bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of housing system and breed on growth, slaughter traits and meat quality traits in rabbits
Authors: Pałka Sylwia , Kmiecik Michał , Migdał Łukasz , Kozioł Konrad , Otwinowska-Mindur Agnieszka , Bieniek Józef
Published: December 2019

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of housing conditions and breed on the growth, slaughter traits and meat quality traits of Blanc de Termonde (n=34; 15♂, 19♀) and Popielno White (n=28; 15♂, 13♀) rabbits. Until weaning at 35 days of age the young rabbits were kept with their mothers in wooden hutches. After weaning they were divided into two groups. Rabbits from group I (n=42; 21♂ and 21♀) were kept two per cage in a battery system. Each cage was 40 cm wide, 90 cm long and 35 cm high. Animals from group II (n=20; 8♂ and 12♀) were kept in boxes with dimensions of 100 x 100 x 100 cm, on deep litter. Four or five rabbits were kept in each box, with males and females separated. The rabbits were feed pellets ad libitum. They were weighed weekly from birth to 12 weeks of age. Slaughter and dissection were performed at 12 weeks of age. At 45 min after slaughter the pH in the longissimus lumborum and biceps femoris muscles was measured, as well as the colour (L*, a*, b*). In the case of growth and slaughter traits, significant differences between housing systems were observed, but the housing systems was not found to significantly influence the dressing percentage or meat quality traits. Breed did not significantly influence body weight (except for litter weight at birth), slaughter traits, or meat quality traits.
Influence of the physical form of oat grain on the fattening results and carcass quality of White Kołuda geese
Authors: Kłopotek Eugeniusz
Published: December 2019

The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the physical form of oat grain (whole, crushed or ground grain) on the fattening results, feed conversion and carcass quality of the W-33 strain of White Kołuda (Biała Kołudzka®) geese. A total of 90 hatchlings (45 ♂♂ + 45 ♀♀) were randomly selected for the experiment. All geese were fed in the same way until the age of 14 weeks, receiving KB-1, KB-2 and KB-3 compound feeds in the amount of up to 300 g/individual/day and grass forage ad libitum. At the end of the 14th week, the geese were divided into three feeding groups (15 ♂♂ and 15 ♀♀ in each) and in the period from weeks 15 to 17, a total of 21 days, they were fed only hulled oat grain of the Rajtar cultivar. Group I received whole grain, group II crushed grain, and group III ground grain. After the fattening was completed, 5 male and 5 female geese from each of the three experimental groups were selected for slaughter analysis. The birds receiving whole oat grain had the highest body weight, weight gain from the 15th to the 17th week of life, feed conversion and dressing percentage. Male geese had higher body weight, higher muscle tissue content, and lower adipose tissue content than females (P≤0.01). The two sexes did not differ significantly in dressing percentage or content of abdominal fat.
The influence of the addition of herbs to the winter diet of sheep on the yield of bundz rennet cheese and its nutritional value
Authors: Jarzynowska Anna , Peter Ewa
Published: December 2019

The study was carried out on samples of raw sheep milk and bundz rennet cheese produced from it. The milk was obtained from ewes of the coloured variety of Polish Merino, from February to April, housed indoors and fed with preserved bulky feed and a mixture of concentrate feeds. Three groups were formed for the experiment: group I – control, fed without the addition of herbs to the concentrate feed, and groups II and III, in which an herb mixture was added to the concentrate feed in the amount of 10 and 20 g/sheep/day, respectively. Six experimental batches of bundz rennet cheese were made from the sheep milk, and the effect of the addition of herbs to the sheep diet on the chemical composition of the raw milk used to make cheese, the cheese yield and its nutritional value was analysed. The results showed that the use of herbal supplements in the feed of the coloured variety of Polish Merino sheep in winter had no effect on the chemical composition of the raw milk, and thus its value for processing, expressed as the yield of bundz rennet cheese. The addition of herbs in the amount of 20 g/sheep/day to the diet of sheep significantly increased the content of minerals in cheese made from the milk obtained from the group III sheep, by 6.1% and 6.6% as compared to groups I and II, respectively (P≤0.05). The experimental factor had no influence on the other parameters of the nutritional value of the cheese, i.e. on the content of protein and fat or their mutual proportions, or on its energy value.
The use of thermal imaging measurements in dairy cow herds
Authors: Racewicz Przemysław , Sobek Jakub , Majewski Michał , Różańska-Zawieja Jolanta
Published: December 2019

temperature distribution on the surface of an animal’s body. The surface temperature values obtained in IRT depend on the quantitative impact of the conditions of the surrounding environment and the thermoregulatory response of the animal. Besides the blood perfusion volume, the skin temperature depends on the metabolic rate of tissues, the type and colour of the hair coat, and the thickness of the adipose tissue. In a healthy organism, the temperature distribution between individual parts of the body shows a high degree of symmetry. Analysis of the surface temperature distribution of a given area of the body of an animal which is in homeostasis with the external environment provides a great deal of valuable information. By comparing the same parts of the body, we can easily identify hot spots, and the additional knowledge gained during more extensive veterinary diagnostics increases the chance of establishing the cause of this condition. The reliability of IRT depends on the technical parameters of the cameras, environmental conditions, the operator’s experience, the animal’s individual characteristics, and the testing methodology. As many factors can affect the surface temperature distribution of an animal’s body, and thus the result of the thermographic measurement, the effect of any stimuli interfering with the measurements should be minimized during thermal imaging. Additionally, in order to reduce the risk of misinterpretation of the image, normalization protocols for imaging parameters, i.e. standards ensuring reliable results, should be applied. The main limitation in the implementation of these standards in thermography of livestock animals is that it is not possible to compare thermograms made under different environmental conditions. Research has been carried out to assess the suitability of thermal imaging cameras in diagnosing inflammatory changes in the skin of cattle. The technique was found to have great potential in predicting local inflammation (hoof, udder or skin disease). Normalization protocols must be developed for imaging parameters, i.e. standards that will ensure reliable results in a variety of environmental conditions.
The development of bioeconomy of the Baltic Region in the context of regional and global climate change
Authors: Braun Joachim von , Mirzabaev Alisher
Published: December 2019

Climate change is projected to have a profound effect on natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and societies both in the Baltic region and globally, particularly so through agriculture and food systems. The Baltic region has a vast potential for the development of bioeconomy due to the existing opportunities for biomass production and advances in microbiology leading to process- and product innovations in biomass production and utilization. The development of sustainable bioeconomy in the Baltic region, however, requires a flexible and timely adaptation to climate change. Based on an overview of the relevant state-of-the-art literature, the article explores the implications of the development of bioeconomy for the adaptation to and the mitigation of climate change in the Baltic region. The paper elaborates on actions that may facilitate the sustainability of bioeconomy in the region. It concludes that scientific collaboration across borders in the Baltic region can accelerate innovations to successfully adapt bioeconomy to climate change. Sustainable development of bioeconomy can provide considerable opportunities for mitigating consequences of climate change.
Large business in the coastal zones of Russia: features and factors of localisation
Authors: Druzhinin Alexander G.
Published: December 2019

Russia’s evident ‘turn to the sea’ as regards the economy, the infrastructure, and population distribution patterns is very much in line with the interests and projects of large businesses. This change manifests itself in the development of port and logistics complexes, the port industry, the construction of offshore pipelines, more active offshore oil and gas production, the growing demographic potential of coastal cities, etc. This article aims to explore the localisation of large businesses in Russian coastal zones and to analyse the ‘coastalisation’ of the country’s largest companies. It is shown that ‘coastalisation’ has taken place in forty-two of Russia’s top 100 companies, as rated by the Russian Business Channel. Another objective of the study is to identify large businesses’ industrial and regional priorities in the maritime economy and investigate how they are transformed under the influence of geopolitical and geo-economic factors. Amid active Eurasian integration, which includes the Greater Eurasia project, big businesses are spurring the development of maritime economic complexes and the formation of sea-land economic structures, including cross-border ones. The study identifies which national coastal zones are most attractive to Russian large businesses. Special attention is paid here to the Baltic Sea and the exclave of Kaliningrad where both local (Sodruzhestvo and Avtotor) and interregional/transnational companies (United Shipbuilding Corporation, Gazprom, LUKOIL, etc.) are benefitting from the coastal factor in the socio-economic development.
Reabilitação estética anterior através de coroas metalocerâmicas: relato de caso
Authors: Lima Karla Gabrielly Azevedo , Laurindo Brenda Matsunaga
Published: December 2019

Atualmente, a busca pela boa aparência estética reflete grande importância na aceitação de um sorriso esteticamente agradável. De acordo com a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) a cárie dental é a segunda doença mais comum do mundo, se não for tratada pode acometer a destruição total do elemento dentário, o que gera comprometimento estético e funcional quando afeta dentes anteriores.  Contundo, existem várias formas de reabilitação em casos de destruição coronária , como restaurações em resina composta sobre o pino intra radicular e  coroas protéticas, sendo a coroa a de principal esolha para perdas coronárias extensas. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi relatar um caso ocorrido na  clínica odontológica integrada da faculdade IMMES, o qual se destaca a reabilitação estética de dentes anteriores por meio de coroas do tipo metalocerâmica. No qual a metodologia utilizada foi o relato de caso, concluindo que diante do caso clinico relatado, certificamos a gama de desafios em reestabelecer a estética e a funcionalidade de dentes anteriores, devendo individualizar cada caso conforme as necessidades de cada paciente. No caso em questão, a paciente relatou satisfação estética e funcional quanto ao resultado final da reabilitação.
A odontologia e a violência doméstica contra mulheres: diagnóstico e conduta
Authors: Silva Eloise Dayane Martins da
Published: December 2019

A violência doméstica é caracterizada por situações em que as vítimas são submetidas a agressões psicológicas, sexuais, materiais ou físicas que ocorrem, muitas vezes, por pessoas de seu convívio familiar. Tornou-se um problema de saúde pública. Assim, cabe aos profissionais da área de saúde atuar nesse processo de valorização a vida. Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar o papel do Cirurgião-Dentista em identificar lesões orofaciais e sinais decorrentes de violência doméstica contra mulher, também apontar a conduta do profissional mediante a esses casos. Foi realizado um estudo qualitativo, através de revisão bibliográfica. Como resultado, a maior prevalência de lesões na cabeça e pescoço mostram a importante atuação do Cirurgião-Dentista e a necessidade desses profissionais estarem preparados para atender, diagnosticar, tratar e notificar, essas vítimas. Pois o Cirurgião-Dentista pode se deparar, em seus atendimentos, com pacientes que são vítimas não assumidas. Visando isso, foram apresentados os sinais e sintomas que juntamente com outros fatores podem levar a identificação dessas vítimas. Para que se descubra o que há por trás de tais lesões. Desta forma, o profissional além de diagnosticar e tratar deve utilizar a notificação compulsória como uma importante ferramenta de combate e de garantia de direitos. Mas, para isso, é necessária uma melhor preparação destes, com intuito de formar não só profissionais melhores, como mais humanos.
Perfil dos agricultores familiares da agrovila canudos, Ceará-Mirim/RN, e aceitação do Carthamus tinctorius L. – oleaginosa promissora para biodiesel
Authors: Lima Émile Rocha de , Silva Raimunda Adlany Dias da , Sousa Emanuel Araújo de Macêdo , Amurim Ana Isabel Lima da Costa , Lichston Juliana Espada
Published: December 2019

A cadeia produtiva de biocombustíveis no Brasil tem gerado discussões no âmbito social, acerca de seus impactos para a agricultura familiar no Nordeste. Uma melhor eficiência agrícola para esta região poderia se dar a partir de matérias-primas mais adaptadas às condições locais. O cártamo é uma espécie oleaginosa resistente à seca e pouco exigente em nutrientes, com alto valor agregado, e que poderia se tornar uma alternativa para o desenvolvimento agrícola e econômico da região. Desta maneira, este trabalho objetivou caracterizar socioeconomicamente uma parcela dos agricultores familiares de um assentamento do município de Ceará-Mirim/RN e constatar o conhecimento deles acerca dos usos do cártamo e sua aceitação como cultura viável para a atividade agrícola visando à produção de biodiesel. A metodologia utilizada constou da aplicação de entrevistas a agricultores da agrovila Canudos. Os entrevistados são residentes da zona rural do município de Ceará-Mirim, sendo 68,1% mulheres e 31,81%, homens. Dos 22 representantes de cada família que foram entrevistados, a maioria da amostra (63,6%) é composta por pessoas de faixa etária entre 22 a 59 anos. As principais culturas cultivadas são: banana , macaxeira e feijão. Percebeu-se que os agricultores aceitariam o desafio da introdução do cártamo como cultura oleaginosa para a produção de biodiesel, apesar de desconhecerem a cultura.
A aplicabilidade do chorume oriundo do processo de compostagem biofertlizante orgânico para agricultura sustentável
Authors: Cruz Rafaelle Fonseca , Gerude Neto Osman José de Aguiar , Freitas Stephanie Jael Negrão de , Rodrigues Jeferson Botelho , Silva Déborah Luisa Lucas da
Published: December 2019

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficiência do chorume, oriundo do processo de compostagem de resíduos orgânicos, em diversas porcentagens, na rega de três culturas distintas: Couve Manteiga da Geórgia (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), Pimenta Malagueta (Capsicum frutescens ‘Malagueta’) e grãos de Feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris). A montagem da leira ocorreu no Laboratório de Práticas Ambientais da Universidade CEUMA, sendo o período experimental de 16 de março até o dia 16 de maio de 2018, durando 60 dias, baseado em Góes et al. (2011) adaptado. Ao todo foram realizados 33 tratamentos sendo organizado da seguinte forma para cada cultura: T1 – 100% H2O; T2 – 10% chorume; T3 – 20% de chorume; T4 – 30% de chorume; T5 – 40% de chorume; T5 – 50% de chorume; T6 – 60% de Chorume; T7 – 70% de Chorume; T8 – 80% de chorume; T9 - 90% de chorume; T10 – 100% de chorume. O solo utilizado para o plantio das culturas teve os parâmetros físico-químicos analisadas no Laboratório de Física da Universidade Estadual do Maranhão – UEMA, seguindo a metodologia da EMBRAPA, 2017. As análises físico-químicas e microbiológicas do chorume foram realizadas pelo laboratório ACQUA, segundo Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater 22a edição, 5210 B. Os maiores índices de crescimento e de germinação foram obtidos nos substratos: T1; T2; T3; T4 e T5(40%) nas sementes de feijão, couve e pimenta. Sendo assim, O chorume pode ser utilizado como biofertilizante nas diferentes culturas testadas, pois o mesmo com até 40% de concentração, ocasionou um crescimento significativo das estruturas vegetativas das variedades experimentadas. Isso é corroborado com relação as altas concentrações de DBO e DQO, pois o solo pulverizado com o chorume, reteve a matéria orgânica presente no composto, assim transmitindo estes nutrientes para as plantas, o que ocasionou sua maturação biológica.
Forging Strategic Alliances
Authors: Tedone Gaia
Published: December 2019

Under conditions of so-called “Platform Capitalism”, software and algorithms undertake the important task of designing the interaction amongst online users and establishing criteria of relevance for content. As such, they operate as curatorial agents of platforms’ content, establishing what is there to see, know and consume. This state of affairs calls for a revision of the traditional role of the (human) curator who is confronted with an online environment characterised by the unprecedented collision of commercial, aesthetic, cultural and political interests. The question of what kind of relationship the curator shall create with the algorithm then becomes crucial: is this a relationship of antagonism, resistance or alliance? How do these two curatorial agents influence each other? In this article, I analyse a cluster of hybrid artistic and curatorial experiments (including my own curatorial work) that foregrounds online platforms as discrete modes of socio-technical assemblages that curate particular forms of connectivity amongst networks of users, data layers and technical infrastructures. By doing so, I argue for the forging of strategic alliances between human and machinic curators as a strategy to channel new forms of creativity and cooperation under conditions of “Platform Capitalism” and to operationalise human-algorithmic curation as a political and aesthetic practice within the networked culture.
Wandering Machines
Authors: Todorovic Vladimir , Grba Dejan
Published: December 2019

The development of automatic narrative systems has been largely driven by the engineering tendency to anthropomorphize the machine logic so they can ‘tell stories’ similar to how humans do. From the artists’ perspective, however, the experimentation with their media is often more important than the (plausibility of) storytelling, and it often unfolds in non-verbal events that have a potential to generate diverse narratives through experience of the audience. We discuss the emergence of the creative practices that enrich the poetic repertoire of new media art by playfully utilizing the machine flaws, irregularities, errors and systemic technical imperfections thus revealing the human biases and fallacies entangled with technology. One of the implications of these practices is that if the AI research opens up a broader space in which a machine could achieve its own authorial voice, our concept and understanding of the narrative would need to be reconsidered.
Intersectional AI Is Essential
Authors: Ciston Sarah
Published: December 2019

Artificial intelligence is quietly shaping social structures and private lives. Although it promises parity and efficiency, its computational processes mirror biases of existing power even as often-proprietary data practices and cultural perceptions of computational magic obscure those influences. However, intersectionality—which foregrounds an analysis of institutional power and incorporates queer, feminist, and critical race theories—can help to rethink artificial intelligence. An intersectional framework can be used to analyze the biases and problems built into existing artificial intelligence, as well as to uncover alternative ethics from its counter-histories. This paper calls for the application of intersectional strategies to artificial intelligence at every level, from data to design to implementation, from technologist to user. Drawing on intersectional theories, the research argues these strategies are polyvocal, multimodal, and experimental—suggesting that community-focused and artistic practices can help imagine AI’s intersectional possibilities and help begin to address its biases.
On False Augmented Agency and What Surveillance Capitalism and User-Centered Design Have to Do With It
Authors: Hernández-Ramírez Rodrigo
Published: December 2019

In the last years, there has been a surge in AI-powered products. Often marketed as "free", these services operate as hooks to lure unsuspecting users into voluntarily giving up data about every aspect of their life. Their data is the primary fuel of surveillance capitalism, a new economic system that exclusively benefits so-called Big Tech organisations at the expense of personal privacy and freedom of choice. This paper argues the ways these AI-powered products are being imagined and designed is further generalising a kind of, "enframing" that encourages a bureaucratic relationship with the world disguised as (a false sense of) augmented agency. This paper shows that technologically informed philosophical reflections can contribute to getting ourselves back into the feedback loop of technological mediation by helping us recognise our "becoming" with technologies as a design process.
Biophysical Study for the Interactions of Some Diazo Dyes with Human Serum Albumin
Authors: Hadi Al–Douh Mohammed , Abdalrahem Bin Selim Elham , Muhammad Tahir Edrees , Ahmed Abdo Esmail Sabah , Ahmed Naji Yaman , Hadi Abdullah Hassan
Published: December 2019

The biophysical interactions between the human serum albumin HSA and three synthesized diazo dyes 1-3 have been investigated by thermodynamic parameters and molecular docking technique. The binding constants Kb were calculated and the compounds were ranked according to their docking free energy. Different interactions were elucidated at the active site of the protein. Among these interactions is the hydrogen bonding which plays an essential role in the interaction with the protein. Both the theoretical and practical studies have agreed that diazo dye 1 has the strongest interaction with the active site.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions about Mental Illness in Ekom Iman Community in Akwa Ibom State, South-South Nigeria
Authors: Effiong Jombo, Henry , Idung Alphonsus Udo , Iyanam Victory Edet
Published: December 2019

Knowledge and beliefs a community holds about mental illness, has remarkable impact on help seeking path to care and stigmatizing attitudes expressed towards the mentally ill.

Aims: This study examines causal attributions, the perceptions and attitudes towards mental illness and the help seeking behaviour of a community in the south-south region of Nigeria.

Materials and Methods: This is cross sectional descriptive study which was conducted among residents of Ekom Iman community in Akwa Ibom State in the South-South region of Nigeria between March, 2019 and July, 2019. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. Causal belief, attitude toward mental illness and help seeking behaviour were assessed using a structured questionnaire. 

Results: A total of 130 respondents participated in the study. The average age of respondents was 31.62±8.2 years, consisting of 64.4% males and 35.6% females. Majority, 74.6% had secondary education. Poor knowledge of mental illness and stigmatizing attitudes are common. Most of the respondents prefer to keep a high social distance from the mentally ill and are unwilling to maintain close social contacts with them expressed as refusal to share a room (74.7%), marry (92.5%), keeping friendship with them (66.4%). Many believe psychoactive substance abuse (86.2%), brain illnesses/trauma (55.4%) and supernatural factors (72.6%) are etiologic to mental illness. Most respondents considered faith healers (64.3%) and orthodox medical professionals (30.8%) as first choices of treatment and the options best able to treat them.

Conclusion: Causal beliefs of mental illness affects help seeking behavior. Poor knowledge and exposure to mental illness was common. Attitudes towards mental illness were generally negative and stigmatizing. Multidisciplinary community interventions are required to ensure high social acceptance and preference for orthodox professional treatment of mental illness.
Poverty Status among Irrigators and Homestead Gardeners in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Balogun T. A. , Abegunde L. O.
Published: December 2019

The study analysed the poverty status and the determinants among farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Primary data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire and a total of 267 respondents were chosen using a multi-stage random sampling technique. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, poverty index (Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT), logit regression, and correlation matrix. The headcount index of the pooled data indicated that 49 percent of the respondents in the study area was poor with poverty severity and poverty gap indices of 0.15 and 0.25 respectively. The depth of poverty was higher and severe among the female homestead gardeners in Tyhefu and farmers with less than 2ha of farmland. The logit regression revealed that years spent in school, household size, size of cultivated farmland, extension services, and being a member of an association have a significant influence on the likelihood of being poor. Only the age of the respondents was not significant. The study therefore recommends that institutions in charge of credit facilities, education, and extension services be strengthened to give farmers meaningful wellbeing.
Understanding Behavioural Temperament of Phlebotomus argentipes Under the Influence of DDT-IRS Versus SP-IRS for Scoping New Approaches for Maximum Control Over the VL-Vector Population in Bihar
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Rama Aarti , Mandal Rakesh , Das Pradeep
Published: December 2019

Background: After the decades of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) use, Phlebotomus argentipes reportedly developed resistance against it affecting every aspect of vector control at grass-root level. Although DDT based Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) has been replaced with Alphacypermethrine-a Synthetic Pyrethroid (SP) based insecticide, since 2016 but its successful implementation at the Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) endemic regime of Bihar doesn’t cause much effect upon VL vector density. Furthermore, the outcomes of existing operational research works, it had been observed that VL vectors are continuously changing its behavior under the pressure of insecticides.

Methods: For validating the hypothesis, present study has been carried out at Vaishali and Patna being highly and semi-endemic sites respectively for quantifying the oriental behavior among VL vectors persuaded by the IRS and enforce them to remain alive and get trapped in light trap even after changed chemical composition of IRS i.e., SP-IRS from routine DDT-IRS.

Results: Following results, a significant reduction in sand fly density (i.e., 33.09% and 29.16%) was observed for outdoor and indoor caught sand flies, collected with light trap and aspirator respectively. Significant higher no. of sand fly collection in terms of per light traps per night was recorded from the outdoor sites than those from indoor habitat for each village of Vaishali and Saran district of Bihar. Higher no. of male sand flies than to that of female ones were collected from outdoor sites and only unfed female sand flies (i.e., 100%) were caught following SP-IRS from each study villages of Vaishali and Saran districts of Bihar.

Conclusions: The results of higher no. of sand flies collection from the outdoor sites as compared with the indoor habitat validate the hypothesis of gradual shifting of habitat of VL vectors from endophilic to exophilic which is undoubtedly followed due to the fact of developed resistance among them against chemical constituent of IRS. Results  provide very useful information about the sand fly dynamics under the impact of IRS and accordingly, advocates the combined approach of IRS along with insecticidal fogging together at a same time that could be an effective dividend for maximum VL vector control along for negotiating VL cases at par for longer duration during the maintenance phase at the VL foci.
Educational Interventions in Adolescents, for the Management of Obesity: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Castro-Cornejo María de los Ángeles , Arteaga-Herrera Xiomara , Díaz-Becerril Luis Antonio , Padilla-Raygoza Nicolás
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Overweight and obesity is a serious global health problem in minors related to multiple chronic degenerative or fatal diseases.

Aim: To analyze the results of available scientific studies of educational interventions in the management of overweight or obesity in adolescents.

Methodology: Those studies found in a database between 2014-2019 that performed intervention or management of overweight or obesity in a population between 6 and 18 years of age were included.

Results and Discussion: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria of which only three performed a probabilistic sampling being these more significant. Different types of interventions were identified from educational, cognitive-behavioral and physical activity promotion. The variables with the greatest significant difference were body composition and waist circumference, the Body Mass Index still has no significant difference.

Conclusion: Educational interventions achieve an important role in the management of overweight or obesity having significant changes in the short, medium and long term.
Financial Evaluation, Under Conditions of Risk, in a Family Dairy Production System
Authors: Otaviano Penna Júnior César , Figueiredo Daher Rogério , Marcelo de Souza Paulo , José Ponciano Niraldo , Alves de Almeida Júnior Gercílio , Ramalho Haddade Ismail , Jannotti Wendling Ivan , Francesconi Stida Wanessa , Faria Vidal Kesia , Souza Freitas Rafael
Published: December 2019

Aims: This study analyzed, in comparative terms, the competitive potential of family farming using an intensive milk production system based on the intermittent stocking in irrigated tropical pasture; it also evaluated the financial results before and after the implementation of an appropriate technology in the intensification process.

Study Design: The article is based on an opinion about a subject of major interest aimed at generating discussion. 

Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted based on data collected from a family farming property located at the municipality of Alegre, State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, between 2011 and 2013.

Methodology: Cash flow spreadsheets were organized, taken into consideration two deterministic scenarios (with and without the implementation of the proper technology), evaluated the net present value (NPV at 6%) and the internal rate of return (IRR). Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis was carried out, and, considering the items with the greatest contribution in the financial indicators, the Monte Carlo Simulation method was used, obtaining the risk in the decision to invest under each situation studied.

Results: The results of NPV6%, estimated according to the opportunity costs of capital, and the IRR would exceed the values of alternative investments with returns of 6% by US$ 1,830.71 and would return the capital by 6.25%, respectively.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the intensive pasture milk production system has potential to be an alternative for income generation for family farming.
Nonylphenol and Its Ethoxylates in Water Environment
Authors: Yao Salomon Kouakou , Gnosseith Huberson Claver N’doufou , Kouakou Sylvain Akpo
Published: December 2019

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including Alkylphenols and their ethoxylates, precisely Nonylphenol and its ethoxylates, are organic molecules that are of greatest current concern because of their ability to have a toxic or an inhibitory effect on living organisms by their presence or accumulation in environment such as water, sediments, soils and atmosphere. They are used in the production of surfactants, industrial formulations, pharmaceuticals, personal care products etc... The primary objective of this article is to review the literature concerning classification of Nonylphenol and its ethoxylates based on physical and chemical characteristics and technical feasibility of their usages. It also involved different ways of their introduction into environment, analytical methods (HPLC, GC-MS, GC-MS-TOF) for their environmental detection and quantification, and finally methods for their removal. Technologies proposed for nonylphenol and its ethoxylates degradation includes biodegradation, physical processes, conventional and non-conventional adsorption-oriented processes and photodegradation processes including photocatalytic oxidation which have a potential to reach complete mineralization.
Phytochemical, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Potential of Ducrosia anethifolia in Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Elsharkawy Eman Ramadan , Abdallah Emad Mohamed , Shiboob Mohamed H. , Alghanem Suliman
Published: December 2019

Ducrosia anethifolia (D. anethifolia) is a drought-tolerant plant widely distributed over Arar valley at the Northern region of Saudi Arabia. The aerial parts of this plant were investigated for its phytochemical constituents, antioxidant and antibacterial potential. GC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract revealed the presence of some major compounds such as 8-Ethoxypsoralen (6.5%), Prangenin (6.26%), Isoaromadendrene epoxide (7.5%), Aromadendrene oxide (0.96%) and Ferulic acid methyl ester (0.46%).  FRAP and DPPH method were used to test the antioxidant capacity of ethyl acetate fraction of D. anethifolia, the results revealed the presence of high reduction capacity (EC50 equals 0.63±0.03g/L), compared with the reducing capacity of the standard ascorbic acid and quercetin which were 0.091±0.002 g/L and 0.026±0.002 g/L, respectively.  Moreover, the results of the DPPH test showed that the extract presented a remarkable antioxidant capacity with an IC50 of 0.38±0.02 g/L, This considerable antioxidant capacity is attributed to its richness of some bioactive phytochemical compounds. The antibacterial potential was evaluated by disc-diffusion test, the plant extract was tested on nine different bacterial strains. Results exhibited that, only Gram-positive bacteria recorded good to moderate susceptibility, namely Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 49461, Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876, Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolate and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, which recorded 14.5, 14.0, 9.5- and 7.5-mm zone of inhibition, respectively.  In conclusion, the aerial parts of D. anethifolia are rich in some important phytochemical molecules and could be used in the formulation of antioxidant drugs. Whereas, its efficacy against some Gram-positive bacteria only should be studied in-depth. Further studies are also recommended to these phytochemical molecules against various physiological disorders and diseases.
Phytochemical Screening and Toxicological Study of Neptunia oleracea Lour. (Mimosaceae) Extracts, Plant Used in Traditional Medicine
Authors: Ouedraogo Geoffroy G. , Somda Gaétan D. , Ilboudo Sylvain , Ouedraogo Noufou , Koudou Jean , Guissou Pierre I.
Published: December 2019

Neptunia oleracea (Lourd.) Mimosaceae is a plant commonly used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several pathologies such as dysentery, jaundice, leucorrhoea, troubles of earache, among others.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to carry out preliminary phytochemical screening, acute toxicity studies and to evaluate the effect of the aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts of N. oleracea on intestinal motility in vivo.

Methodology: Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening was conducted using standard procedures while acute toxicity studies was performed using OECD method. The effect of N. oleracea extracts on intestinal motility was evaluated using on normal and acetylcholine-induced transits.

Results: Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening of aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts of N. oleracea revealed the presence of similar constituents including steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, anthocyanidins, coumarins and carbohydrates. Alkaloids was absent in both the extracts. The oral median lethal dose (LD50) for both extracts was estimated to be 5000 mg/kg.

The effect of extracts on intestinal peristalsis in mice showed that the aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts of N. oleracea stimulate normal intestinal transit by 1.29 and 8.54% respectively at the dose of 50 mg/kg body weight, thus there was inhibition at higher doses. These extracts potentiate acetylcholine-induced intestinal transit by 23.9 and 14.39% respectively at 500 mg/kg body weight.

Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts of Neptunia oleracea contain bioactive constituents that have practically no toxic effect. This could justify the many forms of use of this plant in traditional medicine.
Development of a measurement method to determine the ceiling exposure concentration of ortho-phthalaldehyde handling workers
Authors: Yamamoto Shinobu , Takeuchi Akito , Ishidao Toru , Ohkuma Hiroaki , Ichiba Masayoshi , Hori Hajime
Published: December 2019

Objectives

The purpose of this research was to develop and validate an analytical method for rapid determination of the exposure of workers to ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) at the ceiling threshold concentration.

Methods

A 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-silica cartridge was chosen as a sampler. OPA collected by the DNPH-silica cartridge was subsequently extracted with 5 mL of acetonitrile. A 50-µL aliquot of phosphoric acid/acetonitrile solution (2%, v/v) was added to 950 µL of the extraction solution and allowed to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. This solution was then analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The basic characteristics of the proposed method, such as recovery, repeatability, limit of quantification, and storage stability of the samples, were examined.

Results

The overall recoveries of OPA from OPA-spiked DNPH-silica cartridges were 93.6%-100.1% with relative standard deviations, representing the repeatability, of 1.5%-10.8%. The limit of quantification was 0.165 ng/sample. The recovery of OPA from DNPH-silica cartridges after 5 days of storage in a refrigerator exceeded 95%.

Conclusions

The proposed method enabled the determination of the OPA concentration corresponding to the Threshold Limit Value-Ceiling of 0.1 ppb recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, with a minimum sampling time of 18 seconds (corresponding to a sampling volume of 300 mL at 25°C and 1 atm). Thus, this method will be useful for estimating worker exposures to OPA.
Zinc transporters maintain longevity by influencing insulin/IGF‐1 activity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Novakovic Stevan , Molesworth Luke W. , Gourley Taylin E. , Boag Peter R. , Davis Gregory M.
Published: December 2019

Adequate dietary intake of essential metals such as zinc is important for maintaining homeostasis. Abnormal zinc intake in Caenorhabditis elegans has been shown to increase or decrease normal lifespan by influencing the insulin/IGF‐1 pathway. Distribution of zinc is achieved by a family of highly conserved zinc transport proteins (ZIPT in C. elegans). This study investigated the role of the zipt family of genes and showed that depletion of individual zipt genes results in a decreased lifespan. Moreover, zipt‐16 and zipt‐17 mutants synthetically interact with the insulin/IGF cofactors daf‐16 and skn‐1, and cause abnormal localisation of DAF‐16. This study suggests that the zipt family of genes are required for maintaining normal lifespan through influencing the insulin/IGF‐1 pathway.
Ureaplasma
Authors: Dando Samantha J. , Sweeney Emma L. , Knox Christine L.
Published: December 2019

U.re.a.plas'ma. N.L. fem. n.ureaurea; Gr. neut. n.plasmaanything formed or molded, image, figure; N.L. neut. n.Ureaplasmaurea form.

Tenericutes / Mollicutes / Mycoplasmatales / Mycoplasmataceae / Ureaplasma

Bacteria in the genusUreaplasma, pleomorphic, small (100–800 nm in diameter), primarily coccoid cells, devoid of a cell wall, surrounded by a trilaminar‐membrane structure. Coccobacillary and filamentous forms also occur. These bacteria form exceptionally tiny (<0.2 mm) colonies on solid media. Similar to the closely related genusMycoplasma, ureaplasmas have small (0.75–1.01 Mb) A+T‐rich genomes, use the codon UGA to encode tryptophan, and are nutritionally fastidious. Unlike mycoplasmas they hydrolyze urea rather than glucose or arginine for ATP synthesis. DNA–DNA hybridizations, serotyping of phase‐variable surface‐exposed lipoproteins [the multiple‐banded antigen (MBA)], PCR, and sequencing of the multiple‐banded antigen gene (mba), 16S rRNA, and urease genes have defined the species and serovars for this genus. In nature, all species are commensals and/or opportunistic pathogens of vertebrate hosts. Based on the most recent comparative genome analyses, a consensus is emerging that strains associated with humans, the speciesUreaplasma urealyticumandUreaplasma parvum, undergo extensive horizontal gene transfer and may exist collectively as quasi‐species rather than as stable serovars in their native environment.

DNA G + C content (mol%): 25.4–31.9 (complete genome sequences).

Type species:Ureaplasma urealyticumShepard et al. 1974ALemend. Robertson et al. 2002.
Versatile Catalytic Reactions of Norbornadiene Derivatives with Alkynes
Authors: Khan Ruhima , Chen Jingchao , Fan Baomin
Published: December 2019

Norbornadiene and its derivatives are important synthetic intermediates and useful building blocks in organic synthesis as they can serve as a general template to create highly substituted ring systems with high atom economy. Alkynes have always been one of the most important functional groups in organic chemistry because of their rigidity, electronic properties and numerous methods available for functionalization of the triple bond. The different kinds of reaction between these two classes of compounds, norbornadienes and alkynes, provide useful methods for the synthesis of various important compounds/frameworks, indicating the utility of these reactions in chemical synthesis. Indeed, norbornadienes undergo various reactions with alkynes – alkynylation, ring‐opening, cyclization, cycloaddition, Pauson–Khand and other tandem reactions. This review provides an overview of the achievements in the various reactions between norbornadiene and its derivatives with alkynes.

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The phenotypic spectrum of Kabuki syndrome in patients of Chinese descent: A case series
Authors: Wang Yirou , Li Niu , Su Zhe , Xu Yufei , Liu Shijian , Chen Yao , Li Xin , Shen Yiping , Hung Christina , Wang Jian , Wang Xiumin , Bodamer Olaf
Published: December 2019

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare disorder of transcriptional regulation with a complex phenotype that includes cranio‐facial dysmorphism, intellectual disability, hypotonia, failure to thrive, short stature, and cardiac and renal anomalies. Heterozygous, de novo dominant mutations in either KMT2D or KDM6A underlie KS. Limited information is available about the phenotypic spectrum of KS in China. Fourteen Chinese patients with genetically confirmed KS were evaluated in addition to 11 Chinese patients who were identified from the medical literature. The clinical phenotype spectrum of these patients was compared to that of 449 patients with KS from non‐Chinese ethnicities. Additionally, we explored the utility of a facial recognition software in recognizing KS. All 25 patients with KS carried de novo, likely pathogenic or pathogenic variants in either KMT2D or KDM6A. Eighteen patients were male, the age at diagnosis ranged from 2months to 11.6 years. The facial gestalt included arched and broad eyebrows (25/25; 100%), sparse lateral or notched eyebrows (18/18; 100%), short columella with a concave nasal tip (24/25; 96%) and large, prominent ears (24/24; 100%) which were more frequent in Chinese patients (p < .01). In contrast, microcephaly (2/25; 8%), cleft lip/palate (2/25; 8%), and cardiac defects (10/25; 40%) were less frequent in Chinese patients (not significant). The diagnosis of KS was correctly identified in 13 of 14 patients through facial recognition and clinical phenotyping, underscoring the utility of this approach. As expected, there is marked phenotypic overlap between Chinese and non‐Chinese patients with KS, although subtle differences were identified.
Optimal Geometrical Configuration of Cobalt Cations in Spinel Oxides to Promote Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Liu Zhijuan , Wang Guangjin , Zhu Xiaoyan , Wang Yanyong , Zou Yuqin , Zang Shuangquan , Wang Shuangyin
Published: December 2019

MgCo2O4, CoCr2O4, and Co2TiO4 were selected, where only Co3+ in the center of octahedron (Oh), Co2+ in the center of tetrahedron (Td), and Co2+ in the center of Oh, can be active sites for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Co3+(Oh) sites are the best geometrical configuration for OER. Co2+(Oh) sites exhibit better activity than Co2+(Td). Calculations demonstrate the conversion of O* into OOH* is the rate‐determining step for Co3+(Oh) and Co2+(Td). For Co2+(Oh), it is thermodynamically favorable for the formation of OOH* but difficult for the desorption of O2. Co3+(Oh) needs to increase the lowest Gibbs free energy over Co2+(Oh) and Co2+(Td), which contributes to the best activity. The coexistence of Co3+(Oh) and Co2+(Td) in Co3O4 can promote the formation of OOH* and decrease the free‐energy barrier. This work screens out the optimal geometrical configuration of cobalt cations for OER and gives a valuable principle to design efficient electrocatalysts.
Functionalized expanded corn starch‐anchored Cu(I): An efficient and recyclable catalyst for oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5‐diformylfuran
Authors: Hong Mei , Min Jie , Wu Shuangyan , Li Jiatong , Wang Jing , Wei Lifen , Ling Zhi , Li Kun , Wang Shifa
Published: December 2019

The development of new strategies for the synthesis of biomass‐based non‐precious metal heterogeneous catalysts has recently received great interest from chemists because of the advantages of these catalytic systems being sustainable, low cost and green. An expanded corn starch‐supported CuBr catalyst (ECS‐SB‐CuBr) has been successfully prepared and well characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. Further, ECS‐SB‐CuBr was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the selective oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5‐diformylfuran (DFF) and a full HMF conversion is obtained with 98% DFF yield in acetonitrile under ambient pressure of dioxygen at 50°C. The catalyst also showed good reusability, could be easily recovered through filtration and washing and was reused in at least six consecutive runs with virtually no loss of catalytic performance.