2018

Enzymes play a key-role in organic matter dynamics and strong scientific attention has been given to them lately, especially to their response to climate and substrate chemical composition. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the effects of chemical composition and seasons on extracellular enzyme activities (laccase, peroxidase, cellulase, chitinase, acid phosphomonoesterase, and dehydrogenase) by means of multilevel models within two Italian mountain beech forests. We used chemical variables as the fixed part in the model, season as random variation and layers (decomposition continuum for leaf litter and 0–5, 5–15, 15–30, and 30–40 cm for soil) as nested factors within the two forests. Our results showed that seasonal changes explained a higher amount of variance in enzyme activities compared to substrate chemistry in leaf litter, whereas chemical variation had a stronger impact on soil. Moreover, the effect of seasonality and chemistry was in general larger than the differences between forest sites, soils, and litter layers.
Association between Sleep Duration and Perceived Stress: Salaried Worker in Circumstances of High Workload
Authors: Choi Dong-Woo , Chun Sung-Youn , Lee Sang Ah , Han Kyu-Tae , Park Eun-Cheol
Published: April 2018

The aim of this study was to find the association between sleep duration and perceived stress in salaried workers according to occupational categories and which lifestyle factors affected those correlations in South Korea. This study used data from the 2015 Community Health Survey (CHS). The self-reported sleep duration was used as the dependent variable in this study. We explored sleep duration and stress awareness among salaried workers, as well as household income and educational level with multiple logistic regression analysis. Salaried workers who slept for five or less hours had a higher odds ratio for high-stress awareness (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.74–1.98). Stress awareness is associated with short sleep duration; specialized workers, office workers, those with above mid-high household income and graduate, university, or college level workers especially need to sleep adequately to manage stress.
Urinary Cotinine Concentration and Self-Reported Smoking Status in 1075 Subjects Living in Central Italy
Authors: Paci Enrico , Pigini Daniela , Bauleo Lisa , Ancona Carla , Forastiere Francesco , Tranfo Giovanna
Published: April 2018

Background: Urinary cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, is a marker of tobacco smoke exposure. A cutoff value for cotinine concentration can be set to distinguish smokers from non-smokers, independently from self-declared status. Method: Cotinine was determined by isotopic dilution High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) between 2013 and 2014 on urine samples of a population of 1075 subjects. Results: 296 subjects have a cotinine level higher than 100 μg/g of creatinine (cutoff), with a median cotinine concentration of 1504.70 μg/g of creatinine. The mean is 27.5% of smokers and 60.5% in this group are females. The median value for non-smokers is 5.6 μg/g of creatinine. Two hundred and seventy-five subjects declared to be smokers in the questionnaire, but 6 (2.2%) present urinary cotinine levels lower than cutoff; 800 subjects declared to be non-smokers, but 26 of them presented urinary cotinine levels that were higher than the cutoff (3.3%). Conclusion: Using the cutoff of 100 μg/g, the misclassification of smokers resulted to be 2.2%, indicating that the selected value is suitable for studying the human exposures to environmental and occupational pollutants, including those produced by smoking.
Calcium and Nuclear Signaling in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Maly Ivan V. , Hofmann Wilma A.
Published: April 2018

Recently, there have been a number of developments in the fields of calcium and nuclear signaling that point to new avenues for a more effective diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. An example is the discovery of new classes of molecules involved in calcium-regulated nuclear import and nuclear calcium signaling, from the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and myosin families. This review surveys the new state of the calcium and nuclear signaling fields with the aim of identifying the unifying themes that hold out promise in the context of the problems presented by prostate cancer. Genomic perturbations, kinase cascades, developmental pathways, and channels and transporters are covered, with an emphasis on nuclear transport and functions. Special attention is paid to the molecular mechanisms behind prostate cancer progression to the malignant forms and the unfavorable response to anti-androgen treatment. The survey leads to some new hypotheses that connect heretofore disparate results and may present a translational interest.
Activation of ER Stress-Dependent miR-216b Has a Critical Role in Salvia miltiorrhiza Ethanol-Extract-Induced Apoptosis in U266 and U937 Cells
Authors: Kim Changmin , Song Hyo-Sook , Park Hojung , Kim Bonglee
Published: April 2018

Although Salvia miltiorrhiza has been reported to have anti-cancer mechanisms, such as caspase activation, cell cycle arrest, an anti-angiogenesis effect, and Bcl-2 family regulation, its underlying mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis has never been demonstrated. Thus, in this current study, ER stress-related apoptosis via miR-216b of the ethanol extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) is elucidated for the first time. SM treatment inhibited the viability of U266 and U937 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. However, SM-exposed Raw264.7 cells were intact compared to U266 or U937 cells. Treatment with SM significantly elevated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The anti-proliferative effect of SM was reversed by pretreatment with the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), compared to cells treated only with SM. Also, SM treatment increased the ER stress by elevation of phosphorylated activating transcription factor 4 (p-ATF4), phosphorylated eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2 (p-eIF2), and phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (p-PERK) expression. Caspase-3 and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were cleaved and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) was activated by SM treatment. PARP cleavage and CHOP activation were attenuated by NAC pretreatment. Furthermore, SM increased the tumor suppressor, miR-216b, and suppressed its target, c-Jun. miR-216b inhibitor attenuated the apoptotic effect of SM. Taken together, SM treatment induced apoptosis through regulation of miR-216b and ROS/ER stress pathways. SM could be a potential drug for treatment of multiple myeloma and myeloid leukemia.
Correction: Alateeq, A. et al. Performance of the Soft-Charging Operation in Series of Step-Up Power Switched-Capacitor Converters. J. Low Power Electron. Appl. 2018, 8, 8
Authors: Alateeq Ayoob , Almalaq Yasser , Matin Mohammad
Published: April 2018

After publication of the research paper [1] (http://www.mdpi.com/2079-9268/8/1/8/htm), a confusion of the charge flow direction in Section 2 makes some analysis unclear and confusing [...]
Performance Analysis of a 3D Wireless Massively Parallel Computer
Authors: Kamali Sarvestani Amir Mansoor , Bailey Christopher , Austin Jim
Published: April 2018

In previous work, the authors presented a 3D hexagonal wireless direct-interconnect network for a massively parallel computer, with a focus on analysing processor utilisation. In this study, we consider the characteristics of such an architecture in terms of link utilisation and power consumption. We have applied a store-and-forward packet-switching algorithm to both our proposed architecture and a traditional wired 5D direct network (the same as IBM’s Blue Gene). Simulations show that for small and medium-size networks the link utility of the proposed architecture is comparable with (and in some cases even better than) traditional 5D networks. This work demonstrates that there is a potential for wireless processing array concepts to address High-Performance Computing (HPC) challenges whilst alleviating some significant physical construction drawbacks of traditional systems.
Effect of (1→3),(1→6)-β-Glucan on In Vitro Production of Cytokines by Leukocytes of Patients With Periodontitis
Authors: Akramas Laimis , Akramienė Dalia , Sakalauskienė Jurgina , Kubilius Ričardas , Gleiznys Alvydas
Published: April 2018

Background. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of (1→3), (1→6)-β-glucan on the production of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in vitro by peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with periodontitis. Material and Methods. In total, 20 patients suffering from untreated severe chronic generalized periodontitis were enrolled in this study. Periodontitis was confirmed by clinical and radiologic examination. Besides, 20 periodontally healthy patients served as a control group. Peripheral venous blood was sampled from the patients, and isolated leukocytes were treated with (1→3),(1→6)-β-glucan from yeast at different concentrations. The levels of IL-10 and TNF-α secreted by the leukocytes unstimulated and stimulated with unopsonized E. coli in vitro were determined by the enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay method. Results. Our data showed that (1→3),(1→6)-β-glucan induced a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the TNF-α level and a significant increase (P<0.001) in the IL-10 level in the media of unstimulated and stimulated leukocytes of the patients with periodontitis in comparison with those of the healthy subjects. Conclusions. The present in vitro study showed that (1→3),(1→6)-β-glucan modulated the response of leukocytes of the patients with periodontitis differently in comparison with those of the healthy subjects. It increased the release of IL-10, which is protective of the tooth-supporting tissues in patients with periodontal disease, but decreased the release of TNF-α, which is mainly responsible for the destruction of the tooth-supporting tissues during periodontal disease.
EuroPrevall Survey on Prevalence and Pattern of Self-Reported Adverse Reactions to Food and Food Allergies Among Primary Schoolchildren in Vilnius, Lithuania
Authors: Kavaliūnas Andrius , Šurkienė Genė , Dubakienė Rūta , Stukas Rimantas , Žagminas Kęstutis , Šaulytė Jurgita , Burney Peter , Kummeling Ischa , Mills Clare
Published: April 2018

The aim of the research was to assess the prevalence and pattern of self-reported adverse reactions to food and food allergies among primary schoolchildren in Vilnius. Material and Methods. Vilnius University was a partner in the EuroPrevall project. A total of 4333 schoolchildren from 13 primary schools participated in the study. Of all 4333 questionnaires distributed, 3084 were returned (response rate, 71.2%). This screening phase was followed by the second (clinical) part with an objective confirmative laboratory analysis of blood samples for the diagnosis of food allergy. For the research purposes, 186 blood samples for IgE were analyzed. Results. Almost half of the children had an illness or a disorder caused by eating food. The prevalence of adverse reactions to food was found to be increasing with age from 6 to 10 years. Food allergy was diagnosed in 16.4% of children. Boys had food allergy more frequently than girls. Diarrhea or vomiting and a rash, urticarial rash, or itchy skin were the most commonly mentioned symptoms. Fruits, berries, and milk and dairy were found to be the most common foods to cause adverse reactions. The most relevant foods for children with IgE-mediated food allergy were cow’s milk and hazelnuts. Conclusions. The prevalence of self-reported food hypersensitivity among primary schoolchildren was observed in almost half of the studied population. Fruits, berries, and milk and dairy were the most common foods to cause adverse reactions among primary schoolchildren in Lithuania. The determined differences in the prevalence of food hypersensitivity and IgE-mediated food allergy and associations with gender and age need further scientific analysis for the development of prognostic and diagnostic tools.
Peripheral Blood Th17 Cells and Neutrophils in Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-induced Early- and Late-Phase Asthmatic Response
Authors: Bajoriūnienė Ieva , Malakauskas Kęstutis , Lavinskienė Simona , Jeroch Jolanta , Gasiūnienė Edita , Vitkauskienė Astra , Sakalauskas Raimundas
Published: April 2018

Background and Objective. Biphasic cellular immune reactions, which follow allergen inhalation, are a specific feature of inflammation in allergic asthma. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the percentage of peripheral blood Th17 cells and neutrophil functions after Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-induced early- and late-phase asthmatic response in patients with allergic asthma. Material and Methods. A total of 19 patients with allergic asthma were examined. Eleven patients developed an isolated early-phase asthmatic response (EAR), whereas 8 developed both earlyand late-phase (dual) asthmatic responses (DAR) after the bronchial challenge with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. The control group included 15 healthy subjects. Peripheral blood collection was performed 24 hours before as well as 7 and 24 hours after the bronchial challenge. The percentage of Th17 cells, and chemotaxis and apoptosis of neutrophils were analyzed by flow cytometry. The serum IL-8 and IL-17 levels were determined by ELISA. Results. After the bronchial challenge, the percentage of Th17 and IL-17 levels increased considerably 7 and 24 hours after the challenge in both groups of patients. Moreover, 24 hours after the challenge, the percentage of Th17 cells and IL-17 levels were significantly higher in the patients with the DAR than those with the EAR or healthy controls. Seven and 24 hours after the challenge, neutrophil chemotaxis was greater in the patients with the DAR as compared with those with the EAR and healthy controls as well. The apoptotic activity of neutrophils was lower 24 hours after the challenge in the patients with the DAR than those with the EAR. Conclusions. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-induced early- and late-phase asthmatic response in patients with allergic asthma was found to be accompanied by an increased percentage of peripheral blood Th17 cells and elevated serum IL-17 levels as well as altered neutrophil functions.
Particulate Air Pollution and Its Impact on Health in Vilnius and Kaunas
Authors: Orru Hans , Laukaitienė Aida , Zurlytė Ingrida
Published: April 2018

Particulate matter in outdoor air has a significant impact on health. Small particles, composed of a variety of organic and inorganic compounds, are inhaled deep into the respiratory tract. The mechanisms and outcomes are manifold, resulting mainly in cardiopulmonary diseases. The current study aimed to quantify the health effects of particulate pollutants in Vilnius and Kaunas. Material and Methods. For risk estimation, the methodology of health impact assessment was employed. The exposure was defined as annual PM2.5 levels for long-term exposure effects and daily PM10 averages for short-term exposure effects. The baseline mortality/morbidity data were retrieved from health registers and exposure-response relationships from previous epidemiological studies. For health impact calculations, the WHO-developed tool AirQ was also applied. Results. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 was 11 μg/m3 in Vilnius and 17.5 μg/m3 in Kaunas. The exposure above the natural background corresponded annually to 263 (95% CI, 68– 464) and 338 (95% CI, 86–605) premature deaths in Vilnius and Kaunas. This resulted in 3438 (95% CI, 905–5952) and 3693 (95% CI, 983–6322) years of life lost and in an average decrease in life expectancy of 0.43 (95% CI, 0.11–0.74) and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.18–1.19) years, respectively. In addition, 143 (95% CI, 86–200) and 129 (95% CI, 78–179) respiratory and 297 (95% CI, 188–377) and 267 (95% CI, 169–338) cardiovascular hospitalizations per year could be expected in Vilnius and Kaunas, respectively. Conclusions. There is substantial exposure to particulate matter in the main Lithuanian cities, which causes considerable adverse health effects. Traffic and domestic heating are considered locally the most important contributing factors to the degradation of air quality.
Inherited Macular Dystrophies and Differential Diagnostics
Authors: Liutkevičienė Rasa , Lesauskaitė Vaiva , Ašmonienė Virginija , Gelžinis Arvydas , Žaliūnienė Dalia , Jašinskas Vytautas
Published: April 2018

The inherited macular dystrophies are characterized by different grade central visual loss and different character macula atrophy, because of retinal pigment epithelium lesion. The cause of photoreceptors degeneration is still not known. In this article, we review subjective and objective ophthalmological examines essential to diagnosis and differential diagnosis of inherited autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive macular dystrophies. It is known seven gene mutations (ABCA4, ELOVL4, PROML1, VMD2, Peripherin/RDS, TIMP3, XLRS), which may cause inherited macular dystrophies development. Inheritance type of inherited macular dystrophies, prevalence, beginning of disease, spread of the disease between female and male, clinic, electroretinography, electrooculography, differential diagnosis, genetic research and prognosis are also reviewed.
Anthocyanin Composition and Content in Rye Plants with Different Grain Color
Authors: Zykin Pavel A. , Andreeva Elena A. , Lykholay Anna N. , Tsvetkova Natalia V. , Voylokov Anatoly V.
Published: April 2018

The color of grain in cereals is determined mainly by anthocyanin pigments. A large level of genetic diversity for anthocyanin content and composition in the grain of different species was observed. In rye, recessive mutations in six genes (vi1...vi6) lead to the absence of anthocyanins in all parts of the plant. Moreover, dominant genes of anthocyanin synthesis in aleurone (gene C) and pericarp (gene Vs) also affect the color of the grain. Reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to study anthocyanins in 24 rye samples. A lack of anthocyanins in the lines with yellow and brown grain was determined. Delphinidin rutinoside and cyanidin rutinoside were found in the green-seeded lines. Six samples with violet grains significantly varied in terms of anthocyanin composition and content. However, the main aglycone was cyanidin or peonidin in all of them. Monosaccharide glucose and disaccharide rutinose served as the glycoside units. Violet-seeded accession forms differ in the ratio of the main anthocyanins and the range of their acylated derivatives. The acyl groups were presented mainly by radicals of malonic and sinapic acids. For the colored forms, a profile of the revealed anthocyanins with the indication of their contents was given. The obtained results are discussed in connection to similar data in rice, barley, and wheat, which will provide a perspective for future investigations.
Regression Analysis to Identify Factors Associated with Household Salt Iodine Content at the Sub-National Level in Bangladesh, India, Ghana and Senegal
Authors: Knowles Jacky , Kupka Roland , Dumble Sam , Garrett Greg S. , Pandav Chandrakant S. , Yadav Kapil , Nahar Baitun , Touré Ndeye Khady , Amoaful Esi Foriwa , Gorstein Jonathan
Published: April 2018

Regression analyses of data from stratified, cluster sample, household iodine surveys in Bangladesh, India, Ghana and Senegal were conducted to identify factors associated with household access to adequately iodised salt. For all countries, in single variable analyses, household salt iodine was significantly different (p < 0.05) between strata (geographic areas with representative data, defined by survey design), and significantly higher (p < 0.05) among households: with better living standard scores, where the respondent knew about iodised salt and/or looked for iodised salt at purchase, using salt bought in a sealed package, or using refined grain salt. Other country-level associations were also found. Multiple variable analyses showed a significant association between salt iodine and strata (p < 0.001) in India, Ghana and Senegal and that salt grain type was significantly associated with estimated iodine content in all countries (p < 0.001). Salt iodine relative to the reference (coarse salt) ranged from 1.3 (95% CI 1.2, 1.5) times higher for fine salt in Senegal to 3.6 (95% CI 2.6, 4.9) times higher for washed and 6.5 (95% CI 4.9, 8.8) times higher for refined salt in India. Sub-national data are required to monitor equity of access to adequately iodised salt. Improving household access to refined iodised salt in sealed packaging, would improve iodine intake from household salt in all four countries in this analysis, particularly in areas where there is significant small-scale salt production.