bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL CULTURE
Authors: Омеличкин Олег , Omelichkin Oleg
Published: December 2018

The paper deals with the matters of structure and functions of political culture, which present a holistic system that consists of various levels and constituents linked by feedback and co-subordination relations. Culture is a composition of specific ideal content (the meaning-generating elements) and form (structure, practical implementation), which are inseparable from each other. Their correlation can be represented as the interaction of the ideal and the real models of political culture. The author identifies a variety of elements in its structure, including political language, standard value system, models of political participation, etc. All these constituents are interrelated and coordinated, and their combinations form a particular configuration of culture. They make a perfect complex which contains a general programme of political legacy and development of the society. The social mission of political culture is manifested in its functions (identification, integration, socialization, etc.) which help reproduce the current governance system and implement new political projects and decisions.
BANKS’ PRESENCE ON RUSSIAN MICROFINANCE MARKET: REASONS, TRENDS, CONSEQUENCES
Authors: Мягких Никита , Myagkikh Nikita , Калачева Елена , Kalacheva Elena
Published: December 2018

The article deals with the problem of banks’ active entering on the microfinance market through bank-affiliated microfinance institutions (MFI). The subject of this article is Russian MFI’s market; aims of this article are to reveal consequences of bank’s expansion on microfinance market and to develop recommendations for further functioning considering current trends. During the research there has been shown a specificity of MFI’s functioning; also there have been considered MFI’s functions and there has been given a description of MFI’s main forms, i.e. microfinance company and microcredit company. Reasons of banks’ entering on MFI’s market have been analyzed. Actual consequences of “bank” MFI’s entering the microfinance market have been reflected. As a result of the research, a conclusion has been drawn about the fact that banks’ presence on microfinance market is at variance with its origins – microcrediting of population and subjects of small and medium business on reductive conditions. For the protection of MFI’s market’s origins it has been advised to divide this market into two segments (“bank” and “non-bank” segments) with their own approaches in regulation. Such market’s segmentation would allow one to ensure competitive advantages for different kinds of MFI which should provide profitable condition of crediting for multiple groups of borrowers.
COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN EXPERIENCE IN CONDUCTING AND REGULATORY MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING
Authors: Унщикова Рашида , Unshchikova Rashida , Кириенко Егор , Kirienko Egor
Published: December 2018

At the present stage of integration of the financial statements in Russia the question of legislative consolidation and modernization of the basics of management accounting becomes relevant. While the experience of foreign countries shows a high level of management accounting regulation, Russian companies lack a clever vision of its mechanism of action. The purpose of this article is to analyze the weaknesses of the national system of management accounting and identify their current causes, the subject of the research is comparative characteristics of Russian and foreign models of management accounting. The authors consider the basic criteria of the differences of these models and come to the conclusion that the mechanism of action of management accounting will be most effective, not only in the revision of normative and legal acts regulating the accounting and reporting, but also in improving the legislation concerning confidentiality of accounting information. Nevertheless, the restoration of economic relations with the US and European states also plays a relevant role in the issue of the adaptation of management accounting under International Standards.
INDICATORS FOR ASSESSING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS IN THE FIELD OF HOUSING CONSTRUCTION
Authors: Шулекин Александр , Shulekin Alexander
Published: December 2018

The article features the currently used assessment indicators of the sustainable development of developers in the field of housing construction. It describes the features of housing construction that affect the financial stability of real estate developers. It was determined that to achieve sustainable development of the construction organization, one has to create a strategic management system based on the provisions of national standards of the Russian Federation. The paper identifies problems of information transparency and accounting- analytical maintenance of activity of developers and proposes directions for their solution. It reviews calculation ratios for assessing financial stability of developers' activity. Conclusions about the necessity of expanding the list of standards were made according to the analysis of the currently used indicators of assessing sustainable development of developers.
REGIONAL POLICY OF THE STATES TOWARDS THEIR RESOURCE-ORIENTED PERIPHERIES: EXPERIENCE OF ARGENTINA IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PATAGONIA IN COMPARISON WITH THE RUSSIAN POLICY TOWARDS SIBERIA
Authors: Фартышев Арсений , Fartyshev Arseny
Published: December 2018

This paper features economic-geographical, historical and political comparison between Patagonia and Siberia as the biggest resource-oriented peripheries of the world. A conclusion is made about the similarity of the social-economic role of these regions as a low-populated raw material base with small share of industry. Although the regional policy toward Patagonia has never been regulated by any program or strategic document the way it is in Siberia and East regions of China, some success has been achieved, especially in oil reﬁning. The article analyzes the main governmental acts aimed at overcoming the raw material base role and decentralizing the Argentinean economy in the second half of XX century. The general problems obstructing the realization of the long-term measures are the political instability of Argentina and its high dependency on the economy on foreign capital. The experience of Patagonia in the ﬁeld of tax regulating, company registering limits and capital planning can be interpolated to the situation in Siberia and can become the subject of a more detailed research.
ASSESSMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL AND TOURIST ATTRACTIVENESS IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE YAMAL-NENETS AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT
Authors: Загуменная Ульяна , Zagumennaya Ulyana
Published: December 2018

The research is devoted to the evaluation of the tourism potential and tourist attractiveness of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous district. In the modern conditions of intensive development of the economy, it is important to pay attention to the sustainable development of the regions. The author gives brief characteristics of the region, including geographical location, topography, natural diversity of water resources and wildlife, the development of transport infrastructure. The given research required a thorough study of the types of tourism that have potential for the development in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous district. The paper features an analysis of hotels and alternative accommodation in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous district and adjacent regions. It can be concluded that the most promising direction is the development of natural and ethnographic tourism, as the region is known for its pristine beauty and intact nature, and the unique local culture and customs are extremely attractive for travelers. The author concludes that this area has the broadest potential for development of tourism in the context of sustainable development of the region.
THE BASIC DIRECTIONS OF SATISFACTION GROWTH IN FOOD DEMANDS
Authors: Незнакина Юлия , Neznakina Yulia
Published: December 2018

The study of methods aimed at determining the standard of life has revealed the key performance indicator, i. e. satisfaction of needs of the population in food. The limited possibilities of satisfaction of the population in food products (inefﬁcient use of resources, unfavorable climatic conditions, high costs of treatment in the industry) has necessitated the search for their solutions. The article describes the main directions for increasing satisfaction of the population in food products. These directions are identiﬁed through research of the current situation on the market of food products. In the current economic conditions it is impossible to fully provide the population with food in accordance with physiological norms. The study identiﬁed the main directions of growth satisfaction of the needs of population in food products, which consists in: implementation of the results of the «green revolution» in agriculture, policy of import substitution, issuing ration cards for the poor, increase of real incomes of population, as well as in the production of balanced food.
SOCIAL FACTORS OF MONOTOWN DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Мурзин Антон , Murzin Anton
Published: December 2018

A single-industry town, or monotown, is a socio-economic system that possesses specific goals and functions as vectors of its development. In this connection, relatively new social requirements appear along with the traditional evolutionary factors. These new requirements involve conditions for the formation of human capital assets, the level of sociocultural infrastructure, the quality of urban communities, and the degree of development of communications. Therefore, the list of strategic criteria for the development of single-industry towns should include indicators of the quality of the social sphere and the quality of life of the population. The research develops evaluation approaches based on identification of the concept and definition of the structural components of the urban social sphere. The paper proposes methods for forecasting the level of the social infrastructure of a single-industry city. The study features the case of Shakhty, a large mining community in the Rostov region. The research defines the necessity for monitoring the dynamics of the development of the social sphere in single-industry towns, formulates groups of criteria for effectiveness management, summarizes the principles of their scaling, and provides recommendations for evaluation of the socio-economic development level. An analysis of the dynamics of the social sphere development in a single-industry town should become an adequate non-ideological integral social and economic criterion for the effectiveness and efficiency of municipal management.
MONOTOWNS: PROS AND CONS
Authors: Бердников Владимир , Berdnikov Vladimir , Вахтина Маргарита , Vakhtina Margarita
Published: December 2018

The paper features some factors that influence economic and social situation of monoprofile municipal units in modern Russia. The macroeconomic factors breaking social and economic balance of the monotown can be of technical and process design, economic and (or) institutional nature. Technical and process design factors are connected with objective change of technological ways and assume the advancing actions of subjects of the market for innovative development. Economic factors are defined by state policy in the field of formation of cumulative demand and regulation of inflation. Institutional factors depend on the institutional order established in the society. Based on statistical indicators and results of sociological researches, the current study proves that because of inflation of the offer, the high level of differentiation of income of the population and poverty in modern Russia the consumer demand and demand for investments decreases. The operating institutional order, created with direct participation of the state, prevent a properly correlation between the social contribution of market subjects and remuneration, which, in its turn, prevents economy from performing its main goals compatible to high standards of life of most of people and leads to socio-economic and regional inequality. The authors conclude that the macroeconomic nature of deterioration factors in economic and social situation of modern Russian monoprofile municipal units predetermines the leading role of the federal center in their elimination, and the volume of the financial means allocated for these purposes has to be increased and balanced. When developing concrete measures of the state support of the monotowns in the current complicated socio-economic situation, one should analyze the character of the causes and the system of indicators. The complex of the indicators of economic and social situation of monotowns, which are formally established by the Russian government, is unbalanced now and includes only outdated indicators.
APPLIED RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE: CASE STUDY OF THE MONOTOWN OF YURGA (KEMEROVO REGION)
Authors: Тащиян Григорий , Tashchiyan Grigory , Трифонов Владимир , Trifonov Vladimir
Published: December 2018

The deteriorating economic situation caused by the economic crisis that began in 2014 with the imposition of sanctions against Russia from its Western «partners» has also affected the social and economic indicators of the Kemerovo region. Before 2016, real disposable incomes of citizens had been decreasing due to high inflation and a nominal wage cut. In 2017 the country started recovering from the crisis due to the so-called import substitution. However, the situation is still far from the pre-crisis level. Economic instability and the risk of depreciation of accumulated funds are forcing the residents of the Kemerovo region to increase the share of the saved income. The low level of financial literacy of the Kuzbass citizens leads to the fact that the population prefers to keep savings either at home or on a deposit account. This form of savings, although convenient and virtually risk-free, will neither save the accumulated funds from inflationary depreciation nor bring any significant income. The aim of the article is to study the issues of personal income investments as a factor in improving the quality of life of the residents of the Kemerovo Region using the example of the monotown of Yurga.
Disinfection by-products in desalinated and blend water: formation and control strategy
Authors: Chowdhury Shakhawat
Published: December 2018

Desalinated seawater is the major source of drinking water in many countries. During desalination, several activities including pretreatment, desalination, stabilization, mixing, storage and distribution are performed. Few disinfectants are used during these activities to control the biofouling agents and microbiological regrowth. The reactions between the disinfectants and natural organic matter (NOM), bromide and iodide form disinfection by-products (DBPs) in product water. The product water is stabilized and mixed with treated freshwater (e.g., groundwater) to meet the domestic water demands. The DBPs in desalinated and blend water are an issue due to their possible cancer and non-cancer risks to humans. In this paper, formation and distribution of DBPs in different steps of desalination and water distribution systems prior to reaching the consumer tap were reviewed. The variability of DBPs among different sources and desalination processes was explained. The toxicities of DBPs were compared and the strategies to control DBPs in desalinated water were proposed. Several research directions were identified to achieve comprehensive control on DBPs in desalinated water, which are likely to protect humans from the adverse consequences of DBPs.
Climate change adaptation: a pragmatic approach for assessing vulnerability
Authors: Carvalho M. , Martins B. , Coelho J. P. , Brôco N. , Ribeiro A. K. , Magalhães A. , Luís A.
Published: December 2018

The impacts of climate change on society are becoming increasingly evident. The water sector is sensitive to variations in climatic patterns as it is expected that major changes in flows will occur, along with increased risks of water quality degradation and flooding. According to published climate scenarios the Mediterranean area will become dryer. As a leading group operating in the water sector in Portugal, AdP decided to develop a strategic plan for climate change adaptation with the aim of establishing a strategy for reducing business vulnerability and increasing systems resilience. In developing the plan, a pragmatic method was adopted for characterizing current vulnerabilities. This was founded on the bottom-up approach and supported with past events data, including evaluating their impacts, and the adaptive capacity of systems and utilities to climate extremes. In water supply, the effects of more severe and frequent extreme events are being felt with respect to water quality and availability, representing as much as 80% of the events studied, whereas, in terms of sanitation, floods account for about 90% of events identified. Globally, 78% and 21% of the measures adopted in water supply and wastewater management, respectively, were effective.
Preparation and characterization of a new sawdust/MNP/PEI nanocomposite and its applications for removing Pb (II) ions from aqueous solution
Authors: Ghasemi Avat , Sohrabi Mahmoud Reza , Motiee Fereshteh
Published: December 2018

A new sawdust/magnetite nanoparticles/polyethyleneimine (SD/MNP/PEI) nanocomposite was synthesized by grafting polyethyleneimine (PEI) to magnetic sawdust. Features of SD/MNP/PEI were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SD/MNP/PEI was used as an adsorbent for the removal of lead (Pb (II)) from aqueous solution. The effects of independent variables including pH of solution, adsorbent dose and contact time were performed and adsorption isotherms were obtained. Experimental results show that priority effective variables were pH and the amount of nanocomposite, and it was found that the sorption capacity increases with the increasing phase contact time. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Although SD and SD/MNP do not show a high affinity for the adsorption of Pb (II) in aqueous media, polyethyleneimine cross-linked on SD/MNP showed 40 and 66% increases, respectively, in the adsorption of Pb (II) compared to the SD and SD/MNP. It was found that SD/MNP/PEI removes more efficiently lead ions from aqueous solutions than the SD, SD/MNP. Desorption of the lead from the SD/MNP/PEI was conducted. It was proved that SD/MNP/PEI has excellent properties and can be used as a sorbent of multi-use.
Conexões Ecológicas no Paleoterritório do Café
Authors: Lazos Ruíz Adi Estela , Freitas Herbert Serafim , Nunes Rafael Da Silva , De Oliveira Rogério Ribeiro , Sada Sergio Guevara
Published: December 2018

A produção de café no Brasil durante o século XIX foi uma das maiores alavancas para a economia da época. As terras do Vale do Rio Paraíba do Sul foram pródigas produtoras por um intenso, mas breve período de tempo. Essa etapa histórica, com seus processos bióticos e abióticos, deixou marcas na paisagem até hoje. O objetivo desse trabalho é analisar o paleoterritório do café sob a ótica da dinâmica ecológica. Utilizou-se a revisão literária, o índice de circularidade e entrevistas a habitantes locais. Algumas conclusões são que a) é necessário arborizar as pastagens e as cercas vivas para aumentar a conetividade ecológica; b) há uma rápida perda de conhecimento etnoecológico que precisa ser documentado e reavivado; c) é importante aprender as lições da história ambiental do Vale do Paraíba, pensando naquelas áreas que estão sendo utilizadas para plantio do café sob sol no Brasil e em outros países tropicais.
A Pós-Graduação e o Avanço da História Ambiental na América Latina
Authors: Carvalho Alessandra Izabel de , Pádua José Augusto , Sedrez Lise
Published: December 2018

Os autores introduzem a rica experiência da III Escola de Pós-Graduação em História Ambiental da SOLCHA, ocorrida em outubro de 2017 em Anápolis, GO, que deu origem aos textos deste dossiê. Uma visão geral dos artigos deste número, assim como o detalhamento do processo de seleção, fecha o texto introdutório.
Tecnoempresa y Tecnocimiento: Una Perspectiva desde la Bioética Empresarial
Authors: Villalobos-Antúnez José Vicente , Ganga-Contreras Francisco
Published: December 2018

Se aborda la relación entre bioética, tecnoempresa y sociedad, relacionando estos elementos desde la crítica filosófica al despliegue tecno-científico, (característico de la nueva era del conocimiento y por la vinculación con el hecho económico subyacente en su estructura epistémica.) Se analiza el sentido ético de la tecnoempresa en virtud del tecnoconocimiento y su rol en la construcción de referentes de acción. Seguidamente se describe la estructura inmanente a la generación del conocimiento, como una nueva forma de intervenir la naturaleza. Por ello, el contexto de tecnoempresa se tridimensiona, esclareciendo el propósito de la racionalidad tecnoempresarial en la preservación del “mundo de vida”. Se concluye que la sociedad del tecnoconocimiento, es demarcada por la trasformación del conocimiento a través de la racionalidad tecnoempresarial, propiciando nichos de mercado que amplifican los riesgos del medio vital, razón por la cual se inserta en el discurso filosófico de la posmodernidad que caracteriza la bioética.
A História do Conceito de Conservação e o Caso da Onça-Pintada no Brasil
Authors: Nora Fernanda Pereira de Mesquita , Franco José Luiz De Andrade
Published: December 2018

O presente artigo relaciona a história do conceito de conservação com as estratégias de conservação da onça-pintada no Brasil, desenvolvidas a partir do final da década de 1970. Buscou-se compreender os significados agregados ao conceito de conservação, quais elementos foram incorporados, os seus deslocamentos e o que eles informam acerca das interações com circunstâncias e práticas sociais. Para tanto, foram analisadas fontes bibliográficas primárias e secundárias sobre a história da conservação, publicações científicas sobre a onça-pintada no Brasil, e foram consultados sites de projetos de conservação. Observou-se que o conceito de conservação foi apropriado de diversas formas: a conservação pensada por especialistas e com base no valor intrínseco e ecológico da espécie, assim como a conservação com base nos requisitos do “mundo real”, em função, sobretudo, do conflito com populações humanas. Essas apropriações refletem a dinamicidade do conceito, que comunica com questões de cunho filosófico, cultural, político e econômico.
O Saber Sensível do Kujà sobre Ambiente e Saúde: Um Estudo de Caso da Comunidade Indígena Foxá de Lajeado/RS
Authors: Prestes Fabiane Da Silva , Da Silva LAroque Luís Fernando
Published: December 2018

O trabalho analisa saberes tradicionais dos Kaingang no que tange à saúde e ao ambiente. Decorre de pesquisa de campo realizada entre 2015 e 2017 na Terra Indígena Foxá, em Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul, investigação que se insere nas pesquisas desenvolvidas pelo Projeto de Pesquisa Identidades Étnicas em territórios da Bacia Hidrográfica Taquari-Antas, da Universidade do Vale do Taquari. O problema central da pesquisa parte da presente indagação: O reconhecimento dos saberes tradicionais dos indígenas Kaingang atinentes à saúde pode servir de meio de preservação ambiental? Assim, o objetivo do trabalho constituiu em identificar se o reconhecimento dos saberes tradicionais xamânicos pode influenciar na preservação do meio ambiente. Em termos metodológicos, adotou-se a pesquisa qualitativa, com perfil exploratório, ancorada em técnicas de pesquisa bibliográfica e análise documental, com o uso da história oral para realização de entrevistas. Por fim, entende-se que a relevância dos Kujà e o respeito aos saberes tradicionais, associados à saúde na Terra indígena Foxá, pode ser instrumento de descolonização da saúde indígena e preservação ambiental.
Legados Ecológicos e Transição da Paisagem no Médio Vale do Paraíba do Sul: Do Café às Pastagens
Authors: Brasil Lucas Santa Cruz de Assis , Quinteiro Mariana Martins da Costa , Oliveira Rogério Ribeiro de
Published: December 2018

O Vale do Paraíba do Sul foi palco de um dos mais importantes, impactantes e transformadores ciclos econômicos na história da Mata Atlântica. Seu declínio produziu marcas presentes na paisagem até os dias atuais. A pecuária, já presente na região para abastecimento local, tornou-se o uso majoritário do solo após a decadência cafeeira, permanecendo neste posto até os dias atuais. Neste artigo, buscou-se realizar uma descrição da transição da paisagem do Médio Vale do rio Paraíba do Sul, desde o café até o cenário atual de pastagens. Foram combinados dados de campo, história oral e documentos históricos nesta análise. Os trabalhos de campo foram realizados no município de São José do Barreiro -SP. As explicações para o decréscimo da atividade cafeicultora e o crescimento da pecuária na paisagem se deram tanto por fatores socioeconômicos quanto físico-ecológicos.
Automatic Characterizations of Lumbar Multifidus Muscle and Intramuscular Fat with Fuzzy C-means based Quantization from Ultrasound Images
Authors: Kim Kwang Baek , Park Hyun Jun , Song Doo Heon
Published: December 2018

Background:

Low Back Pain (LBP) is a common disorder involving the muscles and
bones and about half of the people experience LBP at some point of their lives. Since the social
economic cost and the recurrence rate over the lifetime is very high, the treatment/rehabilitation of
chronic LBP is important to physiotherapists, both for clinical and research purposes. Trunk muscles
such as the lumbar multifidi is important in spinal functions and intramuscular fat is also important
in understanding pain control and rehabilitations. However, the analysis of such muscles
and related fat require many human interventions and thus suffers from the operator subjectivity
especially when the ultrasonography is used due to its cost-effectiveness and no radioactive risk.
Aims: In this paper, we propose a fully automatic computer vision based software to compute the
thickness of the lumbar multifidi muscles and to analyze intramuscular fat distribution in that area.

Aim:

In this paper, we propose a fully automatic computer vision based software to compute the
thickness of the lumbar multifidi muscles and to analyze intramuscular fat distribution in that area.

Methods:

The proposed system applies various image processing algorithms to enhance the intensity
contrast of the image and measure the thickness of the target muscle. Intermuscular fat analysis
is done by Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering based quantization.

Results:

In experiment using 50 DICOM format ultrasound images from 50 subjects, the proposed
system shows very promising result in computing the thickness of lumbar multifidi.

Conclusion:

The proposed system have minimal discrepancy(less than 0.2 cm) from human expert
for 72% (36 out of 50 cases) of the given data. Also, FCM based intramuscular fat analysis looks
better than conventional histogram analysis.
3,6-dichloro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine Assayed at High Doses in the Metastatic Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231 Reduces Cell Numbers and Induces Apoptosis
Authors: Abdelkarim Mohamed , Ben Younes Khaoula , Limam Ines , Guermazi Refka , ElGaaied Amel Ben Ammaar , Aissa-Fennira Fatma Ben
Published: December 2018

Background:

The lack of treatment options for patients with chemotherapy-resistant cancers
is pushing the field toward the development of new therapies. 1,2,4,5-tetrazine derivatives are a class of
heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a broad spectrum of antitumor activities.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to assess the biological activity of four s-tetrazine derivatives
by substitution of two chloride atom of 3,6-dichloro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine with long hydrophobic side
chains.

Methods:

We analyzed the anti-proliferative effects of four s-tetrazine derivatives with MTT assay and
their pro-apoptotic effect with AV/ IP flow cytometry analysis and Hoechst 33342 staining.

Results:

We demonstrated that 3,6-dichloro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (compound (1)) has a cytotoxic effect and
induces apoptosis.

Conclusion:

3,6-dichloro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine presents a new cytotoxic drug against metastatic breast cancer
cell line MDA-MB-231 in vitro.
Microfluidics as an Emerging Platform for Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): A Review
Authors: Hassan Sammer-ul , Zhang Xunli
Published: December 2018

Background:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes become resistant to
antibiotics causing complications and limited treatment options. AMR is more significant where antibiotics
use is excessive or abusive and the strains of bacteria become resistant to antibiotic treatments.
Current technologies for bacteria and its resistant strains identification and antimicrobial susceptibility
testing (AST) are mostly central-lab based in hospitals, which normally take days to
weeks to get results. These tools and procedures are expensive, laborious and skills based. There is
an ever-increasing demand for developing point-of-care (POC) diagnostics tools for rapid and near
patient AMR testing. Microfluidics, an important and fundamental technique to develop POC devices,
has been utilized to tackle AMR in healthcare. This review mainly focuses on the current development
in the field of microfluidics for rapid AMR testing.

Method:

Due to the limitations of conventional AMR techniques, microfluidic-based platforms have
been developed for better understandings of bacterial resistance, smart AST and minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC) testing tools and development of new drugs. This review aims to summarize the
recent development of AST and MIC testing tools in different formats of microfluidics technology.

Results:

Various microfluidics devices have been developed to combat AMR. Miniaturization and
integration of different tools has been attempted to produce handheld or standalone devices for rapid
AMR testing using different formats of microfluidics technology such as active microfluidics, droplet
microfluidics, paper microfluidics and capillary-driven microfluidics.

Conclusion:

Current conventional AMR detection technologies provide time-consuming, costly,
labor-intensive and central lab-based solutions, limiting their applications. Microfluidics has been
developed for decades and the technology has emerged as a powerful tool for POC diagnostics of antimicrobial
resistance in healthcare providing, simple, robust, cost-effective and portable diagnostics.
The success has been reported in research articles; however, the potential of microfluidics technology
in tackling AMR has not been fully achieved in clinical settings.
Validated Microemulsion Liquid Chromatography-Fluorescence Method for the Quantification of Duloxetine and its Two Main Metabolites in Plasma: Application to Clinical Pharmacokinetic Studies
Authors: Al-Shalabi Raniah , Hefnawy Mohamed , Alrabiah Haitham , Al-Johar Haya , Mohammed Mostafa , Alanazi Mohammed , Almehizia Abdulrahman , Abounassif Mohammed , Jardan Yousef Bin
Published: December 2018

Background:

Duloxetine (DL) is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. The drug is used in the treatment of major depression, anxiety, pain related to diabetic peripheral neuropathy and stress urinary incontinence.  Objective: This study described, for the first time, the development and validation of a highly selective and sensitive microemulsion liquid chromatography-fluorescence (MELC-FL) method with low environmental pollution and without extraction steps for the simultaneous quantification of DL, and its two main metabolites; 5-hydroxy-6-methoxy duloxetine (5-HDL) and 4-hydroxy duloxetine glucuronide (4- HDLG) in plasma.

Methods:

The studied analytes and methyl paraben (an internal standard) were detected using excitation and emission wavelengths of 280 and 340 nm, respectively. The analysis was performed on Water Symmetry C18 analytical column (100 Å, 150 mm x 3.9 mm, 5 µm) by directly injecting the plasma after appropriate dilution with microemulsion mobile phase. Total analytical run time was 4 min.

Results:

The MELC-FL method was statistically validated according to the FDA guidelines for bioanalytical methods for linearity, accuracy, precision, specificity, robustness, and stability. Linear calibration plots were achieved in the ranges of 25-1200 ng/mL for DL and 50-1500 ng/mL for 5-HDL and 4- HDLG (r2 ≥ 0.997) in rat plasma. The intra- and inter- assay precisions and accuracy were acceptable. The overall recoveries of DL and its two main metabolites from rat plasma were between 97.12% and 103.12% with an RSD value between 0.34% and 4.57%.

Conclusion:

The present study supports the possible use of the microemulsion mobile phase in LC as a “greener ” mobile phase. The developed method offered an advantage in the form of direct analysis of biological samples after appropriate dilution with eco-friendly microemulsion mobile phase, which decreased the possibility of sample loss during analysis. The developed assay was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic study and it established the applicability of the method for the determination of concentration-time profiles of DL and its two main metabolites in rat plasma after systemic administration.
Association Between the Blue Color Intensity of the Skin with Growth Performance and Skin Spottiness in a Blue-Colored Strain of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Colihueque Nelson , Estay Francisco J.
Published: December 2018

Background:

Blue-colored phenotypes have the potential to enhance the external appearance of rainbow trout for marketing due to their attractive skin coloration. However, further analyses are necessary to assess their overall performance for fish farming purposes.

Objective:

To investigate a blue-colored strain of rainbow trout in order to determine whether growth performance and spotting variation of the skin, either in number or size, are related to Blue Color Intensity on the back skin (BCI).

Method:

A correlation analysis and comparisons among trout separated into Low- and High-BCI categories were carried out in three blue-colored groups of rainbow trout.

Results:

In all groups, BCI was significantly and positively related to body weight (0.01 < P < 0.05). There was a significant and negative association between BCI and the number of dark spots in one group (P < 0.001), whereas no significant association was observed among BCI and dark spot size in any of the groups (P > 0.05). In one group, a significantly higher body weight (P < 0.05) was observed in the High-BCI (BCI ≥ 50%) than in the Low-BCI (BCI < 50%) category. The same pattern was observed in two groups (P < 0.05) when the lowest (1st) and highest (4th) quartiles of BCI were compared. In one group, number of dark spots was significantly lower in the High-BCI (≥ 50% and 4th quartile) than in the Low-BCI (< 50% and 1st quartile) category (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Dark spot size presented no significant differences among BCI categories (P > 0.05) in any of the groups.

Conclusion:

Results suggest that trout with more intensely blue colored skin has better growth performance and relatively less spotted skin than less intensely blue-colored specimens. These characteristics may represent an interesting advantage for using this class of trout in intensive fish farming.
Preparation, Characterization and Antioxidant Evaluation of Cu(II) and Zn(II) Tannates
Authors: Costa Gessyca G. , Brito Camila C.S.M. , Terezo Ailton J. , Cardoso Adriana P. , Ionashiro Elias Y. , B. de Siqueira Adriano
Published: December 2018

Introduction:

The interest in the antioxidant materials increased due to their free radical scavenging properties avoiding various pathologies. Tannic Acid (TA) is known to have high free radical scavenging activity, but its application is still limited.

This paper had the objective of synthesis, characterization and evaluation of free radical scavenging activity of TA associated with Cu (II) and Zn (II) ions, in a buffered aqueous medium.

Methods and Materials:

Techniques of FTIR, simultaneous TG-DSC characterized the obtained compounds, and the evaluation of free radical scavenging activity was made using 2,2–diphenyl–1–picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The FTIR analysis of the compounds showed significant displacement of the main bands in the TA spectrum (νC=O, δO-H, σO-H), suggesting an association of metal ions with the oxygen of the hydroxyl group of TA. TG-DSC curves showed information about the thermal stability, stoichiometry, hydration water, and residues formation.

Results and Conclusion:

The TA association with the metal ions Cu(II) and Zn(II) decreased the antioxidant activity of the molecule significantly, showing that these compounds could be potentially used as pro-oxidant agents.
Characteristics of Syrian and Lebanese Diabetes and Hypertension Patients in Lebanon
Authors: Doocy Shannon , Lyles Emily , Fahed Zeina , Mkanna Abdalla , Kontunen Kaisa , Burnham Gilbert
Published: December 2018

Background:

Given the protracted nature of the crisis in Syria, the large caseload of Syrian refugee patients with non-communicable diseases, and the high costs of providing non-communicable disease care, implications for Lebanon’s health system are vast.

Objective:

To provide a profile of the health status of diabetes and hypertension patients enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study in Lebanon.

Methods:

A longitudinal cohort study was implemented from January 2015 through August 2016 to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment guidelines and an mHealth application on the quality of care and health outcomes for patients in primary health care facilities in Lebanon offering low-cost services serving both Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities. This paper presents baseline characteristics of enrolled patients, providing an overall health status profile.

Results:

Among participants, 11.5% of patients with hypertension and 9.7% of patients with diabetes were previously undiagnosed. Quality of care, measured as the proportion of patients with biometrics reported and whose condition is controlled, is less than ideal and varied by geographic location. Controlled blood pressure measurements were observed in 64.2% of patients with hypertension; HbA1C values indicated diabetes control in 43.5% of the patients.

Conclusion:

Differences in diagnostic history and disease control between Syrian and Lebanese patients and across geographic regions were observed, which could be applied to inform strategies aimed at improving diagnosis and quality of care for hypertension and diabetes in primary care settings in Lebanon.
A Comparative Study of Three Nebulized Medications for the Prevention of Postoperative Sore Throat in the Pediatric Population
Authors: Mostafa Raham Hasan , Saleh Ashraf Nabil , Hussein Mostafa Mansour
Published: December 2018

Background:

The delivery of aerosolized drugs is a vital component of treatment for many respiratory disorders. We used this mode of medication delivery as a pre-emptive strategy to alleviate a Postoperative Sore Throat (POST) in children receiving general anesthesia.

Objectives:

The primary aim of the study was to compare the effects of prophylactic ketamine, magnesium sulfate and dexamethasone nebulization, on the intensity of POST.

Methods:

Through a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, data were collected from children (6-16 years) undergoing surgeries from March 2018 to May 2018. The patients were allocated into 3 equivalent groups (36 patients each). Preoperative nebulization was performed for all patients. Group M received 40 mg/kg magnesium sulphate, group K received 1 mg/kg ketamine, and group D received 0.16 mg dexamethasone. The primary outcome of the study was the incidence and intensity of POST at the 4th postoperative hour. The secondary outcomes included evaluation of adverse effects specifically nausea, vomiting, postoperative cough and postoperative sedation.

Results:

Patients in the K group had the lowest incidence of POST compared to patients in groups M and D, specifically, at the 4th - postoperative hour (p-value = 0.003).

Conclusions:

Preoperative nebulization with ketamine was more effective in reducing the intensity of POST in pediatric patients postoperatively without systemic adverse effects.
O diário de campo na experiência inicial docente
Authors: Oliveira Lima Sheila
Published: December 2018

O estágio é a primeira experiência de ensino para os alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Letras - Português. Nos anos de 2016 e 2017, os alunos do terceiro ano registraram sua experiência de estágio em diários de campo. Embora seja considerada uma inovação nas experiências de estágio, o diário de campo é difundido em pesquisas geográficas e antropológicas. O objetivo do uso de diários de campo foi fazer com que os alunos observassem e registrassem o ambiente de estágio, a fim de trazê-los para uma profunda reflexão sobre a experiência ali vivenciada. Durante tal período, os estudantes registraram suas experiências nos diários e,  ao final término, cada aluno escreveu um artigo reflexivo baseado em seu diário de campo. As análises dos artigos concluíram que o diário de campo aprimora a experiência de estágio, levando o estudante a uma formação docente autêntica.
SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ENGAGEMENT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THEIR LEISURE TIME
Authors: Petrović Jelena , Cenić Stojan , Dimitrijević Dragana
Published: December 2018

This paper aims to contribute to greater involvement of elementary school children in sports and physical activity in the leisure time. The paper first discusses the theoretic bases concerning leisure time activities structure; the patterns of family leisure, and the importance of sports and physical activities in both groups. Empirical research aims to gain insight into the current patterns of elementary school children’ and their families’ leisure time, and the frequency of sports and physical activity in their free time; also it examines the differences in orientation towards sports and physical activities between children from urban and rural surroundings and between two age groups (4th grade and 7th grade students), and finally it studies a correlation between family leisure patterns and students’ own leisure choices. The research encompassed 189 students of urban and rural areas of the municipality of Leskovac. The students were examined by a 5-point Likert type scale and a questionnaire. Data processing was performed by the SPSS program. The main results led to the conclusions that: Families and schools have to play a significant role in awareness raising about the importance of physical activity and sports engagement within the student’s’ unstructured leisure time; There is a need to support rural schools in developing and sustaining school sports; and finally, Family involvement in sports and recreational activities has to be supported in order to make a model for students’ greater involvement into sports and physical activities.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AS REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONERS AND ACTION RESEARCHERS IN THEIR WORK
Authors: Maksimović Jelena , Jelena Osmanović
Published: December 2018

Physical education classes are peculiar in their character in comparison to classes of other school subjects since they are not taught in a classroom. However, it certainly does not mean that physical education teachers should not reflect on their practical work or analyse it. This process of reflective thinking represents a particular challenge and responsibility for physical education teachers. Therefore, the goal of this research is to determine the way in which they approach this issue, i.e. whether physical education teachers are reflective practitioners and action researchers. The paper used a descriptive method and scaling technique, as well as a Likert type scale (FVAI) scales, designed for the purpose of this research, which examined the teachers' attitudes about physical education in the context of reflexive practice and action research. The survey was conducted on a sample of 405 respondents in relation to independent variables of the type of school (primary and secondary) and years of service (0-10; 11-20; over 20 years of work experience). This research has shown that teachers are partially informed about action research and its application, whereas they highly value all the aspects of reflective teaching. This research contributes to the affirmation of action research since reflection and action are linked in physical education teaching by means of a continuous, unbroken line which further encourages teachers to reflect on their own practice. Teachers who are reflective practitioners are simultaneously action researchers. This research has proven the existence of a statistically significant connection between the reflectivity components of physical education teachers and the stage of education (school) in which they teach and years of teaching experience, p<0.05.
FLAT FEET AND OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN
Authors: Živković Dobrica , Karaleić Slađan , Anđelković Ivana
Published: December 2018

Flat feet (pes planus) represents one of the most frequent deformities of the lower extremities which occurs with the collapse of the physiological arches of the feet. The causes of flat feet are numerous. One of the main causes is excessive weight and obesity, problems which this review paper meant to explain by analyzing the works of authors who dealt with this problem from 2000 to 2017. The prevalence of flat feet varies depending on several factors, but all the authors agree that obesity increases the percentage of the prevalence of flat feet among children. The influence of physical activity on any changes to the status of the arches of the feet and a decrease in body weight have been the focus of very few authors. The recommendation is for this problem to be analyzed more because of the positive results that the application of physical activity has on postural status and disorders of the feet. The prevalence of flat feet differs depending on the geographical area, but also depending on age and gender.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS A PRE-ANALYTICAL FACTOR AFFECTING LABORATORY TEST RESULTS
Authors: Isaković Aleksandra , Janković Goran , Mazić Sanja , Stanojević Željka , Nešić Dejan
Published: December 2018

It is known that physical activity undoubtedly exhibits positive effects, decreasing the incidence of many chronic diseases. But, at present, physical activity is consider a pre-analytical factor/error related to the sampling process. Namely, different types of physical activity as well as its different intensity may influence a broad array of laboratory variables. The amount of extracellular release and clearance from blood of most of these biomarkers is markedly influenced by the biological characteristics of the molecule(s), level of training, type, intensity and duration of exercise, and time of recovery after training. It is therefore noteworthy to have the anamnestic information about these specific characteristics of physical activity and to understand the "physiologic" effects of exercise on laboratory results and when the threshold to pathological effects has been crossed. There are a lot of research data about the influence of physical activity on laboratory test results, but the accessible results are scattered and inconsistent since variations in type, duration, and intensity of exercise, sample size, and biological, behavioral, and experimental variables are not always adequately controlled. In this study we put an effort to summarize the most often changes in laboratory results that occur as a result of physical activity and to explain these changes in accordance with their biochemical, physiological and metabolic features.