bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Atypical Microorganisms in Chronic Oropharyngeal Phlogosis
Authors: Neri G. , Citraro L. , Martinotti S. , Tomato E. , Castriotta A. , De Rosa M. , Pignatelli G. Filograna , Croce A.
Published: January 2017

The recurrent or chronic “non specific pharyngitis” is one of the most common complaints of adults treated in an outpatient setting and it is a disease without a certain aetiology, but with many probable causes which can be of bacterial or viral nature, but incidence of atypical microorganism infection, such as Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), Mycoplasma hominis (Mh) and Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) is believed to be on the rise. The increase is correlated above all to sexual behavior and to diffusion of new microbiological diagnostic methods, such as PCR. From 840 patients affected by recurrent episodes of chronic pharyngeal phlogosis and examined from 2006 to 2008, we selected 67 patients, 37 women and 30 men. On the basis of molecular and cultural analysis, 85.07% of patients were positive to Ct, and 89.55% were positive to Mollicutes (Mh+Uu), showing a vast overlapping of co-infections of Uu and Mh. Our data indicated a higher rate of infection by atypical microorganism in selected patients affected by chronic pharyngitis. It is important to suspect this aetiology during recurrent chronic pharingitis because patients with these oropharingeal infections, must be considered as carriers and the correct treatment, only possible after exact diagnosis, is above all necessary to prevent fearful complications in other body areas.
Paf-Metabolic Enzymes and Paf-like Activity in L. Infantum and L. Major Promastigotes
Authors: Chatzovoulos P. , Tsoupras A.B. , Samiotaki M. , Panayotou G. , Demopoulos C.A. , Dotsika E.
Published: January 2017

Leishmania spp are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites of the mononuclear phagocyte system that cause a spectrum of diseases known as leishmaniasis. Platelet Activating Factor (PAF) and some PAF-antagonists seem to play a key role in Leishmania infection. In this article we detected for the first time the specific activities of PAF basic metabolic enzymes, PAF cholinephosphotransferase (PAF-CPT) and Lyso-PAF-acetylotransferase (Lyso-PAF-AT), in two species of Leishmania, namely Leishmania major (L. major) and Leishmania infantum (L. infantum). Specific activity of PAF-CPT of L. major homogenates was substantially higher than that of L. infantum homogenates, while Lyso-PAF-AT specific activities of the homogenates of both species were detected in the same levels. In addition, PAF-like molecules were detected in cells and their culture medium of both species. These results show that PAF-biosynthesis exists and varies between Leishmania species, findings that are in correlation with the general idea that the presence of PAF in several Leishmania species is implicated in Leishmania infection.
Porphyromonas Gingivalis and Dextran Sulfate Sodium Induce Periodontitis Through the Disruption of Physical Barriers in Mice
Authors: Choi Y.S. , Kim Y. C. , Jo A.R. , Ji S. , Koo K-T. , Ko Y. , Choi Y.
Published: January 2017

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by the interaction of plaque-associated bacteria with host cells. Gingival epithelial barriers provide the first line of defense against plaque-associated bacteria, the primary cause of periodontitis. To investigate the role of physical barriers in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), a tight junction (TJ)-disrupting chemical, was applied onto the gingival mucosa of mice in the absence or presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, and alveolar bone loss was measured. The levels of the TJ proteins ZO-1 and JAM-1, the number of T cells, and the presence of bacteria within gingival tissue were examined by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively. In addition, oral bacterial communities were analyzed by pyrosequencing. Here, we show that both DSS and P. gingivalis induced alveolar bone loss accompanied by the reduced ZO-1 expression in the junctional epithelia. This reduction in ZO-1 expression was associated with increased levels of bacteria and T cells within the gingival tissues. Furthermore, bacterial invasion was strongly correlated with T-cell infiltration, which was associated with alveolar bone loss. Interestingly, both DSS and P. gingivalis shifted oral flora from Proteus-dominant community to Escherichia-dominant ones. Collectively, these findings suggest that a barrier-disrupting periodontal pathogen or chemical can induce periodontitis by facilitating bacterial invasion into tissues, leading to a subsequent inflammatory response. The association between compromised physical barriers and periodontitis was further supported by the reduction of ZO-1 expression in the periodontal lesions of patients with chronic periodontitis. Therefore, physical barriers may be a promising future target for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis.
Rapamycin Expands and Confers Resistance to Apoptosis of Human Inducible Regulatory T Cells (TRI)
Authors: Bergmann C. , Wild C.A. , Hoffmann T.K. , Lang S. , Whiteside T.L.
Published: January 2017

The immunosuppressive drug Rapamycin (RAPA) has been shown to promote expansion of CD4+IL-10+ natural human regulatory T cells (nTreg) in vitro and in vivo. RAPA effects on inducible Treg (Tri) are unknown, and this study explores in vitro responses of Tr1 to this drug. CD4+CD25neg T cells isolated from PBMC of normal donors were used to generate Tr1 cells. Expanded Tr1 cells were tested for surface markers, expression of survival proteins, resistance to apoptosis and the ability to suppress proliferation of autologous CD4+CD25neg responder T cells (RC) in functional assays. RAPA was found to promote the generation of human Tr1 cells from autologous CD4+CD2Sneg precursors in peripheral blood. Tr1 cells + RAPA mediated higher suppression (p<0.01) of RC proliferation than Tr1 cells cultured without RAPA. Tr1 cells + RAPA also expressed higher levels of FasL and granzyme B (p<0.002), produced more IL-10 and TGF-βl and were more resistant to activation-induced cell death (p<0.02). RAPA up-regulated expression of the Bcl-2 family anti-apoptotic proteins in Tri. In addition, stimulation of Tr1 by LPS + RAPA resulted in increased proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. RAPA favors in vitro generation of inducible human Treg (Tr1) from CD4+CD25neg precursor cells and significantly enhances their survival and suppressor functions.
Erythema Multiforme Major after Whole Brain Radiotherapy: A Case of Emar Syndrome?
Authors: Bottoni U. , Nisticò S. , Amoruso G.F. , Sacco A. , Arcidiacono V. , Calvieri S.
Published: January 2017

We report the case of a woman with a 4-year history of metastatic breast carcinoma presenting a large erosive area on her scalp plus erosive lesions on the lips and in the mouth and erythematous plaques with vesicles on the trunk and upper limbs. In this case, contrary to other reports, the most important trigger for this syndrome was radiotherapy rather than the systemic medications administered. Therefore we propose the term EMAR (erythema multiforme associated to radiotherapy) to describe this case.
A Survey of Autoantibodies to Self Antigens in Graves' Disease Patients with Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy
Authors: Bei R. , Romano M. , Caputo M.P. , Sconocchia G. , Capuani B. , Coppola A. , Nucci C. , Pastore D. , Bellia A. , Mancino R. , Andreadi K. , Cerilli M. , Bertoli A. , Modesti A. , Lauro D.
Published: January 2017

Thyroid Associated Ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a complex pathology to treat and a considerable threat for Graves' Disease (GD) patients. Thus, there is great interest to find tools able to predict the onset and prognosis of TAO. Chronic inflamed tissues are characterized by tissue damage and recruitment of cells from the bloodstream, events that can lead to self-antigen exposure and induce autoimmune phenomena. In this study, we determined whether the occurrence of antibody anti-extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules [Collagen CI, CIII, CIV, CV, laminin (LM) and fibronectin, (FN)], anti-smooth muscle (ASM), anti-nuclear antigen (ANA), anti-ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor (TRAbs) were associated with TAO in GD patients. We analyzed serum of 50 patients affected by GD, 24 of whom were affected by TAO, and 40 healthy donors (HD). The occurrence of TRAbs or ANA, anti-SM and anti-RNP antibodies did not allow to discriminate TAO+ from TAO- GD patients. Among the 24 TAO+ and 26 TAO- patients, 15/24 and 17/26 displayed TRAbs, respectively. None of the GD patients displayed anti-RNP antibodies, while 20/24 TAO+ and 17/26 TAO- patients were found to be positive for ANA and 3/24 TAO+ and 4/26 TAO- patients showed anti-SM antibodies. Conversely, when compared with HD control sera, GD sera showed antibodies to all individual ECM molecules. Remarkably, anti-CHI autoantibodies of the IgG isotype were significantly associated with GD TAO+ patients (p=0.045). Indeed, 6 out of 24 GD TAO+ patients scored positive for anti-CIII IgGs as compared to only 1 out of 26 TAO-. Our results suggest the potential involvement of anti-ECM antibodies in GD and a contribution of anti-CIII IgGs in TAO pathogenesis of GD patients.
Design Quality in the Context of Healthcare Environments: A Scoping Review
Authors: Anåker Anna , Heylighen Ann , Nordin Susanna , Elf Marie
Published: January 2017

Objective:

We explored the concept of design quality in relation to healthcare environments. In addition, we present a taxonomy that illustrates the wide range of terms used in connection with design quality in healthcare.

Background:

High-quality physical environments can promote health and well-being. Developments in healthcare technology and methodology put high demands on the design quality of care environments, coupled with increasing expectations and demands from patients and staff that care environments be person centered, welcoming, and accessible while also supporting privacy and security. In addition, there are demands that decisions about the design of healthcare architecture be based on the best available information from credible research and the evaluation of existing building projects.

Method:

The basic principles of Arksey and O’Malley’s model of scoping review design were used. Data were derived from literature searches in scientific databases. A total of 18 articles and books were found that referred to design quality in a healthcare context.

Results:

Design quality of physical healthcare environments involves three different themes: (i) environmental sustainability and ecological values, (ii) social and cultural interactions and values, and (iii) resilience of the engineering and building construction. Design quality was clarified herein with a definition.

Conclusions:

Awareness of what is considered design quality in relation to healthcare architecture could help to design healthcare environments based on evidence. To operationalize the concept, its definition must be clear and explicit and able to meet the complex needs of the stakeholders in a healthcare context, including patients, staff, and significant others.
Steps in Developing a Patient-Centered Measure of Hospital Design Factors
Authors: Ottosen Madelene J. , Engebretson Joan C. , Etchegaray Jason M.
Published: January 2017

Patients and families are at the center of care and have important perspectives about what they see occurring surrounding their healthcare, yet organizations do not routinely collect such perspectives from patients/families. Creating patient-centered measures is essential to understanding what they perceive about the environment as well as achieving the goal of patient-centered care. We focus this research methodology column on describing a four-step medical ethnography approach that can be used in developing patient-centered measures of interest to those studying built environments. In this column, we use this approach to illustrate how one might develop a measure that can be used to understand parent perceptions of the safety culture in neonatal intensive care units.
Income Inequality, Life Satisfaction, and Economic Worries
Authors: Roth Bettina , Hahn Elisabeth , Spinath Frank M.
Published: January 2017

We analyzed the effect of income inequality on Germans’ life satisfaction considering factors explaining the mechanism of this relationship. Based on data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study for the years 1984 to 2012, we found a negative relationship between national-level income disparity and average life satisfaction, meaning that people felt happier in years with lower inequality. The effect was completely mediated by economic worries, which increased with rising inequality and in turn reduced people’s satisfaction. However, people’s reaction to inequality depended on their income level: Considering the direct effect of inequality, higher income disparity was clearly detrimental only for the poor and the middle class. Moreover, we found a significant mediation through economic worries for the middle class but not for the poor. The rich showed a more complex pattern of interrelations with both, positive and negative effects of inequality when controlling for economic worries.
A Qualitative Study of Mindfulness Among Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Practices Differentially Affect Symptoms, Aspects of Well-Being, and Potential Mechanisms of Action
Authors: Colgan Dana Dharmakaya , Wahbeh Helané , Pleet Mollie , Besler Kristen , Christopher Michael
Published: January 2017

This qualitative study explored and compared the subjective experiences of 102 veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 arms: ( a) body scan, ( b) mindful breathing, ( c) slow breathing, or ( d) sitting quietly. Qualitative data were obtained via semistructured interviews following the intervention and analyzed using conventional content analysis. The percentage of participants within each intervention who endorsed a specific theme was calculated. Two-proportion z tests were then calculated to determine if the differences among themes endorsed in specific groups were statistically significant. Six core themes emerged from analysis of participant responses across the 4 groups: ( a) enhanced present moment awareness, ( b) increased nonreactivity, ( c) increased nonjudgmental acceptance, ( d) decreased physiological arousal and stress reactivity, ( e) increased active coping skills, and ( f) greater relaxation. More participants in the mindfulness intervention groups reported improvement in PTSD symptoms when compared to participants in non-mindfulness groups. Different types of intervention targeted different symptoms and aspects of well-being. Furthermore, type of intervention may have also differentially targeted potential mechanisms of action. This article highlights the importance of employing both quantitative and qualitative research methods when investigating the dynamic process of mindfulness and may inform how practices can be tailored to the needs of the veteran with PTSD.
Accounting for Changes in Alcohol Use and Abuse in the United States
Authors: Linkenbach Jeffrey , Young Douglas J.
Published: January 2017

Per capita alcohol consumption, teen drinking, and alcohol-involved traffic fatalities show declines ranging from 16% to 40% since their peaks around 1980. This article examines how beverage prices, the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA), population aging, and teen attitudes contributed to the declines. Two policy variables that have garnered much attention—taxes and the MLDA—appear to have played a minimal role. Alcohol prices declined, which encouraged more drinking rather than less, and large Federal excise tax increases occurred after much of the decline had already taken place. Increases in the legal drinking age account for only a fraction of the declines in teen drinking and traffic fatalities. Changes in the age distribution of the population can account for a substantial fraction of the decline in per capita consumption, but not the decline in teen drinking. Heightened anti-alcohol sentiment among high school seniors has played an important role in the decline in youth drinking. Educational programs and increased penalties/stiffer enforcement of driving under the influence laws probably contributed to the declines, but wide-ranging estimates make a quantitative assessment uncertain. Future research must account for complex social environments.
How Can a Family Resemblances Approach Help to Typify Qualitative Research? Exploring the Complexity of Simplicity
Authors: Buetow Stephen
Published: January 2017

The term qualitative research still gives meaning to a diverse array of approaches. Attributes typical of these approaches are easily oversimplified. Recognition that qualitative research requires no essential set of predefining attributes can minimize this problem. This article suggests how to typify qualitative research outputs on the basis of overlapping similarities in the uses of this research. It discusses these similarities within and across five domains of qualitative research—philosophy and theory, purpose, approach to reasoning, data collection, and use of numbers. Across these domains, qualitative research is typified as research that, without taking a unified stance on epistemological issues, can produce rich data by selecting and engaging purposefully with small samples, and analyzing these data using iterative processes of induction, abduction, and deduction. Within this network of family resemblances, no attributes of qualitative research are individually necessary or sufficient. Together, they attend simply to the complexity of coinciding attributes of this research.
International Education in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hyams-Ssekasi Denis , Mushibwe Christine P. , Caldwell Elizabeth Frances
Published: January 2017

For the last 40 years, the number of international students aspiring to obtain a qualification in U.K. universities has been exponentially growing. However, such growth has been contested. What seemed to be a “golden” opportunity for Black-African students to pursue their education in the United Kingdom is met with challenges that impact the whole process of adjustment. This article examines these challenges using a qualitative empirical study of Black-African postgraduate students, carried out in three U.K. universities. The methods utilized were observations, focus groups, one-to-one interviews, and a case study to help identify and analyze the issues. The participants reported significant financial pressures and difficulties in understanding and integrating into the culture of U.K. universities. In some cases, these challenges left the students feeling disillusioned and cynical about the value of an international education. Universities must endeavor to tailor their recruitment, orientation, and support programs to the needs of Black-African international students or face damaging their reputations as world-class education providers.
Feeling Sleepy? You are Not Alone
Authors: Chalupka Stephanie
Published: January 2017

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 30% of the nation's workers are sleeping less than 6 hours per day.
Perceived Competence and Comfort in Respiratory Protection
Authors: Burgel Barbara J. , Novak Debra , Burns Candace M. , Byrd Annette , Carpenter Holly , Gruden MaryAnn , Lachat Ann , Taormina Deborah
Published: January 2017

In response to the Institute of Medicine (2011) report Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection: Improving Education and Training, a nationwide survey was conducted in May 2012 to assess occupational health nurses' educational preparation, roles, responsibilities, and training needs in respiratory protection. More than 2,000 occupational health nurses responded; 83% perceived themselves as competent, proficient, or expert in respiratory protection, reporting moderate comfort with 12 respiratory program elements. If occupational health nurses had primary responsibility for the respiratory protection program, they were more likely to perceive higher competence and more comfort in respiratory protection, after controlling for occupational health nursing experience, highest education, occupational health nursing certification, industry sector, Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare membership, taking a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health spirometry course in the prior 5 years, and perceiving a positive safety culture at work. These survey results document high perceived competence and comfort in respiratory protection. These findings support the development of targeted educational programs and interprofessional competencies for respiratory protection.
Heat Stress Management Program Improving Worker Health and Operational Effectiveness
Authors: Huss Rosalyn G. , Skelton Scott B. , Alvis Kimberly L. , Shane Leigh A.
Published: January 2017

Heat stress monitoring is a vital component of an effective health and safety program when employees work in exceptionally warm environments. Workers at hazardous waste sites often wear personal protective equipment (PPE), which increases the body heat stress load. No specific Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations address heat stress; however, OSHA does provide several guidance documents to assist employers in addressing this serious workplace health hazard. This article describes a heat stress and surveillance plan implemented at a hazardous waste site as part of the overall health and safety program. The PPE requirement for work at this site, coupled with extreme environmental temperatures, made heat stress a significant concern. Occupational health nurses and industrial hygienists developed a monitoring program for heat stress designed to prevent the occurrence of significant heat-related illness in site workers. The program included worker education on the signs of heat-related illness and continuous physiologic monitoring to detect early signs of heat-related health problems. Biological monitoring data were collected before workers entered the exclusion zone and on exiting the zone following decontamination. Sixty-six site workers were monitored throughout site remediation. More than 1,700 biological monitoring data points were recorded. Outcomes included improved worker health and safety, and increased operational effectiveness.
The Cricoid Force Necessary to Occlude the Esophageal Entrance: Is There a Gender Difference?
Authors: Zeidan Ahed M. , Salem M. Ramez , Bamadhaj Munir , Mazoit Jean-Xavier , Sadek Hussein , Houjairy Hassan , Abdulkhaleq Kamal , Bamadhaj Nabil
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND:

We tested the hypothesis whether gender differences exist in the applied cricoid force necessary to prevent regurgitation. Real-time visual and dynamic means were used to assess the effectiveness of different applied cricoid forces in occluding the esophageal entrance in men (group 1) and in women (group 2).

METHODS:

In anesthetized and paralyzed patients, the glottis and esophageal entrance were visualized with a Glidescope video laryngoscope. Trained operators performed cricoid pressure (CP) and gastric tube insertion trials. Successful gastric tube insertion in the presence of CP was considered ineffective CP, whereas unsuccessful insertion was considered effective CP. The applied cricoid forces were measured with a novel instrument, the cricometer. The first patient in each group received 20 N. The applied cricoid force in successive patients was determined by the response of the previous patient within the same group, using the up-and-down sequential allocation technique.

RESULTS:

In the 30 men and 30 women who qualified for the study, the median cricoid force (cricoid force = 50) that occluded the esophageal entrance was 30.8 N (95% confidence interval = 28.15–33.5) in men, and 18.7 N in women (95% confidence interval = 17.1–20.3; P < .0001). Patency of the esophageal entrance was observed when CP was not applied and when inadequate forces that allowed successful esophageal cannulation were used.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current study provides evidence that the median force necessary to occlude the esophageal entrance to prevent regurgitation is less in women compared with men. Applying the appropriate cricoid force in women should also decrease airway-related problems that tend to occur with the use of excessive forces. The findings of the current study may only be applicable to patients with normal body habitus.
Afrocasia kahlertiana gen. et sp. nov., a new tropical member of Araceae from Late Cretaceous strata of northern Gondwana (Baris, Egypt)
Authors: Coiffard Clément , Mohr Barbara A.R.
Published: January 2017

Fossil plant material was collected during the 1980s in Egypt and preliminarily described as a putative member of Araceae. Reexamination of the collections led to the discovery of new specimens and preparation of the material provided new characters confirming the araceous affinities of the fossil. The morphology of these leaves, especially the venation pattern of several vein orders, has been compared with leaves of fossil and extant monocot angiosperms, especially Araceae. The colocasioid secondary venation and the marginal venation pattern of the fossil are most similar to living Araceae, especially Aroideae. A new genus and species, Afrocasia kahlertiana gen. et sp. nov., were erected to accommodate these results. The physiognomy of Afrocasia kahlertiana supports the hypothesis of a humid and shady environment and indicates that Araceae have inhabited forest understory for at least 70 million years. Furthermore, its occurrence in Africa indicates that Araceae probably suffered stronger extinction on this continent.
Constraint Aggregation in Column Generation Models for Resource-Constrained Covering Problems
Authors: Porumbel Daniel , Clautiaux François
Published: January 2017

We propose an aggregation method to reduce the size of column generation (CG) models for covering problems in which the feasible subsets depend on a resource constraint. The aggregation relies on a correlation between the resource consumption of the elements and the corresponding optimal dual values. The resulting aggregated dual model is a restriction of the original one, and it can be rapidly optimized to obtain a feasible dual solution. A primal bound can also be obtained by restricting the set of columns to those saturated by the dual feasible solution obtained by aggregation. The convergence is realized by iterative disaggregation until the gap is closed by the bounds. Computational results show the usefulness of our method for different cutting-stock problems. An important advantage is the fact that it can produce high-quality dual bounds much faster than the traditional Lagrangian bound used in stabilized column generation.
Domestication of red jungle fowl: A case study of the red jungle fowl chicks procurement by the communities in Central Bengkulu, Indonesia
Authors: SETIANTO JOHAN , ZAIN BASYARUDIN , SUTRIYONO SUTRIYONO , PRAKOSO HARDI
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Setianto J, Zain B, Sutriyono, Prakoso H. 2017. Domestication of red jungle fowl: A case study of the red jungle fowl chicks procurement by the communities in Central Bengkulu, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 183-189. The existence of the red jungle fowl is increasingly pressured by habitat destruction, illegal hunting, and predatorsâ€™ consumption which may result in an extinction. Conservation of the red jungle fowl had institutionally not been carried out both by the government and private institutions. However, the communities in Central Bengkulu District had done a domestication of the red jungle fowl. Until now, the conservation of the red jungle fowl in a community was not much studied. This study aimed to identify information about the origin of the red jungle fowl chicks, the origin of purchase of chicks, the equipment used for hunting and the chicks purity. Respondents selection was conducted by using a snowball sampling method. The data were obtained by using a combination of in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and a direct observation. The results showed that 38% respondents obtained the chicks from hunting, 40% from buying, 2% from hunting and buying, 6% from buying and conferral, and 14% from conferral. From respondents who did the chicks buying, 4.2% respondents bought the red jungle fowl from the traditional markets, 91.6% bought from hunters, and 4.2% bought from the chicks. Hunting activities were undertaken by 40% respondents, while 60% did not practice hunting activities. From respondents who did the hunting activities, 10% used a net, 30% used racit equipment and 60% used a combination of net and racit. Chicks obtained by respondents, 46% of the red jungle fowl and 54% of the offspring of the red jungle fowl. The red jungle fowl chicks were obtained from nature by hunting in the forests or plantations and from the surrounding communities, either by purchase or conferral.

Keywords: Chicks, domestication, hunting, red jungle fowl
Study of glycyrrhizic acid contents from Glycyrrhiza glabra populations in Iran and their relation with environmental factors
Authors: REZAEI SHAGHAYEGH , NEJADSATTARI TAHER , ASSADI MOSTAFA , KHAVARINEJAD RAMEZAN ALI , MEHREGAN IRAJ
Published: January 2017

Abstract.Rezaei S, Nejadsattari T, Assadi M, Khavarinejad RA,Mehregan I. 2017. Study of glycyrrhizic acid contents from Glycyrrhiza glabra populations in Iran and their relation with environmental factors. Biodiversitas 18: 212-220. Glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) is an important chemical composition of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) from which is 50 times sweeter than sucrose. In this study, the amount of glycyrrhizic acid was determined in populations collected from 11 different locations in Iran (NW to NE) by HPLC method from two varieties of this species; Glycyrrhiza glabra varieties glabra and glandulifera. Our results showed the highest content of glycyrrhizic acid was from Naghadeh (NAQ, NW Iran) population for G. glabra var. glandulifera and Azadshahr population (AZD, NW Iran ) for G. glabra var. glabra. Lowest amounts of glycyrrhizic acid were detected in Jajrood (JAD, N Iran) population for G. glabra var. glandulifera and Hashtrud (HSD, N Iran) population for G. glabra var. glabra. Significant correlations were observed between the amount of glycyrrhizic acid and some morphometric parameters, soil and environmental factors. The amount of glycyrrhizic acid showed positive correlation with phosphorous (P â‰¤ 0.05 and R2 =0.155) and negative correlation with pH (P â‰¤ 0.01 and R2 =0.348) and calcium carbonate (P â‰¤ 0.01 and R2 =0.507). Higher temperature resulted in increasing the amount of glycyrrhizic acid. Based on morphometrical data, the plants with thinner rhizomes would have more glycyrrhizic acid. Our results also showed that glycyrrhizic acid content was not related to taxonomic classification of this species.

Keywords: Ecological factors, glycyrrhizic acid, HPLC, licorice
Short Communication: Morpho-agronomic characteristics of twelve accessions of white turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria) germplasm
Authors: SYAHID SITTI FATIMAH , HERYANTO RUBI
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Syahid SF, Heryanto R.2017. Short Communication: Morpho-agronomic characteristics of twelve accessions of white turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria) germplasm. Biodiversitas 18: 269-274.White turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria Rosc.) is a potential medicinal plant belong to the family Zingiberaceae. This plant has a good market because of its high demand as raw material for herbal medicine, such as to cure cancer. A germplasm collection of white turmeric collected from different areas of Indonesia is available at Cicurug Research Station of Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Information on characteristics of the accessions, however, are not available yet. This study aimed to determine morphological characters, growth, and yield of 12 accessions of white turmeric. The research was conducted at the Cicurug Research Station from January 2014 to March 2015. Rhizome section of each accession was grown in a 2.5 m x 3.5 m plot at 50 cm x 50 cm plant spacing. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Parameters observed were morphological characters (type of stem, leaf tip, leaf base, leaf shape, stem color, blade color), growth (number of tillers, plant height, number of leaf/stem, leaf length, leaf width, leaf thickness) and yield (rhizome weight, rhizome length, rhizome width, and rhizome thickness) respectively. The results showed that morphological characters, growth, and yields of the 12 accessions observed were varied. All of the characters observed could be evaluated further to determine the important traits.

Keywords: Curcuma zedoaria, morphological characters, growth, yield, Zingiberaceae
Proliferation of embryogenic callus of Satoimo taro (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum) in culture media with various levels of sucrose and gelling agent
Authors: FITRIANI HANI , ARYANINGRUM PRAMESTI DWI , HARTATI N. SRI
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Fitriani H, Aryaningrum PD, Hartati NS. 2016. Proliferation of embryogenic callus of Satoimo taro (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum) in culture media with various level of sucrose and gelling agent. Nusantara Bioscience 8: 316-320. Satoimo taro (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum) is one of the promising varieties of taro which have potentially high value to cultivate. Tissue culture or in-vitro culture considers an economically useful technique to mass propagates this variety of taro. The research was conducted to figuring out the optimum media for proliferation success of embryogenic callus of Satoimo. The explants used embryogenic callus of 12-months-old storage materials obtained from the previous study. Proliferation media include a basal half-strength MS salt (Murashige and Skoog) enriched with of 0.1 mg/L TDZ, 0.05 mg/L 2.4 D, and 100 mg/L L-glutamine. Adding to the basal media, we set the treatments by combining two factors i.e. Sucrose with three levels of concentration i.e. 3, 4, and 5% which cross-tabulated with three gelling agents, i.e., Agarose, Phytagel, and Gerlite. The research parameters included the percentage of callus diameter growth, the color and callus discoloration, and the structure of callus. The data recorded periodically every 7 d in one month. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and followed by Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) to determine the significant difference (p<0.05) among the treatments. The result revealed that the callus diameter growth has the greatest percentage at medium with a combination of Phytagel and sucrose 4%. The Micro-agar enhanced the presence of callus with yellow color. Phytagel combined with a high percentage of sucrose (5%) indicated browning properties of callus. Gelrite causes the callus with discoloration appearance (white).
Change in physiological parameters of calves of various breeds under the transport and pre-slaughter stress
Authors: LEVAKHIN VLADIMIR IVANOVICH , GORLOV IVAN FIODOROVICH , AZHMULDINOV ELEMES AZHMULDINOVICH , LEVAKHIN YURIY IVANOVICH , DUSKAEV GALIMZHAN KALIKHANOVICH , ZLOBINA ELENA YURIEVNA , KARPENKO EKATERINA VLADIMIROVNA
Published: January 2017

Levakhin VI, Gorlov IF, Azhmuldinov EA, Levakhin YI, Duskaev GK, Zlobina EY, Karpenko EV. 2017. Change in physiological parameters of calves of various breeds under the transport and pre-slaughter stress. Nusantara Bioscience 9: 1-5. The purpose of the research was to study the effect of the animal breed on the stress resistance of young cattle during the motor transportation. Six groups of animals were chosen for the experiment. The first group consisted of calves crossbred from dairy Black and White cows with Hereford bulls, the second â€“ of calves crossbred from dairy cows of Bestuscheff breed with Hereford bulls, the third â€“ of calves purebred of Simmental, the fourth â€“ of calves purebred of Hereford, the fifth â€“ of calves purebred of Aberdeen-Angus, and the sixth â€“ of calves purebred of Limousine breed. The total length of transport was 180 km of highways and local roads. The route consisted of a 5-hour trip without a rest period. The greatest loss in the body weight was determined in the Limousine calves. The calves purebred of Hereford and Simmental breeds are more stress-resistant during the transporting and the pre-slaughter treatment.
Accumulation and elimination of mercury in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under an elevated temperature and its ambient concentrations
Authors: SUNARDI SUNARDI , ASTARI ANNISA JOVIANI , PRIBADI TRI DEWI KUSUMA , ROSADA KEUKEU KANIAWATI
Published: January 2017

Sunardi, Astari AJ, Pribadi TDK, Rosada KK. 2017. Accumulation and elimination of mercury in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under an elevated temperature and its ambient concentrations. Nusantara Bioscience 9: 18-22. The problems of heavy metal pollution combined with the issue of climate warming has attracted a growing international concern, particularly to those exert very toxic effects to organisms and human, e.g. mercury. There have been evidences for temperature effect on metal uptake, accumulation and toxicity; but only few of those on metal elimination. An experimental work was set up to investigate the effect of higher water temperature and ambient concentration on both accumulation and elimination of mercury in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Using 50-L aquarium, fish were exposed to room and 32oC temperature combined with 10 and 20 Î¼g/kg Hg concentration. Test fish were treated for 28 days for accumulation phase, and then transferred to Hg-free water for 7 days for elimination. Data of the Hg accumulation and elimination from the flesh, liver and kidney were analyzed using one-way Anova. The results indicated that higher water temperature and ambient mercury have increased accumulation in the liver and the kidney, but not in the flesh. Higher rate of Hg elimination occurred in higher water temperature resulting Hg deposits did not differ among treatments. However, the Hg deposits remained higher compared to those in the original state representing a potential risk to either fish or human. The kidney and the liver of Nile Tilapia seemed to be the preferable depository organs for mercury.
Seed germination and seedling morphology of Artabotrys hexapetalus
Authors: HANDAYANI TRI
Published: January 2017

Handayani T. 2017. Seed germination and seedling morphology of Artabotrys hexapetalus. Nusantara Bioscience 9: 23-30. Artabotrys hexapetalus (L.f.) Bhandari (kenanga tanduk) is a fragrant, shrubby climber belonging to the Annonaceae family. In Indonesia, it is known as â€œkenanga tandukâ€. It is a commercial ornamental plant due to its beautiful, aromatic flowers. This plant is also used in the perfume industry and in traditional medicine. It can be naturally propagated from seeds. However, it takes a long time to germinate. The research reported here aimed to determine the seed germination process, early seedling development, and seedling morphology of A. hexapetalus seeds planted under controlled conditions in Bogor Botanic Gardens. Ninety seeds were planted in a sand medium. The timing of germination, its characteristic pattern and the morphology of young emerged seedlings were observed and recorded. The seed characters were observed by using a microscope and camera. The results confirmed that A. hexapetalus seeds take a long time to germinate. Different periods of fruit maturation, small immature embryos, hard seed coat and hard endosperm texture are some of the factors that cause its seed to take a long time to germinate. The hard seed is due to the presence of exotesta, mesotesta and endotesta layers in the seed coat, as well as to the ruminate endosperm shaped like a wide plate and hard like glass (glass-like endosperm). The earliest seed germination occurred 159 days after sowing. The duration of seed germination from planting to last germinated seed took as long as 238 days. However, final seed viability reached 80%, with the speed of germination from sowing until the time of germination on a given day ranging from 0.01 to 0.08% per day. The type of seedling emergence is Phanerocotylar-Epigeal- Foliaceous (PEF). The seed germination process of A. hexapetalus from radicle appearance until the first open leaf can be divided into six stages; i.e. radicle growing phase, radicle and hypocotyl growing phase, hypocotyl emergent phase, cotyledon emergent phase, cotyledon opening phase and the first leaf opening phase. The pair of cotyledons look like true mature leaves and are firmly attached, not shedding easily.
Comics art and urban cultural studies method through Chris Ware’s Building Stories (2012)
Authors: Fraser Benjamin
Published: January 2017

This concise editorial explores the current disciplinary gaps between geographical and humanities analyses of cultural production through consideration of a specific example. American comics artist Chris Ware’s Building Stories, considered a masterpiece of comics art, has attracted attention from both humanists and geographers on account of its urban theme and its intriguing architectural form. This interest raises two sets of questions for a proper cultural studies analysis. First, to what degree are humanities scholars approaching the work without attending to geographical issues of space/place that inevitably figure into its architectural form? And second, to what degree are geographers approaching the work without addressing the humanities issues of artistry and representation that figure into its comics form? Surveying the criticism on this work may provide some initial answers to these questions and in the process speak to larger issues of interdisciplinary research in urban cultural studies.
Not a fantasy city: Composition, fotogènia and the reconquesta del real in the theatrical and cinematic land/lang-scapes of Barcelona
Authors: Comparone Loredana
Published: January 2017

Focusing on the return of the real in contemporary art, the article examines how Lluïsa Cunillé’s play, Barcelona, mapa d’ombres (2004), and Ventura Pons’s 2007 film, Barcelona (un mapa), apprehend the urban landscape as ‘composition’, and how they bring into dialectical relation modes of apprehension and representation traditionally perceived and pitched as ideologically opposed or mutually exclusive. Like modernist art (cubism), these works beget oppositional and counter-hegemonic ways of imagining the urban landscape within what remains ‘the ongoing dominance of the “hegemony” of capital’. As a mode of analysis, composition does not only interrupt the ‘delirious equivalency’ of late capitalist abstraction, but it also becomes a deliberate intervention in self-fashioning and city-making endowed with a political, if not also an ethical, component.
Cartographies of disappearance: Thresholds in Barcelona’s metro
Authors: Bou Enric
Published: January 2017

This article proposes an analysis of Barcelona’s metro system following David Pike’s threshold concept, key to the topography of the ‘vertical city’. This will be done through reading maps and literary texts that illustrate three closely related issues: an interpretation of Barcelona’s metro network and its meanings; the disappearance of some metro stations and underground spaces, such as hidden connecting corridors, which create a shallow presence of the past into the present, examples of urban spaces that are buried and forgotten; and subway life as portrayed in some literary texts with particular emphasis on the use of mythology.
Re-thinking cinema and the city in crisis: Film, narrative agency and urban transformation in selected recent publications
Authors: Schmitt Mark
Published: January 2017

This article compares three recent publications, which engage with questions of urban transformation in times of economic and social crisis in global film. Although the three publications consider a heterogeneous corpus of films, they share a sensibility for the intricate interrelationship between the medium of cinema and urban space, especially in connection to social marginalization and urban degeneration. This article examines the underlying assumption of these publications that film is a spatial medium, which not only representationally captures urban transformations, but also partakes in them. By challenging notions of narrative agency, film can likewise explore one-sided notions of agency and urban space, extending the scope beyond the primacy of human agency and considering non-human forms of agency. The three publications and the films they explore are thus expressive of a posthuman and new materialist sensibility in the study of urban space.
Issues of space and spatiality in contemporary Spanish Peninsular studies
Authors: Venkatesh Vinodh
Published: January 2017

Space has often been relegated to time in contemporary Spanish Peninsular studies, where the issues of memory and the past have surfaced as a primary political and aesthetic concern in recent criticism. Writing both against and within this grain, monographs by Ann Davies, Nathan Richardson, Stephen Vilaseca and Lorraine Ryan underline the importance of space and spatiality in conceptualizing contemporary Spain. Through a multifaceted examination of literature, cinema, and visual arts, these scholars trace the development of the nation through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, from the Civil War to the destape, and from the transition to the economic crisis of 2008. While not the earliest works on Spanish urban cultural studies, these texts do serve as a strong foundation for any future work in the area.
Literary studies after the spatial turn
Authors: Beaumont Alexander
Published: January 2017

This article examines three recent publications in the field of urban literary studies. It argues that spatiality has become a key term within this discipline, with the inferences of the spatial turn during the 1980s and 1990s having been firmly assimilated with the methodological procedures of textual analysis today. However, the article argues that the textual construction of the relationship between space and identity has not been fully and satisfactorily articulated within the field, with a hard-headedly materialist account of representational space sitting uncomfortably alongside a cultural materialist understanding of identity. This difficulty, it suggests, accounts for some of the theoretical dilemmas represented in the books under discussion, despite their many strengths.
Luaran Terapi Pasien Leukemia Limfoblastik Akut dengan Leukosit ≥ 50.000/μL di RSUP DR. Sardjito Februari 1999 - Februari 2009
Authors: Budiyanto Wahyu , Mulatsih Sri , Sutaryo Sutaryo
Published: January 2017

Latar belakang. Jumlah leukosit yang tinggi (≥50000/μL) merupakan salah satu faktor risiko terjadinya tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) yang meningkatkan morbiditas dan mortalitas. Tumor lysis syndrome merupakan salah satu kegawatan pada leukemia limfoblastik akut (LLA).Tujuan. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui luaran (outcome) dan prognosis LLA dengan leukosit ≥50000/μL.Metode. Penelitian rancang bangun kohort retrospektif dilakukan di Instalasi Kesehatan Anak RSUP DR. Sardjito yang melibatkan semua pasien LLA dengan jumlah leukosit ≥ 50.000/μL sejak Februari 1999 sampai Februari 2009. Luaran yang dinilai yaitu kriteria laboratorium TLS, klinik TLS, dan kematian.Hasil. Pasien LLA dengan jumlah leukosit ≥50000/μL sebanyak 115 kasus diikutkan dalam penelitian ini. Insiden laboratorium TLS 5,2% (6 pasien). Tidak didapatkan kasus klinisTLS. Kematian pasien dengan laboratorium TLS 66,7% (4 pasien). Pasien LLA dengan leukosit ≥50000/μL yang mengalami TLS mempunyai risiko kematian sebesar OR 2 (KI 95% 0,32-12,51). Persentasi kematian pasien LLA dengan leukosit ≥50000/μL, 56,6% (65 pasien). Faktor prognosis terhadap kematian, leukosit ≥100000/μL OR 1,918 (IK 95% 0,778-4,730), asam urat ≥8 mg/dL OR 1,909 (IK 95% 0,431-8,463), fosfat ≥4,5 mg/dL OR 1,5 (IK 95% 0,106-21,312) dan kreatinin ≥1,4 mg/dL OR 1,362 (IK 95% 0,142-13,096).Kesimpulan. Insidens TLS pada pasien LLA dengan leukosit ≥50000/μL, 5,2% (6 pasien) dari 115 pasien. Mortalitas pasien LLA dengan leukosit ≥50000/μL, 56,5%. Secara klinis ada kecenderungan kejadian kematian lebih tinggi pada pasien LLA dengan leukosit ≥100.000/μL, asam urat ≥8 mg/dL, fosfat ≥ 4,5 mg/dL dan kreatinin >1,4 mg/dL.