bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whey protein sweetened with Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Bert.) increases mitochondrial biogenesis markers in the skeletal muscle of resistance-trained rats
Authors: Lima Yago Carvalho , Kurauti Mirian Ayumi , da Fonseca Alves Gabriel , Ferezini Jonathan , Piovan Silvano , Malta Ananda , de Almeida Fernanda Losi Alves , Gomes Rodrigo Mello , de Freitas Mathias Paulo Cezar , Milani Paula Gimenez , da Costa Silvio Cláudio , Mareze-Costa Cecilia Edna
Published: September 2019

Background

A combination of resistance training and whey protein supplementation is a common practice among athletes and recreational exercisers to enhance muscle growth and strength. Although their safety as food additives is controversial, artificial sweeteners are present in whey protein supplements. Thus, natural sweeteners extracted from the leaves ofStevia rebaudianaare a potential alternative, due to their safety and health benefits. Here, we investigated the effects of whey protein sweetened withS. rebaudianaon physical performance and mitochondrial biogenesis markers in the skeletal muscle of resistance-trained rats.

Methods

Forty male Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: sedentary rats, trained rats, trained rats receiving whey protein and trained rats receiving whey protein sweetened withS. rebaudianaleaf extracts. Resistance training was performed by climbing a ladder 5 days per week, during 8-weeks. The training sessions consisted of four climbs carrying a load of 50, 75, 90, and 100% of the maximum load-carrying capacity which we determined before by performing a maximum load-carrying test for each animal. After this period, we collected plasma and tissues samples to evaluate biochemical, histological and molecular (western blot) parameters in these rats.

Results

Dietary supplementation with whey protein sweetened withS. rebaudianasignificantly enhanced the maximum load-carrying capacity of resistance-trained rats, compared with non-sweetened whey protein supplementation. This enhanced physical performance was accompanied by an increase in the weight of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscle pads. Although the muscle pad of the biceps brachii was not altered, we observed a significant increase in PGC-1α expression, which was followed by a similar pattern in TFAM protein expression, two important mitochondrial biogenesis markers. In addition, a higher level of AMPK phosphorylation was observed in these resistance-trained rats. Finally, supplementation with whey protein sweetened withS. rebaudianaalso induced a significant decrease in retroperitoneal adipocyte diameter and an increase in the weight of brown adipose tissue pads in resistance-trained rats.

Conclusion

The addition ofStevia rebaudianaleaf extracts to whey protein appears to be a potential strategy for those who want to increase muscular mass and strength and also improve mitochondrial function. This strategy may be useful for both athletes and patients with metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Targeting T cell metabolism in the tumor microenvironment: an anti-cancer therapeutic strategy
Authors: Yin Zhongping , Bai Ling , Li Wei , Zeng Tanlun , Tian Huimin , Cui Jiuwei
Published: September 2019

T cells play important roles in anti-tumor immunity. Emerging evidence has revealed that distinct metabolic changes impact the activation and differentiation of T cells. Tailoring immune responses by manipulating cellular metabolic pathways and the identification of new targets may provide new options for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the metabolic reprogramming of different subtypes of T cells and T cell functions. We summarize how metabolic pathways accurately regulate T cell development, differentiation, and function in the tumor microenvironment. Because of the similar metabolism in activated T cells and tumor cells, we also describe the effect of the tumor microenvironment on T cell metabolism reprogramming, which may provide strategies for maximal anti-cancer effects and enhancing the immunity of T cells. Thus, studies of T lymphocyte metabolism can not only facilitate the basic research of immune metabolism, but also provide potential targets for drug development and new strategies for clinical treatment of cancer.
Sample size estimation for randomised controlled trials with repeated assessment of patient-reported outcomes: what correlation between baseline and follow-up outcomes should we assume?
Authors: Walters Stephen J. , Jacques Richard M. , dos Anjos Henriques-Cadby Inês Bonacho , Candlish Jane , Totton Nikki , Xian Mica Teo Shu
Published: September 2019

Background

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are now frequently used in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as primary endpoints. RCTs are longitudinal, and many have a baseline (PRE) assessment of the outcome and one or more post-randomisation assessments of outcome (POST). With such pre-test post-test RCT designs there are several ways of estimating the sample size and analysing the outcome data: analysis of post-randomisation treatment means (POST); analysis of mean changes from pre- to post-randomisation (CHANGE); analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Sample size estimation using the CHANGE and ANCOVA methods requires specification of the correlation between the baseline and follow-up measurements. Other parameters in the sample size estimation method being unchanged, an assumed correlation of 0.70 (between baseline and follow-up outcomes) means that we can halve the required sample size at the study design stage if we used an ANCOVA method compared to a comparison of POST treatment means method. So what correlation (between baseline and follow-up outcomes) should be assumed and used in the sample size calculation? The aim of this paper is to estimate the correlations between baseline and follow-up PROMs in RCTs.

Methods

The Pearson correlation coefficients between the baseline and repeated PROM assessments from 20 RCTs (with 7173 participants at baseline) were calculated and summarised.

Results

The 20 reviewed RCTs had sample sizes, at baseline, ranging from 49 to 2659 participants. The time points for the post-randomisation follow-up assessments ranged from 7 days to 24 months; 464 correlations, between baseline and follow-up, were estimated; the mean correlation was 0.50 (median 0.51; standard deviation 0.15; range − 0.13 to 0.91).

Conclusions

There is a general consistency in the correlations between the repeated PROMs, with the majority being in the range of 0.4 to 0.6. The implications are that we can reduce the sample size in an RCT by 25% if we use an ANCOVA model, with a correlation of 0.50, for the design and analysis. There is a decline in correlation amongst more distant pairs of time points.
Tick mitochondrial genomes: structural characteristics and phylogenetic implications
Authors: Wang Tianhong , Zhang Shiqi , Pei Tingwei , Yu Zhijun , Liu Jingze
Published: September 2019

Ticks are obligate blood-sucking arachnid ectoparasites from the order Acarina, and many are notorious as vectors of a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens. However, the systematics of ticks in several genera is still controversial. The mitochondrial genome (mt-genome) has been widely used in arthropod phylogeny, molecular evolution and population genetics. With the development of sequencing technologies, an increasing number of tick mt-genomes have been sequenced and annotated. To date, 63 complete tick mt-genomes are available in the NCBI database, and these genomes have become an increasingly important genetic resource and source of molecular markers in phylogenetic studies of ticks in recent years. The present review summarizes all available complete mt-genomes of ticks in the NCBI database and analyses their characteristics, including structure, base composition and gene arrangement. Furthermore, a phylogenetic tree was constructed using mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes from ticks. The results will provide important clues for deciphering new tick mt-genomes and establish a foundation for subsequent taxonomic research.
Spatial temporal graph convolutional networks for skeleton-based dynamic hand gesture recognition
Authors: Li Yong , He Zihang , Ye Xiang , He Zuguo , Han Kangrong
Published: September 2019

Hand gesture recognition methods play an important role in human-computer interaction. Among these methods are skeleton-based recognition techniques that seem to be promising. In literature, several methods have been proposed to recognize hand gestures with skeletons. One problem with these methods is that they consider little the connectivity between the joints of a skeleton, constructing simple graphs for skeleton connectivity. Observing this, we built a new model of hand skeletons by adding three types of edges in the graph to finely describe the linkage action of joints. Then, an end-to-end deep neural network, hand gesture graph convolutional network, is presented in which the convolution is conducted only on linked skeleton joints. Since the training dataset is relatively small, this work proposes expanding the coordinate dimensionality so as to let models learn more semantic features. Furthermore, relative coordinates are employed to help hand gesture graph convolutional network learn the feature representation independent of the random starting positions of actions. The proposed method is validated on two challenging datasets, and the experimental results show that it outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, it is relatively lightweight in practice for hand skeleton-based gesture recognition.
Numerical solution of stochastic state-dependent delay differential equations: convergence and stability
Authors: Akhtari Bahar
Published: September 2019

Numerical analysis of stochastic delay differential equations has been widely developed but frequently for the cases where the delay term has a simple feature. In this paper, we aim to study a more general case of delay term which has not been much discussed so far. We mean the case where the delay term takes random values. For this purpose, a new continuous split-step scheme is introduced to approximate the solution and then convergence in the mean-square sense is investigated. Moreover, given a test equation, the mean-square asymptotic stability of the scheme is presented. Numerical examples are provided to further illustrate the obtained theoretical results.
Retrieved lymph nodes from different anatomic groups in gastric cancer: a proposed optimal number, comparison with other nodal classification strategies and its impact on prognosis
Authors: Pan Siwei , Wang Pengliang , Xing Yanan , Li Kai , Wang Zhenning , Xu Huimian , Zhu Zhi
Published: September 2019

Background

The optimal number of retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) in gastric cancer (GC) is still debatable and previous studies proposing new classification alternatives mostly focused on the number of retrieved LNs without proper consideration on the anatomic nodal groups’ location. Here, we assessed the impact of retrieved LNs from different nodal location groups on the survival of GC patients.

Methods

Stage I–III gastric cancer patients who had radical gastrectomy were investigated. LN grouping was determined according to the 13th edition of the JCGC. The optimal cut‐off values of retrieved LNs in different LN groups (Group 1 and 2) were calculated, based on which a proposed nodal classification (rN) simultaneously accounting the optimal number and location of retrieved LNs was proposed. The performance of rN was then compared to that of LN ratio, log‐odds of metastatic LNs (LODDs) and the 8th edition of the Union for International Cancer Control/American Joint Committee on Cancer (UICC/AJCC) N classification.

Results

The optimal cut‐off values for Group 1 and 2 were 13 and 9, respectively. The 5‐year overall survival (OS) was higher for patients in retrieved Group 1 LNs > 13 (vs. Group 1 LNs ≤ 13, 63.2% vs. 57.9%, P = 0.005) and retrieved Group 2 LNs > 9 (vs. Group 2 LNs ≤ 9, 72.5% vs. 60.7%, P = 0.009). Patients staged as pN0–3b were sub classified using this Group 1 and 2 nodal analogy. The OS of pN0–N2 patients in retrieved Group 1 LNs > 13 or Group 2 LNs > 9 were superior to those in retrieved Group 1 LNs ≤ 13 and Group 2 LNs ≤ 9 (All P < 0.05); except for pN3 patients. The rN classification was formulated and demonstrated better 5‐year OS prognostication performance as compared to the LNR, LODDs, and the 8th UICC/AJCC N staging system.

Conclusions

The retrieval of > 13 and > 9 LNs for Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, could represent an alternative lymph node retrieval approach in radical gastrectomy for more precise survival prognostication and minimizing staging migration, especially if > 16 LNs is found to be difficult.
Comprehensive framework between environment and genomic stability: the open symposium of the Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society (JEMS) in 2019
Authors: Horibata Katsuyoshi , Sekimoto Masashi , Sugiyama Kei-ichi
Published: September 2019

The open symposium of the Japanese Environmental Mutagen Society (JEMS), under the title of “Comprehensive framework between environment and genomic stability,” was held in the Main Conference Room of the Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research, Tokyo, on June 8, 2019. To understand the relationship between genes and environmental mutagens, the symposium highlights the research activities in the fields of cancer, carcinogenesis and related diseases caused by genomic instabilities, including epigenetic and metabolomic alterations. The symposium was planned to help familiarize attendees with the current trends in research on genome safety. The organizers herein present a summary of the symposium.
Adding Ovarian Suppression to Tamoxifen for Premenopausal Breast Cancer: A Randomized Phase III Trial
Authors: Kim Hyun-Ah , Lee Jong Won , Nam Seok Jin , Park Byeong-Woo , Im Seock-Ah , Lee Eun Sook , Jung Yong Sik , Yoon Jung Han , Kang Sung Soo , Lee Soo-Jung , Park Kyong Hwa , Jeong Joon , Cho Se-Heon , Kim Sung Yong , Kim Lee Su , Moon Byung-In , Lee Min Hyuk , Kim Tae Hyun , Park Chanheun , Jung Sung Hoo , Gwak Geumhee , Kim Jeryong , Kang Sun Hee , Jin Young Woo , Kim Hee Jeong , Han Se-Hwan , Han Wonshik , Hur Min Hee , Noh Woo Chul ,   on behalf of the Korean Breast Cancer Study Group
Published: September 2019

PURPOSE

The addition of ovarian function suppression (OFS) for 5 years to tamoxifen (TAM) for treatment of premenopausal patients with breast cancer after completion of chemotherapy has beneficial effects on disease-free survival (DFS). This study evaluated the efficacy of adding 2 years of OFS to TAM in patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer who remain in a premenopausal state or resume ovarian function after chemotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled 1,483 premenopausal women (age ≤ 45 years) with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer treated with definitive surgery after completing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Ovarian function was assessed every 6 months for 2 years since enrollment on the basis of follicular-stimulating hormone levels and vaginal bleeding history. If ovarian function was confirmed to be premenopausal at each visit, the patient was randomly assigned to complete 5 years of TAM alone (TAM-only) group or 5 years of TAM with OFS for 2 years that involved monthly goserelin administration (TAM + OFS) group. DFS was defined from the time of enrollment to the time of the first event.

RESULTS

A total of 1,293 patients were randomly assigned, and 1,282 patients were eligible for analysis. The estimated 5-year DFS rate was 91.1% in the TAM + OFS group and 87.5% in the TAM-only group (hazard ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.97; P = .033). The estimated 5-year overall survival rate was 99.4% in the TAM + OFS group and 97.8% in the TAM-only group (hazard ratio, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.94; P = .029).

CONCLUSION

The addition of 2 years of OFS to TAM significantly improved DFS compared with TAM alone in patients who remained premenopausal or resumed ovarian function after chemotherapy.
Niraparib Maintenance Treatment Improves Time Without Symptoms or Toxicity (TWiST) Versus Routine Surveillance in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A TWiST Analysis of the ENGOT-OV16/NOVA Trial
Authors: Matulonis Ursula A. , Walder Lydia , Nøttrup Trine J. , Bessette Paul , Mahner Sven , Gil-Martin Marta , Kalbacher Elsa , Ledermann Jonathan A. , Wenham Robert M. , Woie Kathrine , Lau Susie , Marmé Frederik , Casado Herraez Antonio , Hardy-Bessard Anne-Claire , Banerjee Susana , Lindahl Gabriel , Benigno Benedict , Buscema Joseph , Travers Karin , Guy Holly , Mirza Mansoor R.
Published: September 2019

PURPOSE

This study estimated time without symptoms or toxicity (TWiST) with niraparib compared with routine surveillance (RS) in the maintenance treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Mean progression-free survival (PFS) was estimated for niraparib and RS by fitting parametric survival distributions to Kaplan-Meier data for 553 patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who were enrolled in the phase III ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial. Patients were categorized according to the presence or absence of a germline BRCA mutation—g BRCAmut and non-g BRCAmut cohorts. Mean time with toxicity was estimated based on the area under the Kaplan-Meier curve for symptomatic grade 2 or greater fatigue, nausea, and vomiting adverse events (AEs). Time with toxicity was the number of days a patient experienced an AE post–random assignment and before disease progression. TWiST was estimated as the difference between mean PFS and time with toxicity. Uncertainty was explored using alternative PFS estimates and considering all symptomatic grade 2 or greater AEs.

RESULTS

In the g BRCAmut and non-g BRCAmut cohorts, niraparib treatment resulted in a mean PFS benefit of 3.23 years and 1.44 years, respectively, and a mean time with toxicity of 0.28 years and 0.10 years, respectively, compared with RS. Hence, niraparib treatment resulted in a mean TWiST benefit of 2.95 years and 1.34 years, respectively, compared with RS, which is equivalent to more than four-fold and two-fold increases in mean TWiST between niraparib and RS in the g BRCAmut and non-g BRCAmut cohorts, respectively. This TWiST benefit was consistent across all sensitivity analyses, including modeling PFS over 5-, 10-, and 15-year time horizons.

CONCLUSION

Patients who were treated with niraparib compared with RS experienced increased mean TWiST. Thus, patients who were treated with niraparib in the ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial experienced more time without symptoms or symptomatic toxicities compared with control.
Guiding Opioid Administration by 3 Different Analgesia Nociception Monitoring Indices During General Anesthesia Alters Intraoperative Sufentanil Consumption and Stress Hormone Release: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Funcke Sandra , Pinnschmidt Hans O. , Wesseler Stefan , Brinkmann Charlotte , Beyer Burkhard , Jazbutyte Virginija , Behem Christoph R. , Trepte Constantin , Nitzschke Rainer
Published: September 2019

BACKGROUND:

This pilot study investigated the effect of sufentanil titration by 3 different analgesia monitoring devices or clinical signs during general anesthesia.

METHODS:

Forty-eight patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy with sevoflurane/sufentanil anesthesia were randomly assigned into 4 groups and received sufentanil guided either by 1 of 3 analgesia monitoring devices (Surgical Pleth Index [SPI], Pupillary Pain Index [PPI], Nociception Level [NoL]) or by clinical judgment (control). The primary end point was intraoperative sufentanil consumption. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol were measured at 4 time points during the day of surgery. Data were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests and by mixed model and area under the curve (AUC) analyses for group comparisons and time effects of stress hormones.

RESULTS:

The total amount of sufentanil administration (μg·kg−1·minute−1·10−3) differed between the groups (median [quartiles]: control = 5.6 [4.4–6.4], SPI = 7.2 [4.8–8.4], PPI = 2.0 [1.8–2.9], NoL = 3.8 [3.3–5.1]; PPI versus SPI, −5.1 [−6.6 to −1.3], P < .001; NoL versus SPI, −3.0 [−5.2 to 0.2], P = .024; control versus SPI, −1.6 [−3.7 to 1.7], P = .128; NoL versus PPI, 1.7 [0.6–3.4], P < .001; control versus PPI, 3.4 [2.0–4.6], P < .001; control versus NoL, 1.6 [−0.2 to 3.3], P = .017) (Hodges–Lehmann estimator [99% confidence interval {CI}], P values). The AUC analysis indicated differences among groups in cumulative ACTH levels (ng·liter−1·minute, natural logarithm (ln)-transformed data) of NoL versus PPI (−1.079 [−1.950 to −0.208], P = .001) and PPI versus SPI (1.192 [0.317–2.068], P= .001), as well as differences in cortisol levels (µg·liter−1·minute) for PPI versus SPI (46,710 [21,145–72,274], P < .001), NoL versus SPI (27,645 [3163–52,126], P = .003), and control versus SPI (31,824 [6974–56,675], P = .001) (differences in means [99% CI], P value). Secondary end points (postoperative recovery, pain level, and analgesia medication) showed no differences.

CONCLUSIONS:

The type of analgesia nociception monitoring affected the total amount of sufentanil administered. Lower sufentanil doses in the PPI group were associated with an increased endocrine stress response. Titration by SPI caused no opioid reduction compared to the control but was associated with a reduced endocrine stress response.
mTOR hyperactivity mediates lysosomal dysfunction in Gaucher's disease iPSC-neuronal cells
Authors: Brown Robert A. , Voit Antanina , Srikanth Manasa P. , Thayer Julia A. , Kingsbury Tami J. , Jacobson Marlene A. , Lipinski Marta M. , Feldman Ricardo A. , Awad Ola
Published: September 2019

Bi-allelic GBA1 mutations cause Gaucher's disease (GD), the most common lysosomal storage disorder. Neuronopathic manifestations in GD include neurodegeneration, which can be severe and rapidly progressive. GBA1 mutations are also the most frequent genetic risk factors for Parkinson's disease. Dysfunction of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway represents a key pathogenic event in GBA1-associated neurodegeneration. Using an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model of GD, we previously demonstrated that lysosomal alterations in GD neurons are linked to dysfunction of the transcription factor EB (TFEB). TFEB controls the coordinated expression of autophagy and lysosomal genes and is negatively regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). To further investigate the mechanism of autophagy-lysosomal pathway dysfunction in neuronopathic GD, we examined mTORC1 kinase activity in GD iPSC neuronal progenitors and differentiated neurons. We found that mTORC1 is hyperactive in GD cells as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of its downstream protein substrates. We also found that pharmacological inhibition of glucosylceramide synthase enzyme reversed mTORC1 hyperactivation, suggesting that increased mTORC1 activity is mediated by the abnormal accumulation of glycosphingolipids in the mutant cells. Treatment with the mTOR inhibitor Torin1 upregulated lysosomal biogenesis and enhanced autophagic clearance in GD neurons, confirming that lysosomal dysfunction is mediated by mTOR hyperactivation. Further analysis demonstrated that increased TFEB phosphorylation by mTORC1 results in decreased TFEB stability in GD cells. Our study uncovers a new mechanism contributing to autophagy-lysosomal pathway dysfunction in GD, and identifies the mTOR complex as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of GBA1-associated neurodegeneration.
Studying, designing and 3d-printing an operational model of the Antikythera Mechanism
Authors: Mavromanolakis Georgios , Manousos T , Kechri M , Kollia P. L. , Kanellopoulos G
Published: September 2019

3D printing technology is an established industrial practice for rapid prototyping and manufacturing across a range of products, components and commercial sectors and at the same time possesses great potential for every-day life applications to be invented, explored and developed by the coming generations of scientists and engineers. A 3D printer installed in a school setting and complemented by well-designed educational activities can: stimulate the interest and curiosity of students; engage and motivate them into studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, that they may choose or consider as career options; give the opportunity to teachers to achieve content and concept learning in an innovative way. In this paper we present an interdisciplinary science course that was developed for high school students and was implemented in an actual science classroom. The objectives of the course were both to spark the interest and creativity of students and teach them certain curriculum units the content knowledge of which is reached or utilized in an unconventional way. Students are gradually introduced into the 3D printing technology, its application and potential and are assigned a challenging collaborative project in which they have to study, analyse, design and build, using the 3D printer of their school, an operational model of a renown ancient artefact, the so-called Antikythera Mechanism. The mechanism is a 2100-year-old computer and is internationally known as an artefact of unprecedented human ingenuity and scientific, historic and symbolic value. The course involves the teaching of STEM curriculum domains of physics, astronomy, mathematics/geometry, informatics and technology related content and also non-STEM subjects like history and Greek language, both ancient and modern. We give an overview of the course, discuss its various phases and highlight its outcomes.
Editorial - Welcoming the first European peer review scientific journal created for and curated by school students
Authors: Giannakopoulou Aliki
Published: September 2019

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Erasmus+: H επιστήμη μέσα από τα πειράματα στην Ευρώπη
Authors: Κωνσταντίνος Ξυλόπορτας , Ζωγοπούλου Γεωργία , Ελευθερία Καμπόλη , Κοκόλης Αθανάσιος , Μπουντά Αλκμήνη , Παπούλια Αντωνία
Published: September 2019

Στις μέρες μας, οι φυσικές επιστήμες αποτελούν βασική συνιστώσα στην εκπαίδευση όλων των χωρών με «κοινή γλώσσα» τον πειραματισμό. Στο πλαίσιο προγράμματος Erasmus+, με συμμαθητές μας από άλλες πέντε χώρες (Ισπανία, Πολωνία, Ρουμανία, Σλοβενία, Τουρκία) πειραματιζόμαστε και ανταλλάσσουμε τις δραστηριότητές μας πάνω σε διάφορες θεματικές. Στην παρούσα δράση ασχοληθήκαμε με το νερό και με απλά ευχάριστα πειράματα δείξαμε τη λειτουργία της κούπας του Πυθαγόρα και πώς κατασκευάζεται καθώς και την κατασκευή ενός απλού λειτουργικού φίλτρου απορρύπανσης του νερού. Επίσης πειραματιστήκαμε με το υδρορομπότ του σχολείου μας. Τέλος επισκεφθήκαμε το Ελληνικό Κέντρο Θαλασσίων Ερευνών και πραγματοποιήσαμε πειράματα ποιοτικής ανάλυσης και ανάλυσης θρεπτικών χαρακτηριστικών του νερού. Τα πειράματα, το θεωρητικό τους υπόβαθρο, η εκτέλεσή τους καθώς και τα συμπεράσματα που προκύπτουν παρουσιάζονται σ΄αυτή την εργασία.
Ο άρρητος √2=1,414213562373095 ….. και οι αποδείξεις του
Authors: Σιώπη Καλλιόπη , Γκογιάννος Ιωσήφ Γκογιάννος , Γκουτζάνη Κλειώ , Δάβου Αργυρώ , Δημητρακοπούλου Ειρήνη , Εξάρχου Λυδία
Published: September 2019

Η ιστορία ξεκινά 2500 χρόνια πριν με ένα «σκάνδαλο»: η μυστική αδελφότητα των Πυθαγορείων ανακαλύπτει ότι δεν μπορεί να μετρηθεί η διαγώνιος με την πλευρά τετραγώνου με μήκος πλευράς μιας μονάδας και η άποψη των Πυθαγορείων ότι ‘όλα είναι αριθμός’ καταρρίπτεται. Η αιτία ο άρρητος αριθμός √2. Η εργασία μελετά το θέμα του αριθμού √2 από την άποψη της ιστορικής του εμφάνισης και εστιάζει στις μεθόδους και στρατηγικές απόδειξης της αρρητότητάς του. Η μελέτη της ιστορικής προέλευσης του αριθμού √2 και η ανάδειξη διάφορων μεθόδων και στρατηγικών απόδειξής του στο γεωμετρικό και στο αλγεβρικό πλαίσιο συμβάλει στην κατανόηση της φύσης του άρρητου αριθμού √2, στην εμπέδωση γνώσεων και διαδικασιών και στην οικοδόμηση νέων.
Έλεγχος Ηλεκτρικών Συσκευών από Απόσταση μέσω Κινητού Τηλεφώνου
Authors: Κοντοπίδη Ευαγγελία , Κώστας Γεώργιος-Αλέξανδρος
Published: September 2019

Το θέμα που παρουσιάζω είναι ο τηλεχειριζόμενος αυτοματισμός λειτουργίας ηλεκτρικής συσκευής. Μια απλή καθημερινή ανάγκη, αυτή του ελέγχου της οικιακής καφετιέρας από απόσταση, με οδήγησε στη σχεδίαση και υλοποίηση ενός ολοκληρωμένου συστήματος που ικανοποιεί τέτοιου είδους ανάγκες και μπορεί να κατασκευαστεί εύκολα και οικονομικά από κάποιον με βασικές γνώσεις στα ηλεκτρονικά. Το σύστημα αποτελείται από: α) τον μικροεπεξεργαστή Arduino που ελέγχει όλο το σύστημα, β) τα συμπληρωματικά κυκλώματα υλοποίησης της ασύρματης επικοινωνίας και ελέγχου της οικιακής ηλεκτρικής συσκευής, γ) ένα κινητό τηλέφωνο Android. Το σύστημα ολοκληρώνεται με λογισμικό αποτελούμενο από δύο μέρη: το πρόγραμμα που οδηγεί το μικροεπεξεργαστή και αυτό που ελέγχει τη λειτουργία της οικιακής συσκευής μέσω του κινητού τηλεφώνου. Αξιοποιούνται δε απλά προγραμματιστικά περιβάλλοντα χωρίς να απαιτούνται εξειδικευμένες γνώσεις. Η αποκτηθείσα, από την κατασκευή του παραπάνω συστήματος, εμπειρία και γνώση μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί στην κατασκευή και άλλων εφαρμογών αυτοματισμού και ελέγχου, π.χ. «έξυπνο» σπίτι/αυτοκίνητο ή εφαρμογές που απαιτούν απομακρυσμένο έλεγχο και ανταλλαγή δεδομένων.
Η τεχνική της ‘Συμπλήρωσης τετραγώνου’ με χρήση Lego
Authors: Σιώπη Καλλιόπη , Αγγέλη Θεοδώρα , Αυγερινού Κατερίνα , Γουργουλέτης Νίκος , Δημητρακοπούλου Βέρα- Λυδία , Ζαχαρίου Ελισάβετ
Published: September 2019

Η μέθοδος της συμπλήρωσης τετραγώνου είναι μια τεχνική που βρίσκει εφαρμογές στην εύρεση των τύπων των ριζών δευτεροβάθμιας εξίσωσης, στη μελέτη των ιδιοτήτων της συνάρτησης με μορφή τριωνύμου και των σχετικών με το τριώνυμο μετασχηματισμών της μορφής του καθώς, και στην επίλυση προβλημάτων άλλων επιστημονικών πεδίων όπως της φυσικής. Ο προσδιορισμός «συμπλήρωση τετραγώνου» της μεθόδου έχει διττή ερμηνεία: από την πλευρά της άλγεβρας σχετίζεται με την έννοια της τετραγωνικής δύναμης πραγματικού αριθμού και από την πλευρά της γεωμετρίας με το εμβαδό τετραγώνου. Στην εργασία μας εστιάζουμε στη γεωμετρική πτυχή της μεθόδου και διερευνούμε την προέλευσή της, στην προσπάθειά μας να βρούμε εναλλακτικούς τρόπους ερμηνείας της που θα εξηγούν και θα δίνουν νόημα στις αλγεβρικές διαδικασίες που σχετίζονται με την έννοια του τριωνύμου. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό, χρησιμοποιούμε αντικείμενα Lego και μοντελοποιούμε τις διαδικασίες παραγωγής των τύπων των ριζών δευτεροβάθμιας εξίσωσης.
Air Pollution: Sources and Global Statistics
Authors: Zorzos Achilleas , Alexiadis Antonis , Zacharopoulos Stavros
Published: September 2019

Air pollution is called the presence of any kind or form of substances, noise or radiation found in the atmosphere in such a quantity, concentration or duration capable of causing harm in human health, living organisms and ecosystems. By understanding the reasons behind the increase of air polluting substances in the atmosphere, we may have better chances of solving the problem in the future.
Εφαρμογές του Θεωρήματος Μέσης Τιμής (Lagrange) στον υπολογισμό της παραγώγου: η περίπτωση της στιγμιαίας ταχύτητας
Authors: Γλένης Σπύρος , Θεοδωρόπουλος Ηλίας , Καραγιάννη Νικόλα , Λεμονά Ευανθία , Μπαρτατίλα Αρετή , Σταμάτη Αγγελική , Τζουμάνη Καλλιόπη , Λουκάτος Δημήτρης
Published: September 2019

Με αφορμή μια εφαρμογή στο Θεώρημα Μέσης Τιμής (Θ.Μ.Τ.) Διαφορικού Λογισμού που υπάρχει στο σχολικό βιβλίο «Μαθηματικά Κατεύθυνσης Γ΄ Λυκείου», αναπτύσσονται μαθηματικά εργαλεία, χρησιμοποιώντας το εν λόγω θεώρημα του Lagrange και το ανάπτυγμα Taylor, για τον υπολογισμό της παραγώγου σε κάποιο σημείο xo. Ως εφαρμογή μελετάται ο υπολογισμός της στιγμιαίας ταχύτητας v(tο), λαμβάνοντας υπ’ όψιν τη μέση ταχύτητα σε ένα δεδομένο χρονικό διάστημα. Στις ομαλά μεταβαλλόμενες κινήσεις, οι οποίες περιγράφονται από πολυώνυμα δευτέρου βαθμού, αποδεικνύεται με χρήση του Θ.Μ.Τ. ότι η στιγμιαία ταχύτητα v(to) ισούται με τη μέση ταχύτητα στο διάστημα [to-h, to+h], για οποιαδήποτε επιλογή του h>0. Στη συνέχεια, εξετάζεται αν τα ίδια αποτελέσματα επεκτείνονται και σε άλλα είδη κινήσεων που περιγράφονται από εκθετικές ή τριγωνομετρικές συναρτήσεις. Εφαρμόζοντας το ανάπτυγμα Taylor, αποδεικνύεται ότι και σε αυτές τις κινήσεις η στιγμιαία ταχύτητα v(to) είναι περίπου ίση με τη μέση ταχύτητα στο διάστημα [to-h,to+h], όχι όμως για οποιαδήποτε επιλογή του h>0. Στο τέλος, υλοποιώντας κατάλληλες πειραματικές διατάξεις, σε διασύνδεση με μία υπολογιστική πλατφόρμα Arduino Uno, μετράται η στιγμιαία ταχύτητα και συγκρίνεται με τη μέση ταχύτητα σε διάφορα είδη κινήσεων, ελέγχοντας κατά πόσο οι προβλέψεις από το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο συμφωνούν με τα πειραματικά δεδομένα.
Greener Greens?
Authors: Clarke R
Published: September 2019

Are current consumer patterns sustainable in terms of our planet’s health? Do the food choices we make have a negative impact on climate change? Is the demand for farmland affecting biodiversity? Here, we the students of Confey College, report the findings of our investigations into these and other questions related to our impact on the environment at a local and global level.
The roadmap towards elimination of lymphatic filariasis by 2030: insights from quantitative and mathematical modelling
Authors:   NTD Modelling Consortium Lymphatic Filariasis Group
Published: September 2019

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis was launched in 2000 to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem by 1) interrupting transmission through mass drug administration (MDA) and 2) offering basic care to those suffering from lymphoedema or hydrocele due to the infection. Although impressive progress has been made, the initial target year of 2020 will not be met everywhere. The World Health Organization recently proposed 2030 as the new target year for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem. In this letter, LF modelers of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Modelling Consortium reflect on the proposed targets for 2030 from a quantitative perspective. While elimination as a public health problem seems technically and operationally feasible, it is uncertain whether this will eventually also lead to complete elimination of transmission. The risk of resurgence needs to be mitigated by strong surveillance after stopping interventions and sometimes perhaps additional interventions.
Reforms of Russian Education and Their Impact on the Quality of Labor Force Training
Authors: Гарнов Андрей , Garnov Andrey , Логинова Е. , Loginova E. , Безделов А. , Bezdelov A.
Published: September 2019

The article assesses the consequences of reforming the vocational education system in Russia and its impact on the quality of graduate training. The need for changes in the education system is due to the transformation of the economy and the development of a knowledge society. The paper analyzes the main results of the reforms carried out since the beginning of the 200s. The conclusion is made that the reform of the education system allowed students to adapt more flexibly to the labor market conditions. It is noted that at present there is a gap between the real availability of professional personnel and their competencies and the needs of the economy. The article emphasizes that the introduction of two-level training for most humanitarian and natural sciences turned out to be optimal, but for a number of technical specialties negatively affected the quality of training. The authors suggest areas for further reform of the vocational education system in accordance with the requirements of the labor market.
Organization Innovation Potential Metrics
Authors: Минченкова О. , Minchenkova O. , Аббас Н. , Abbas N. , Минченкова А. , Minchenkova A.
Published: September 2019

The Innovation Potential Indicator looks at behaviors that aff ect how new ideas, processes and products are generated, developed and implemented. For organizations fueled by new ideas and constant change, this assessment bridges the gap between what you know about someone in the present and their future potential for innovation and creativity. In article for increase of innovative potential of the organizations a number of indicators is off ered, their role in activization of innovative business processes is defi ned. In addition, the concept of innovative potential is clarifi ed and the analysis of existing methods for assessing innovative potential is carried out. The model of innovative potential including the following modules is off ered: researches and developments; new products; technological fl exibility, high technologies; the organization and management of human resources; information technologies; fi nancing of innovations; transfer of innovations; partnership and cooperation; innovative intelligent system; innovative methods. Barriers and prospects of development of innovative potential in Russia and its regions are defi ned.
Formation of Normative Requirements for Quantity and Qualification of Profile Personnel in Civil Construction
Authors: Ловчева М. , Lovcheva M.
Published: September 2019

The article discusses the requirements of federal, industry and regional requirements for the number and qualifi cations of management and engineering personnel of civil engineering enterprises, which are caused by the ever-increasing requirements for the safe and high-quality construction work to ensure the safety of capital construction projects. The author summarizes and systematizes the requirements for the composition and quality of labor in construction, which are established today by civil, town planning and investment legislation of the Russian Federation, Professional standards approved by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation, qualifi cation standards of NOSTROI, requirements for qualifi cation of engineering and technical specialists in construction, established by each self-regulatory organization in construction.
High-Performance Practice Processes
Authors: Roels Guillaume
Published: September 2019

Despite their idiosyncrasies, motor and cognitive learning and endurance sports training have in common that they involve repeated practice. While considerable research has been devoted to the effect of practice on performance, little is known about optimal practice strategies. In this paper, we model the practice process for both skill acquisition and retention, and optimize its profile to maximize performance on a predefined date. For skill acquisition, we find that the optimal process involves multiple phases of practice increase and decrease, yielding U-shaped effort consistent with the principle of distributing practice, and that the transitions between phases are smoother for skills that are easily forgotten (e.g., cognitive skills) than for those that are easily retained (e.g., continuous motor skills). In particular for the latter, an extended period of rest should precede an ultimate high-intensity stress. For skill retention, the optimal practice strategy consists of cycles of either constant effort (for skills that are easily forgotten) or pulsed effort (for skills that are easily retained) consistent with the principle of alternating stress and rest. Our parametric model thus indicates when commonly used high-performance practice strategies are indeed optimal.

This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.
Older adults' self-advocacy in patient safety: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Novinmehr Nasser , Hasanpour Marzieh , Salsali Mahvash , Mehrdad Neda , Qorbani Mostafa , Shamsaei Farshid
Published: September 2019

Background:

patient advocacy is a major nursing role, which is linked to supporting, encouraging and reinforcing self-advocacy in patients. Patient safety is an important nursing outcome, especially in older adults.

Aims:

older adults' self-advocacy regarding patient safety behaviour and its relationship with some demographic characteristics were assessed.

Methods:

a valid older adult patients' self-advocacy questionnaire, which included subscales of behaviour, self-efficacy, attitude and outcome efficacy (range of scores=0–63), was used. In this cross-sectional study, 230 patients aged over 60 years were selected using a stratified sampling method.

Findings:

an association was found between total self-advocacy score (mean=40.16; SD=9.6) and rural living (β=–0.168; P=0.016) using multiple linear regression analysis. Similar findings were found between questionnaire subscales and sex, rural living, occupation and age.

Conclusion:

older adults, especially women, those of advanced age and those in rural areas, may benefit from nursing interventions to improve their self-advocacy in patient safety.
Menopause and the NHS: caring for and retaining the older workforce
Authors: Banks Suzanne
Published: September 2019

Menopause is a natural transition affecting most women between the ages of 45 and 55. Three-quarters of women will experience mild to moderate menopausal symptoms and a further quarter will report them as severe. Symptoms can include night sweats, hot flushes, poor concentration, tiredness, poor memory and lowered confidence. The workplace can exacerbate these symptoms and for some women can influence their decision to stop working earlier than previously intended. The need for support and understanding from managers is crucial and can make a major difference to how a woman deals with her menopause. Many women enter the menopause at the peak of their productive lives. These women have valuable skills, knowledge and experience that employers need to retain, so they should be developing resources to help navigate this normal and natural stage of the ageing process.
A guide to the CQC Annual Regulatory Review
Authors: McCutcheon Jonathan
Published: September 2019

In this article, Jonathan McCutcheon shares some lessons on the annual regulatory review carried out by the Care Quality Commission
Traducción y validación de la escala de evaluación de experiencias gamificadas (GAMEX)
Authors: Parra-González María Elena , Segura-Robles Adrián
Published: September 2019

INTRODUCCIÓN. El uso de la gamificación en educación consiste en el uso de mecánicas, diseño o estructuras de juegos en las aulas. Hay que destacar la diferencia entre un juego, que es entendido como un producto acabado, algo concreto, y la gamificación, que parte de un contenido didáctico, definiéndola como una actividad que contiene elementos y espíritu de juego.  Mediante esta metodología innovadora se premia y valora el esfuerzo, no sólo el logro, mediante insignias. A través de esta metodología, el juego se trata como elemento motivador en clase, y está considerada como una metodología activa ya que el alumno debe estar activo y ser el protagonista en el proceso de aprendizaje. MÉTODO. Este trabajo supone la traducción y validación de una escala GAMEX (Gameful Experience in Gamification) que mide la experiencia gamificada en inglés y alemán. La muestra está compuesta por 235 participantes relacionados con educación y experiencias gamificadas (52% docentes y 48% estudiantes). Se llevaron a cabo análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE) y análisis factorial de confirmatorio (AFC) para confirmar la estructura dimensional de la escala. RESULTADOS. Los resultados muestran la complejidad de evaluar experiencias gamificadas desde una perspectiva única y válida, ya que entran en juego varias dimensiones. Hay instrumentos válidos que no tienen en cuenta todas las dimensiones, y este instrumento propuesto muestra niveles aceptables de ajuste que el modelo original. DISCUSIÓN. Se enfatiza la naturaleza multifadimensional de la experiencia gamificada y se pone de manifiesto la necesidad de crear un instrumento para evaluarla y poder mejorar las experiencias gamificadas futuras.
Callus and shoot induction of leaf culture Lilium longiflorum with NAA and BAP
Authors: Lestari Kadek dwipayani , NI WAYAN DESWINIYANTI  , IDA AYU ASTARINI  , LUH MADE ARPIWI
Published: September 2019

Abstract. Lestari NKD, Deswiniyanti NW, Astarini IA, Arpiwi LM. 2019. Callus and shoot induction of leaf culture Lilium longiflorum with NAA and BAP. Nusantara Bioscience 11: 162-165. Lilium longiflorum Thunb., an Easter lily, is a common ornamental plant used as potted plant, cut flower, cosmetic and medicine. The research on tissue culture technique to induce shoots and callus is expected to increase the yield of lilies quickly and efficiently. This study aims to determine the effect of plant growth regulator combination of Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP) on the development of leaf culture and the best concentration for callus induction and shoots of lily plants. This study was conducted in a completely randomized design using leaf explants in Vacin and Went medium, with combination of NAA and BAP (0; 0.5; 1 mg..L-1 ) as the treatments. The result of the eight-week observations shows that the plant growth regulators significantly affected either in days initiation callus, days initiation of shoot, percentage of callus, percentage of shoot, diameter of callus, no of shoot and length of shoot. The combination of 1 mg.L-1 NAA and BAP had the best effect in the percentage of explants forming shoots (100%), means number of shoots (5.8), and means length of shoot (11.6 cm).
Wörter ohne Wortart
Authors: Ágel Vilmos
Published: September 2019

Wörter wie darum oder worauf werden traditionell der Wortart ,Adverb‘ (,Präpositional-/Pronominaladverb‘) zugeordnet. Dies steht im Widerspruch dazu, dass sie auf Satzebene nicht nur Adverbiale, sondern auch Präpositionalobjekte sein können. Adverbien können jedoch keine Objektwerte repräsentieren. Im Beitrag wird zu zeigen sein, dass hier eine Verwechslung von grammatischer Form und grammatischem Wert vorliegt. ,Adverb‘ ist keine Form, die funktions- und wertoffen wäre, sondern eine wertbezogene Wortart. Entsprechend können tatsächliche Adverbien (dort, jetzt) nicht als Objekte fungieren. Die sog. Präpositional-/Pronominaladverbien stellen deiktische/ phorische Formen von Präpositionalgruppen dar. Als Präpositionalgruppen können sie sowohl als Adverbiale wie auch als Objekte fungieren. Des Weiteren können die Werte ‚Adverbial‘ und ,Objekt‘ auch als diverse Attributwerte auf Wortgruppenebene recycelt werden.
Da das die edel KungInn Inne ward…
Authors: Kappel Péter
Published: September 2019

Ziel des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es zu zeigen, welche Faktoren die Varianz und den Wandel der Anbindungsmöglichkeiten vorangestellter Adverbialsätze beeinflussen. Mehrere Korpusuntersuchungen zeigen eine Tendenz zur zunehmenden Integration, in der Fachliteratur werden jedoch kontroverse Auffassungen zur Erklärung des Integrationsprozesses vertreten (vgl. z.B. Axel 2002 und Lötscher 2005). Im Beitrag wird dafür argumentiert, dass der Einbezug der Dimension der konzeptionellen Mündlichkeit bzw. konzeptionellen Schriftlichkeit neue Einsichten in den syntaktischen Integrationsprozess erbringen kann
Der am-Progressiv im DaF-Unterricht
Authors: Gárgyán Gabriella
Published: September 2019

Der Beitrag führt den Gedankengang meiner früheren Publikation zum Thema am-Progressiv (Gárgyán 2014) weiter und versucht einigen in jenem Bericht aufgeworfenen Forschungsfragen nachzugehen. Es wird gezeigt, dass die letzte Etappe der Grammatikalisierung des am-Progressivs, nämlich das Erscheinen in DaF-Lehrbüchern, auch schon vollzogen ist, und es werden Beispiele zur Thematisierung des Progressivs im Unterricht gezeigt. In meiner Analyse war es auch mein Ziel zu erforschen, inwieweit die Lerner die am-Progressivformen verstehen, und ob sie bei Übersetzungsbedarf die Aspektrealisierung dem Originalsatz getreu auch in ihrer Muttersprache, die keine grammatikalisierte Aspektrealisierung besitzt, wiedergeben
Höflichkeit im Gespräch
Authors: Lüger Heinz-Helmut
Published: September 2019

Die Beziehungsgestaltung gehört bereits in der muttersprachlichen Kommunikation oft zu den eher schwierigen Aufgaben. Das Aushandeln von Positionen, das Formulieren von Bewertungen, insbesondere von Kritik, der Ausdruck von Emotionen, das Aussprechen von Komplimenten oder das Signalisieren eingeschränkter Wertschätzung – all das gelingt nicht ohne ein gewisses Maß an sprachlicher Sensibilität. Das gilt für natürliche Gespräche ebenso wie für literarische Beispiele, in denen natürliches Kommunizieren nur simuliert oder nachgebildet wird. Eine zusätzliche Schwierigkeit ergibt sich, wenn man versucht, entsprechende kommunikative Aktivitäten in eine Fremdsprache zu übertragen. Dies soll anhand von Ausschnitten aus dem Fontane-Roman Frau Jenny Treibel (1892) näher untersucht werden. Als Ausgangspunkt dienen Übersetzungen ins Französische, Englische und Italienische.