bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serum prolactin and gonadotropin levels in women with infertility in Bangladesh
Authors: Bari Shamima , Begum Rokeya , Akter Qazi Shamima
Published: January 2018

Background and objectives: Infertility is a global health problem including Bangladesh. Altered prolactin, follicle (FSH) and luteinizing hormones (LH) levels have been implicated as a cause of infertility. The present study was undertaken to find out the serum prolactin and gonadotropin levels in women with primary and secondary infertility.Methods: The study involved a total of 100 women of which 50 had primary (Group A) and another 50 had secondary (Group B) infertility. Fifty fertile age-matched women were included as control (Group C). All the study participants were selected from women attending the infertility unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka. Serum prolactin, FSH and LH hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay with blood collected on the 2nd day of menstrual cycle.Results: The mean serum prolactin level was significantly higher (<p0.01) while the mean serum FSH and LH levels were significantly(p< 0.01) lower in women with primary and secondary infertility compared to fertile women. However, the mean serum prolactin, FSH and LH levels were not significantly different from each other among the women with primary and secondary sterility. High prolactinemia was observed in 16% and 14% women in Group A and B respectively. Compared to women with secondary sterility, significantly (p<0.05%) higher number of cases with primary sterility (30% vs. 54%) had FSH level below the normal range. On the other hand, 28% cases with secondary sterility had LH level below the normal range compared to 10% in primary sterility group (p<0.05).Conclusion: The study has demonstrated that there was alteration of serum prolactin, FSH and LH levels in women with primary and secondary sterilityIMC J Med Sci 2018; 12(1): 1-5
Distribution of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase producing Acinetobacter baumannii in patients with ventilator associated respiratory tract infection
Authors: Akter Shahida , Shamsuzzaman SM
Published: January 2018

Background and objectives: Ventilator-associated respiratory tract infection (VARTI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among the critically ill patients of intensive care units (ICU). Acinetobacter baumannii, an important offending pathogen in VARTI, has been found to be resistant to several antibiotics including carbapenems. The present study was conducted to determine the rate of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1(NDM-1) producing A. baumannii causing VARTI among the patients admitted in an ICU of a large tertiary care hospital.Methods: The study was conducted from July 2013 to June 2014. Endotracheal aspirates (ETA) were collected from patients with clinically suspected VARTI. Samples were collected from patients who were on mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. ETA samples were cultured aerobically and isolated A. baumannii were tested for susceptibility to carbapenem. Presence of NDM-1 encoded by the blaNDM-1 gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Results: A total of 138 VARTI cases were included in the study. Total 107 (77.5%) bacteria were isolated from 138 ETA samples of which 38 were A. baumannii. Out of 38 isolated A. baumannii, 35 (92.1%) were resistant to imipenem/meropenem and 33 (86.8%) were positive for blaNDM-1 gene by PCR.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that high proportion of A. baumannii isolated from VARTI cases in ICU were carbapenem resistant and blaNDM-1 positive. Careful infection control program should be considered to contain the spread of this multi-resistant organism to other hospital and community.IMC J Med Sci 2018; 12(1): 37-41
From dipivaloylketene to tetraoxaadamantanes
Authors: Kollenz Gert , Wentrup Curt
Published: January 2018

Dipivaloylketene (2) is obtained by flash vacuum pyrolysis of furan-2,3-dione 6 and dimerizes to 1,3-dioxin-4-one 3, which is a stable but reactive ketene. The transannular addition and rearrangement of enols formed by the addition of nucleophiles to the ketene function in 3 generates axially chiral 2,6,9-trioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonadienes (bisdioxines) 4. When arylamines are used as the nucleophiles under neutral conditions, decarboxylation occurs during the formation of bisdioxines 8. However, when water or alcohols are added to 3 under acidic conditions, bisdioxine-carboxylic acids and esters 10 and 11 are obtained. Acid hydrolysis of the bisdioxines proceeds through the addition of water to a C=C double bond and results in a second transannular oxa-Michael-type reaction and generation of tetraoxaadamantanes 5. This reaction is decarboxylative when free carboxylic acid functions are present in the bisdioxines, thus forming 21 and 22, but carboxylic acid derivatives are preserved to yield compounds 20, 23, 25, 28, and 29. A hydrogenolysis of the dibenzyl ester 23 yields the free dicarboxylic acid 24. The tetraoxaadamantanes are formed in high yields (65–95%) in most cases, but the addition of water to the concave inside of the bisdioxines becomes severely hindered in cyclic derivatives, so that the 38-membered ring compound 32 requires microwave heating at 170 °C to form tetraoxaadamantane 33, and the catenated compound 36 and calix[6]arene derivative 37 did not form tetraoxaadamantanes. The reaction mechanisms of bisdioxine and tetraoxaadamantane formation are discussed.
Accreting Black Hole Binaries in Globular Clusters
Authors: Kremer Kyle , Chatterjee Sourav , Rodriguez Carl L. , Rasio Frederic A.
Published: January 2018

We explore the formation of mass-transferring binary systems containing black holes (BHs) within globular clusters (GC). We show that it is possible to form mass-transferring BH binaries with main sequence, giant, and white dwarf companions with a variety of orbital parameters in GCs spanning a large range in present-day properties. All mass-transferring BH binaries found in our models at late times are dynamically created. The BHs in these systems experienced a median of ∼30 dynamical encounters within the cluster before and after acquiring the donor. Furthermore, we show that the presence of mass-transferring BH systems has little correlation with the total number of BHs within the cluster at any time. This is because the net rate of formation of BH–non-BH binaries in a cluster is largely independent of the total number of retained BHs. Our results suggest that the detection of a mass-transferring BH binary in a GC does not necessarily indicate that the host cluster contains a large BH population.
A Statistical Study of Photospheric Magnetic Field Changes During 75 Solar Flares
Authors: Castellanos Durán J. S. , Kleint L. , Calvo-Mozo B.
Published: January 2018

Abrupt and permanent changes of photospheric magnetic fields have been observed during solar flares. The changes seem to be linked to the reconfiguration of magnetic fields, but their origin is still unclear. We carried out a statistical analysis of permanent line-of-sight magnetic field (

) changes during 18 X-, 37 M-, 19 C-, and 1 B-class flares using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We investigated the properties of permanent changes, such as frequency, areas, and locations. We detected changes of

in 59/75 flares. We find that strong flares are more likely to show changes, with all flares ≥M1.6 exhibiting them. For weaker flares, permanent changes are observed in 6/17 C-flares. 34.3% of the permanent changes occurred in the penumbra and 18.9% in the umbra. Parts of the penumbra appeared or disappeared in 23/75 flares. The area where permanent changes occur is larger for stronger flares. Strong flares also show a larger change of flux, but there is no dependence of the magnetic flux change on the heliocentric angle. The mean rate of change of flare-related magnetic field changes is 20.7 Mx cm−2 min−1. The number of permanent changes decays exponentially with distance from the polarity inversion line. The frequency of the strength of permanent changes decreases exponentially, and permanent changes up to 750 Mx cm−2 were observed. We conclude that permanent magnetic field changes are a common phenomenon during flares, and future studies will clarify their relation to accelerated electrons, white-light emission, and sunquakes to further investigate their origin.
An Error Analysis Decision Making Method for Priority in Intuitionistic Preference Relation
Authors: Joshi Bhagawati Prasad
Published: January 2018

This article describes how intuitionistic fuzzy sets theory, which is the generalisation of fuzzy sets theory, is a more suitable tool for dealing with imprecise information. The information provided by the decision maker is often imprecise in many situations. So, intuitionistic preference relation is a suitable tool for such cases. The estimation of the priority vector of the intuitionistic preference relation is an important part in decision making. In this article, an intuitionistic fuzzy Choquet integral is proposed and combined with the famous error propagation formula, and developed a method for the priority of an intuitionistic preference relation to estimate the ranking of the considered alternatives. Also, an experiment has been conducted to demonstrate and implementation of the proposed approach.
ANN Modeling of Motional Resistance for Micro Disk Resonator
Authors: Sutagundar Manjula A. , Sheeparamatti Basavaprabhu G. , Jangamshetti Dakshayani S.
Published: January 2018

This article describes how modeling is an integral part of design and development of any system that provides the theoretical characterization of the system and helps in understanding the relations between various parameters of the system, before the system is developed. The capability of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to model the complex relations between a set of inputs and outputs is exploited to model the motional resistance and resonance frequency for a contour mode disk resonator. The solution was to develop a multilayer feed forward neural network. The data set required to train the ANN is obtained by developing an electrical equivalent model and through the MEMS simulation software Coventorware. The network is trained using a Levenberg Marquardt algorithm. The number of hidden layers and the number of neurons in each hidden layer is optimized using a genetic algorithm. The ANN model developed an efficient model of the motional resistance and resonance frequency of the disk resonator. The ANN output is compared with the output of an electrical equivalent model and a reported fabricated structure.
Solving Travelling Salesman Problem Using Heart Algorithm
Authors: Hatamlou Abdolreza
Published: January 2018

Solving hard problems like the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a major challenge faced by analysts even though many techniques are available. The main goal of TSP is that a number of cities should be visited by a salesman and return to the starting city along a number of possible shortest paths. TSP is although looking a simple problem, but it is an important problem of the classical optimization problems that are difficult to solve conventionally. It has been proved that solving TSP by the conventional approaches in a reasonable time is not possible. So, the only feasible option left is to use heuristic algorithms. In this article, we apply and investigate a new heuristic approach called Heart algorithm to solve Travelling Salesman Problem. It simulates the heart action and circulatory system procedure in the human beings for searching the problem space. The Heart algorithm has the advantages of strong robustness, fast convergence, fewer setting parameters and simplicity. The results of the Heart algorithm on several standard TSP instances is compared with the results of the PSO and ACO algorithms and show that the Heart algorithm performs well in finding the shortest distance within the minimum span of time.
Applications of SVR-PSO Model and Multivariate Linear Regression Model in PM2.5 Concentration Forecasting
Authors: Fan Guo-Feng , Liang Meng-Qi , Li Jing-Ru , Ma Wen-Lu
Published: January 2018

At present, the fog and haze problem is intensified, which has a great impact on the production of enterprises and living of the residents. PM2.5 is an important indicator of air pollution and it also receives much concern. This article collects the reliable data of PM2.5 in the five industrial cities in Henan Province from Weather Report Network, and PM2.5 Data Network since 2015. The effective approaches to forecast PM2.5 concentration is proposed, i.e., the improved multivariate linear regression (namely IMLR) model and support vector regression with particle swarm optimization algorithm (namely SVR-PSO) model. The empirical results demonstrate that the proposed IMLR and SVR-PSO forecasting models are effective, and also, could be an instructive reference for weather quality forecasting, safe travel, and safe production.
Framework for Managing Shared Knowledge in an Information Systems Outsourcing Context
Authors: Smuts Hanlie , Kotzé Paula , Van der Merwe Alta , Loock Marianne
Published: January 2018

Both information systems (IS) outsourcing and knowledge management are well-established business phenomena. The integration of shared knowledge in an IS outsourcing arrangement, represents the blending of organisational knowledge with external knowledge sources. In an attempt to provide tactical mechanisms for creating and managing shared knowledge in organisations embarking on IS outsourcing arrangements, this article focuses on the design and application of a knowledge framework for IS outsourcing, with the purpose of guiding organisations in their knowledge exchange planning through concrete mechanisms, practical steps and validation. Key considerations for IS outsourcing is mapped to critical success factors, each associated with a set of knowledge requirements and knowledge flows to support the successful achievement of a specific critical success factor. An associated assessment tool was designed to identify knowledge exchange mechanisms and potential issues and gaps in current or future IS outsource arrangements.
Innovation Through Boundary Spanning
Authors: Han Shu , Datta Avimanyu , Joshi K. D. , Chi Lei
Published: January 2018

Innovation is considered the engine for firm growth. Especially innovations, through recombining seemingly unrelated knowledge streams, can have groundbreaking impact and lead to sustained competitive advantage. To generate such innovation, firms often need to go beyond their existing technological or geographical boundaries to identify and integrate novel knowledge elements. This article refers to firms' knowledge activities of drawing upon distant knowledge (i.e., knowledge from dissimilar technological domains or distant geographical regions) to create novel technological solutions, as innovation through boundary spanning. Aiming to investigate the roles of information technology (IT) in facilitating innovation through boundary spanning, we collected data from the pharmaceutical industry over a six-year period to test the research model. The data analysis results indicate that IT supports boundary-spanning activities in firm innovation and different IT-enabled knowledge capabilities affect boundary-spanning innovation differently.
Applications of Nano Technology in Civil Engineering
Authors: Shamim Arslan , Ahmad Sajjad , Khitab Anwar , Anwar Waqas , Khushnood Rao Arsalan , Usman Muhammad
Published: January 2018

This article presents the recent trends in the field of civil engineering with an emphasis on the applications of nano materials and their beneficial effects at nano scale. The role and utilization of nanoparticles such as nano silica, carbon nano tubes, graphene, nano clays, nano CaCO3, nano TiO2, etc., is sharply increasing with the passage of time for achieving high performance composites. These nano materials not only enhance the mechanical properties of the resulting composites but also produce multifunctional characteristics. In this review, the authors have highlighted the various types of nanomaterials being used in the field of civil engineering and the performance improvements achieved by their utilization. Besides the potential benefits of Nano materials, they may pose some health and environmental concerns. A brief discussion is also provided on this issue.
Non-Trivial Software Clone Detection Using Program Dependency Graph
Authors: Gautam Pratiksha , Saini Hemraj
Published: January 2018

Code clones are copied fragments that occur at different levels of abstraction and may have different origins in a software system. This article presents an approach which shows the significant parts of source code. Further, by using significant parts of a source code, a control flow graph can be generated. This control flow graph represents the statements of a code/program in the form of basic blocks or nodes and the edges represent the control flow between those basic blocks. A hybrid approach, named the Program Dependence Graph (PDG) is also presented in this article for the detection of non-trivial code clones. The program dependency graph approach consists of two approaches as a control dependency graph and a data dependency graph. The control dependency graph is generated by using a control flow graph. This article proposes an approach which can easily generate control flow graphs and by using control flow graph and reduced flowgraph approach, the trivial software clone, a similar textual structure, can be detected.The proposed approach is based on a tokenization concept.
Teaching English Language Learners
Authors: Moser Kelly , Zhu Daina , Nguyen Ha , Williams Emily
Published: January 2018

English language learners (ELLs) are increasingly placed in classes with mainstream teachers lacking training and experience to teach diverse populations. Rural areas are being characterized by a growing number of ELLs, challenges to attract and retain qualified educators, and budgetary constraints. One solution to this quandary is to provide all teachers with ELL-related knowledge and skills prior to certification. The purpose of this article was to explore the experiences of secondary preservice teachers across a variety of disciplines in a rural teacher education program as they learned about and implemented strategies for differentiating instructions for ELLs. The article sought to examine if a simulation experience contributed toward an inclusive view of teaching ELLs and if preservice teachers were able to apply learned strategies to lesson planning and reflection activities. By studying how these experiences impact future teachers, this study attempts to contribute to improving teacher education that ultimately leads to a better educational experience for all learners.
Mini-Workshop: Women in Mathematics: Historical and Modern Perspectives
Authors: Hoff Kjeldsen Tinne , Oswald Nicola M.R. , Tobies Renate
Published: January 2018

The aim of the workshop is to build a bridge between research on the situation of women in mathematics at the beginning of coeducative studies and the current circumstances in academia. The issue of women in mathematics has been a recent political and social hot topic in the mathematical community. As thematic foci we place a double comparison: besides shedding light on differences and similarities in several European countries, we complete this investigation by comparing the developments of women studies from the beginnings. This shall lead to new results on tradition and suggest improvements on the present situation.
Hacia una didáctica de la literatura áurea en el siglo XXI
Authors: Vila Carneiro Zaida
Published: January 2018

En el presente artículo se traza una panorámica general de la didáctica de la literatura áurea para ofrecer, a continuación, una aproximación al uso de herramientas que faciliten la enseñanza de la producción literaria del Siglo de Oro en el siglo XXI en las enseñanzas no universitarias, si bien pueden ser aplicadas a cualquier periodo literario.
La evaluación del trabajo por proyectos por los estudiantes: un estudio a partir de un proyecto de innovación docente universitario
Authors: Crismán Pérez Rafael , Cardeñoso José Mª , García-González Esther
Published: January 2018

Este artículo versa sobre un proyecto de innovación docente llevado a cabo en la Universidad de Cádiz durante el curso 2014/15.  El proyecto consistió en aplicar una metodología de trabajo por proyectos (Pujol, 1991; Martín, 2006) a todos los grupos   de   tercer   curso   del   Grado   de Maestro de Educación Infantil.  De este modo, a partir de una muestra de 123 participantes, se midieron dos factores mediante escalas Likert:  la programación de contenidos y competencias clave en Educación Infantil a partir de proyectos, llevada    a    cabo    por    el    alumnado universitario y la innovación docente del profesorado   universitario   como   factor clave   en   el   aprendizaje   del   alumnado de   enseñanza   superior.   Los   resultados obtenidos    mostraron    una    valoración positiva por parte de los participantes hacia   los   factores   medidos   mediante escalas   Likert.   Además, los   alumnos destacaron positivamente las estrategias de   aprendizaje   cooperativo   aprendidas (Sancho; Barandián; Apodaca; Lobato; San José y Zubimendi, 2010; Pegalajar y Colmenero, 2013). Asimismo, los participantes demostraron la relevancia de la retroalimentación del proceso de enseña y aprendizaje, así como la autonomía para la autogestión de las tareas.  Por otro    lado, la    investigación    también demostró la necesidad de una adecuada coordinación docente universitaria para la realización de este tipo de proyectos de innovación docente y los beneficios de   la   autoevaluación   del   alumnado, tanto para los estudiantes participantes de   los   grupos   de   trabajo, como   para los   evaluadores   externos   constituidos por los profesores supervisores de esta metodología docente.
El WhatsApp como herramienta de apoyo a la tutoría
Authors: Suárez Lantarón Belén
Published: January 2018

El artículo presenta una experiencia educativa realizada con el fin de conocer si la aplicación de mensajería instantánea WhatsApp sería una adecuada herramienta de apoyo en la labor tutorial. Entre las razones que nos llevan a ello se encuentran: (i) El nuevo contexto educativo, definido desde la construcción del espacio europeo de educación superior, en el que se exige una mayor interactividad con los estudiantes por parte del profesor y donde la tutoría cobra un peso relevante. (ii) El hecho de vivir en un mundo con apoyos tecnológicos en todos los ámbitos de nuestras vidas (personal, profesional y social) y que, además, las aulas universitarias reciben estudiantes que ya son considerados nativos digitales. Para comprobar nuestra hipótesis, promovemos una experiencia con alumnado de primer curso del Grado de Educación Primaria de la Universidad de Murcia a los que se propuso la formación de un grupo de WhatsApp de la asignatura de Organización Escolar y Recursos Educativos. En dicho grupo se incluía al profesor, al cual se podía realizar cualquier consulta que surgiera durante el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de dicha materia, no solo en las tutorías ya establecidas, sino también a través de dicho grupo de mensajería instantánea. Los resultados obtenidos a través de las entrevista realizadas indican satisfacción por parte del profesor y de los estudiantes y, por tanto, que dicha aplicación ha resultado útil en las labores de tutoría.
Trabajando competencias transversales: conservación de la Colección de arte UPV/EHU
Authors: Porcel Ziarsolo Alazne , Artetxe Sánchez Enara , Maguregui Olabarria Itxaso
Published: January 2018

El Grado en Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales de la Universidad del País Vasco tiene como objetivo principal capacitar a los graduados/as en los siguientes ámbitos: el examen de los Bienes Culturales, la documentación, la conservación-restauración, la conservación preventiva, la investigación y la educación-divulgación. Desde la realidad de la práctica docente se plantea la necesidad de iniciar al alumnado en el estudio de obra real para facilitar la obtención de estos aprendizajes, así como las competencias necesarias para su formación. En este sentido, las obras de arte contemporáneo presentes en nuestro propio entorno, la universidad, constituyen una importante e interesante fuente de estudio e investigación. Se trata de obras muy diversas que pertenecen a la colección de patrimonio artístico que la UPV/EHU ha ido formando durante las últimas décadas mediante adquisiciones y donaciones. En este contexto, se diseña un proyecto de innovación docente financiado por el Vicerrectorado de Estudios de Grado e Innovación y coordinado entre las diferentes asignaturas de tercer curso que pretende localizar, identificar y catalogar las obras expuestas y almacenadas en los diferentes espacios y edificios de la universidad, para poder así garantizar su correcta catalogación y conservación. El presente artículo muestra los resultados de esta experiencia llevada a cabo por el alumnado del grado, que ha querido proponer una manera diferente de trabajar las competencias transversales dentro de la titulación.
El Barómetro INCODE como herramienta de autoevaluación de las competencias de innovación
Authors: Andreu-Andrés María Ángeles , Marin-García Juan A. , García-Carbonell Amparo
Published: January 2018

Este estudio presenta los resultados de investigación obtenidos tras el análisis de las opiniones sobre el diagnóstico de competencias de innovación para la mejora de procesos de los participantes en un curso MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). En él se utiliza el Barómetro INCODE para la autoevaluación y los participantes emiten su opinión del instrumento post-tratamiento. Las preguntas de investigación cuestionan si el Barómetro INCODE identifica las competencias de innovación de los participantes y si se podría utilizar en el ámbito de la empresa. Los resultados del análisis cualitativo de sus reflexiones muestran que el instrumento de evaluación les ha ayudado a identificar sus competencias de innovación, sus puntos fuertes y débiles, aunque los resultados serían más fiables acompañados de una evaluación adicional. Como mandos de empresa no se decantarían por el Barómetro INCODE como única herramienta en la selección, promoción o formación de equipos de trabajo, aunque consideran su validez. Las dificultades al usar el Barómetro se deben a la falta de experiencia en las situaciones a evaluar y a la dificultad de ser totalmente objetivos en la valoración de sus propios comportamientos. Los resultados obtenidos, junto con otros estudios propios, con empresas que participan en el proyecto y con la revisión de la literatura, posibilitarán el paso del Barómetro INCODE al Barómetro FINCODA, objetivo fundamental de un nuevo proyecto europeo. La nueva herramienta facilitará tanto la formación como la evaluación de comportamientos de innovación en la universidad y la empresa.
¿Puede un libro de texto atípico inducir a la innovación docente-discente?
Authors: González-Alfaya M.E. , López-Jiménez M.A. , López-Lorente A.I. , Soriano Dotor M.L. , Valcárcel M.
Published: January 2018

En este artículo se describe una obra docente atípica, con intención de ser rompedora, orientada a contribuir de forma amigable y asequible a una innovación docente-discente de una materia universitaria dedicada a los fundamentos/principios de un área de conocimiento. Como “casos de estudio” se han utilizado la Química Analítica y la Nanotecnología. El contenido del artículo se contextualiza en el apartado Introducción  del mismo donde se describe el concepto verdadero de innovación en el marco de los enfoques de Einstein y Khun, y se exponen las dos formas (top-down y bottom-up) de abordar la enseñanza-aprendizaje de los fundamentos de una área de conocimiento. La obra docente consta de un CD con aproximadamente 350 imágenes (descargables en PowerPoint ) con movimientos y un libro de texto que contiene la explicación detallada de cada diapositiva; así como dos anexos con un glosario de 250 términos y la resolución detallada de unas 240 cuestiones, respectivamente. La innovación docente-discente principal que aporta es que las imágenes tienen un mayor peso específico que el texto, lo que implica cambiar los roles del profesor y del estudiante en horas presenciales y no presenciales. Otras innovaciones a destacar son la participación de una estudiante como coautora, las referencias cruzadas permanentes para contextualizar al estudiante; así como el empleo permanente de ejemplos de la vida real y actual para apoyar los conceptos típicos de un libro de fundamentos. Esta innovación se ha extrapolado con éxito a un e-bookde divulgación de la nanotecnología a los ciudadanos, que también se describe sucintamente al final del artículo.
Confiabilidad de las valoraciones de los estudiantes. Estudio de sus competencias evaluativas
Authors: Gallego Ortega José Luis , Rodríguez Fuentes Antonio
Published: January 2018

Es sabido que la didáctica universitaria está cambiado con la implantación del EEES y sus nuevos escenarios, recursos y estrategias, al reclamar mayores cotas de implicación estudiantil, en tanto que constructores de su propio aprendizaje. Ello no se está reflejando en la evaluación que sigue primando la tradicional heteroevaluación del docente al discente, aun-que con menor peso del examen escrito en beneficio del trabajo procesual.  Resta combinar este patrón con otra heteroevaluación como la coevaluación; e, incluso, con la autoevaluación.  A ello contribuye el   estudio   cuasi-experimental   pretest-postest de la experiencia innovadora que se presenta, que indica las bondades de las fórmulas anteriores a la par que sus requerimientos previos. El grupo control no experimentó mejora de su competencia evaluadora ni mostró confiabilidad de sus puntuaciones diversas por su independencia, a diferencia del experimental que fue sometido a una breve capacitación evaluadora.  Además de las medidas de tendencia central (medias) y de dispersión (desviación típica), se acudió a la estadística inferencial, concretamente de contraste (Student y ANOVA) y de correlación (Pearson), para verificar la hipótesis de la confiabilidad de las evaluaciones del alumnado. Es necesario abrir el escenario de la evaluación para conseguir mayor justicia evaluadora, que no objetividad, pero es necesario hacerlo de la forma adecuada, con   un   tratamiento   eficaz como el que presenta este estudio.  Heteroevaluaciones tradicionales (profesorales) y no tradicionales (coevaluaciones) y autoevaluaciones responsables pueden y deben combinarse en la realidad de las aulas universitarias.  La Universidad del futuro así lo demanda y los profesores así debemos cubrirla.
Effect of restricted feeding under rearing on reproduction, body condition and blood metabolites of rabbit does selected for growth rate
Authors: Naturil-Alfonso C. , Marco-Jiménez F. , Pascual J.J. , Vicente J.S.
Published: January 2018

Young rabbit females selected for growth rate can have nutritional needs which may not be met by the common practice of feed restriction during rearing in commercial rabbit production. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of two different feeding programmes: restricted and ad libitum feeding, applied in young rabbit females for one month at the end of rearing, on reproductive performance, body condition and circulating metabolic hormones and metabolites in a rabbit line selected by growth rate in 3 consecutive reproductive cycles. Thus, twenty-four 16-week-old does were randomly assigned to a group in which the daily recommended nutrient intakes were satisfied (fed restricted: 130 g/day, n=13) or a group fed to satiety (ad libitum: 235.5 g/day, n=11) during one month. Then, all does were inseminated in 3 consecutive cycles using a 42-day reproductive cycle. Measurements of does’ body weight, perirenal fat thickness and plasma leptin, non-esterified-fatty-acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BOHB) and fructosamine were performed at artificial insemination (AI), parturition and weaning time in 3 consecutive cycles. Reproductive performance of does was evaluated based on fertility, litter size at parturition, prolificacy and productivity. Differences in body weight were found only in the 1st cycle, ad libitum fed females being heavier than restricted ones. Nevertheless, body weight variances disappeared in later cycles. No differences were found in perirenal fat thickness. Finally, in ad libitum fed females slight differences were found in plasma levels of NEFAs (452 vs. 258 μekv/L and 527 vs. 306 μekv/L for 1st and 2nd cycles) and BOHB (0.26 vs. 0.03 mM for 2nd cycle), but disappeared in the 3rd reproductive cycle. Fertility, prolificacy and productivity was not significantly affected by the feeding programme. Nevertheless, total litter size showed to be higher in ad libitum fed females at second parturition (8.7 vs. 5.9 kits). Therefore, the evaluated feeding programmes until first AI in females selected by growth rate had no effect on their reproductive outcomes, as the global reproductive performance was not affected.
Electrocardiographic reference values for healthy Netherland Dwarf rabbits and the influence of body position, age and gender
Authors: Chapel J. M. , Castillo C. , Hernández J. , Cipone M. , Benedito J. L.
Published: January 2018

The aim of this study was to provide reference values for a single, popular breed of pet rabbit. Moreover, additional objectives were to determine whether sex, body position or age alter Netherland Dwarf rabbit electrocardiographic variables and whether the use of electrocardiographic filters affects those variables. Forty Netherland Dwarf rabbits were examined clinically and standard six-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded in sternal and then dorsal recumbency. At first power-line and anti-drift filters were used and then they were disabled. The following variables were measured in lead II: heart rate; P wave duration and amplitude; P-R interval; QRS duration; R wave amplitude (with and without filters); Q-T interval; T wave duration and amplitude; S-T segment; J-T duration; and mean electrical axis (MEA) (with and without filters). MEA was determined by 3 different methods. After statistical processing of the data, our results showed that there were no significant differences between both recumbencies, with the exception of the J-T duration, which was higher in dorsal recumbency. The R wave amplitude using electrocardiographic filters showed significant differences between males (0.083 mV) and females (0.115 mV; P<0.05); and between younger rabbits (0.108 mV) and older rabbits (0.097 mV; P<0.05). These differences were not shown between R waves with filters disabled. Moreover, the strongest correlation was between 2 MEA methods without filters. MEA was more leftward in the pet rabbit than in other species (dog or cats). In conclusion, electrocardiography recording without electrocardiographic filters should be assessed when it is possible, and the specific ECGs characteristics for Netherland Dwarf rabbit should be taken into account.
Qualitative improvement of rabbit burgers using Zingiber officinale Roscoe powder
Authors: Mancini S. , Preziuso G. , Fratini F. , Torracca B. , Nuvoloni R. , Dal Bosco A. , Paci G.
Published: January 2018

The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of Zingiber officinale powder on physical-chemical traits, microbiological growth and sensory properties of rabbit burger. Raw burgers (only meat and meat added with 1 and 2% w/w ginger powder) were stored at 4°C for 1, 4 and 7 d and then cooked. Ginger modified the colour of both raw and cooked burgers, leading to more yellow hue and reducing lightness. Aspect of burgers were affected by ginger powder addition, leading to a noticeable difference between the samples. During storage time, the highest modifications were recorded for control samples, followed by burgers with added ginger. Sensory evaluation highlighted that ginger enhanced the juiciness of the burgers; moreover, burgers with ginger powder presented a significant delay in microbial growth. Ginger powder might be considered as a potential ingredient in rabbit meat products to increase their quality and extend their shelf-life.
Selective Prophylactic Calcium Supplementation reduces Length of Stay after Total Thyroidectomy
Authors: Gorelik Alexandra , Osborne Jake , Papachristos Alexander , Skandarajah Anita , Hng Daniel , Miller Julie
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Hypocalcemia is a common complication of thyroidectomy. We aimed to assess compliance with a targeted calcium and calcitriol supplementation protocol and hypothesized that it would allow safe early discharge without an increase in readmissions.

Materials and methods

In 2009, we instituted a targeted early postoperative calcium and calcitriol supplementation protocol based on postoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH). We retrospectively reviewed all patients who had a total or completion thyroidectomy over a 4-year period prior to protocol implementation (group I: 2005—2008) and over a 5-year period after protocol implementation (group II: 2010—2014), as well as all patients operated on in the private setting with the senior author over a 1-year period (group III: 2013). Endpoints for analysis were clinically significant hypocalcemia, protocol compliance, hospital length of stay (LOS), and readmission for hypocalcemia.

Results

Compliance with the protocol was high; however, the accuracy of supplementation prescription was significantly lower in group II than in group III (p < 0.0001). Mean corrected calcium on postoperative day 1 was significantly higher in groups II (2.29 mmol/L) and III (2.27 mmol/L) compared with group I (2.15 mmol/L; p < 0.0001). Forty (30.5%) patients had clinically significant hypocalcemia in group I, compared with 21 (10.8%) in group II, and 2 (3.3%) in group III (p < 0.0001). The LOS was significantly decreased after protocol introduction (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Selective prophylactic calcium supplementation reduces LOS after total thyroidectomy.

Clinical significance

Introducing a new management protocol in the public hospital system poses challenges with compliance; however, it was successful in lowering rates of symptomatic hypocalcemia and LOS without an increase in the readmission rate.

How to cite this article

Osborne J, Papachristos A, Skandarajah A, Gorelik A, Hng D, Miller J. Selective Prophylactic Calcium Supplementation reduces Length of Stay after Total Thyroidectomy. World J Endoc Surg 2017;9(3):88-93.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma with Inferior Vena Cava Thrombus extending up to Right Atrium: Evaluation and Management
Authors: Mayilvaganan Sabaretnam
Published: January 2018

Malignancy of the adrenal cortex is uncommon but aggressive and grows rapidly and metastasizes to the liver, lungs, kidneys, and bones. Very rarely, tumor thrombus may extend through via adrenal vein to the inferior vena cava (IVC) and even may extend up to the right atrium. Such a scenario is rare and possesses a real surgical challenge. We present a case of right adrenocortical tumor with IVC thrombus extending until the right atrium. The patient successfully underwent right adrenalectomy with nephrectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy and removal of its intravascular extension with the assistance of cardiopulmonary bypass and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography.

How to cite this article

Kumar SS, Mayilvaganan S, Majumdar G, Agarwal SK, Tewari P, Agarwal A. Adrenocortical Carcinoma with Inferior Vena Cava Thrombus extending up to Right Atrium: Evaluation and Management. World J Endoc Surg 2017;9(3):118-119.
Carbon Sequestering and Green Roof Technology: A Benefit Cost Analysis
Authors: Auld Douglas , Wright Jeremy
Published: January 2018

The installation of a green roof on residential buildings affords the opportunity to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The cost of incorporating green roofs in the construction of a family home or modifying an existing home is significant and the private benefits are rather small. Carbon reduction does have a value recognized by all levels of government in Canada. In this paper we calculate the cost of installing a green roof on a two vehicle garage in the Province of Ontario using current building costs. Utilizing data on the private costs and private benefits, the estimated NPV of a green roof over a 35 year period is negative. Once the value of carbon sequestering is introduced in the model, the NPV is positive, suggesting that subsidizing green roof construction is an efficient method in any government’s question to encourage a reduction in GHG emission.
Metaphorical Extensions of Ye (eat) Verb: The Case of Gᾶ
Authors: Otoo Ruby
Published: January 2018

The aim of this paper is to examine lexical semantics from a cognitive approach in Gᾶ, a Kwa language. In Gᾶ, the verb Ye ‘eat’ has polysemous and metaphorical uses. There has been linguistic research in Gᾶ and there is still the interest to study the language. Currently, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study that specifically explores lexical semantics from the cognitive approach. This is the gap the researcher attempts to fill. The verb denoting perception has metaphorical expressions that will have some relationship with the original verb. In the discussion, we consider the pragmatic implications and relevance of the extensions derived from the verb ye ‘eat’.. We look at the nature of the derived semantic patterns and consider the extent to which they are peculiar to the Gӑ language and culture. The study is based on Sweetser’s (1990) cognitive approach of semantic change. The paper shows that most of the metaphorical extensions are based on human perception and interaction with the physical world. The findings of the study reveal that the metaphorical meanings reflect the socio-cultural experiences of the Gӑ land, hence, the more they move away from the physical realms, the greater the realizations.
Intercultural Language Teaching: Techniques to Enhance Intercultural Competence in an EFL Classroom
Authors: BENMOUSSAT Smail , BENMOUSSAT Nabil Djawad
Published: January 2018

The acquisition of intercultural competence requires contact with members of the target language in an as active and direct a way as possible. In this article, therefore, a rather selective ‘broad brush’ approach will be adopted, which will attempt to highlight techniques which might be most helpful to teachers involved in intercultural language teaching. In ordinary classroom teaching, attempts can be made with the traditional techniques such as cultural asides, culture capsules, culture assimilators, role playing and classroom decoration. An ensemble of in-class techniques, have been put forward to address cultural behaviour while teaching language skills, that is, to link ‘the teaching of language to that of culture’ (Kramsch 1991). The proposed techniques contain practical ideas for developing cultural awareness and cross-cultural understanding. They also provide guidance for teachers on adopting traditional techniques to create activities suitable for intercultural learning. The activities can be done with the minimal of resources, and do not need special artistic expertise on the part of the teacher. The examples offer insights and practical guidance on designing cross-cultural activities.
DIFERENÇAS NAS CARACTERÍSTICAS FÍSICAS DE OVOS PRODUZIDOS SOB PASTEJO LIVRE E SISTEMA CONVENCIONAL
Authors: Galvão Julia Arantes , Possebon Fábio Sossai , Spina Thiago Luiz Belém , Guerra Filho João Bosco Pereira , Dos Santos Graciene Conceição , Pantoja José Carlos Figueiredo , Nogueira Pinto José Paes De Almeida
Published: January 2018

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar se existem diferenças entre parâmetros físicos internos e externos de ovos produzidos sob o regime de inspeção federal em dois sistemas de criação diferentes (pastejo livre e convencional) e se é justificada a alteração de sistemas convencionais para pastejo livre baseando-se nestas características. Para tal, ovos oriundos de uma granja com pastejo livre e outra com sistema convencional foram avaliados quanto ao peso, gravidade específica, espessura de casca, peso da casca por superfície de área, resistência da casca do ovo à quebra, percentagem de gema, percentagem de albúmen, coloração da gema e unidade Haugh. As granjas estavam alocadas na mesma propriedade, minimizando a introdução de vieses relacionados à temperatura macro climática, linhagem e, em partes, do arraçoamento. As coletas foram realizadas em quatro ciclos subsequentes de 28 dias. A cada ciclo eram realizados três dias de coleta de 30 ovos em cada sistema, totalizando 360 ovos por sistema. Foi observado que o peso dos ovos oriundos do sistema de pastejo livre eram mais leves que aqueles produzidos no sistema convencional, mesmo assim todos foram classificados como tipo extra. A gravidade específica dos ovos produzidos no sistema de pastejo livre foi menor que a observada nos ovos do sistema convencional (P<0,001). No pastejo livre as cascas dos ovos eram mais espessas (P<0,05) e resistentes (P=0,22), embora mais leves. A porcentagem de albúmen também foi maior no sistema de pastejo livre (P<0,05), o que se inverte na proporção de gema (P<0,05). A coloração das gemas revelou-se curiosamente semelhante em ambos os sistemas (P=0,56). Todos os ovos apresentaram Unidade Haugh AA (P=0,60). Assim ficou determinado que nas granjas avaliadas houve diferenças entre parâmetros físicos internos e externos de ovos (pastejo livre e convencional), mas estas não justificam a alteração de sistemas convencionais para pastejo livre baseando-se nestas características. É recomendado acrescentar a avaliação da cor da gema in loco em cada propriedade na rotina de fiscalização.
MOLECULAR DETECTION OF RANGELIA VITALII IN A DOG FROM THE CURITIBA METROPOLITAN REGION, PARANA STATE, SOUTHERN BRAZIL
Authors: Mongruel Anna C.B. , Stedile Simone Tostes de Oileira , Sousa Marlos G , Valente Jessica DM , Barbosa Iago C , Spanhol Viviane C , Sezyshta Amanda , Weber Luis F.S. , Vieira Thállitha S.W.J. , Vieira Rafael Felipe da Costa
Published: January 2018

Rangeliosis, caused by Rangelia vitalii, is known to causes apathy, intermittent fever, ear’s margin bleeding and anemia. Herein, we report the first molecular detection of R. vitalii infecting a dog from the Curitiba metropolitan region, Paraná State, southern Brazil. A four-year-old male mixed-breed neighborhood dog, presenting apathy, weight loss, and ear’s margin bleeding, was referred for clinical care at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Universidade Federal do Paraná. Sequencing of the piroplasm positive sample showed ≥99% identity with R. vitalii 18S rDNA sequence deposited in GenBank. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenicity, competence vector of ticks and epidemiology of this protozoa the State of Paraná.
Hobbes, Rousseau e Kant: um debate teórico sobre a guerra e a paz no cenário internacional
Authors: Oliveira Alana Camoça Gonçalves
Published: January 2018

A Guerra e a Paz são temas constantemente discutidos em autores clássicos da Ciência Política e das Relações Internacionais, por esse motivo temos o interesse de trazer um debate teórico sobre o tema. Por esse motivo estudaremos as obras de Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau e Immanuel Kant, buscando trazer as perspectivas de guerra e paz de tais autores.
EDITORIAL CONJUNTURA GLOBAL, v. 6, n. 3 (2017)
Authors: Bernardo Glaucia Julião , Mattos Mylena , Pereira Alexsandro Eugenio
Published: January 2018

Abrimos a última edição de 2017 da Revista Conjuntura Global apresentando alguns dados sobre as submissões recebidas e avaliadas, procurando, dentro do possível, tornar a CG mais transparente aos nossos colaboradores e leitores. Neste Editorial, procuramos apresentar dados sobre: número de artigos publicados, média de tempo de avaliação, grau de endogenia, regiões representadas em nosso trabalho e formato de submissão.