bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Особливості призначення та проведення експертизи у кримінальному провадженні: новели законодавства
Authors: Кравець Н. В. , Бегма А. П. , Ховпун О. С.
Published: February 2020

У статті розглядаються законодавчі зміни порядку призначення експертизи у кримінальному провадженні та характеризуються обставини, за яких сторона обвинувачення та сторона захисту мають право призначити експертизу. Досліджується роль експерта та його висновку у кримінальному провадженні. Окрема увага приділяється призначенню експертизи стороною захисту.
Прокурорський нагляд за законністю рішень органами, що здійснюють досудове розслідування
Authors: Курбатова І. С.
Published: February 2020

Стаття присвячена дослідженню окремих питань професійної діяльності прокурора у кримінальному провадженні, що обумовлюються та тісно пов’язані з роллю прокурора як процесуального керівника у кримінальному процесі. Проаналізовано практику процесуального керівництва прокурором на початковому етапі досудового розслідування та під час проведення негласних слідчих (розшукових) дій.
Проблемні положення інституту спеціального кримінального провадження в Україні
Authors: Омельчук Л. В.
Published: February 2020

У статті розглянуто ряд спірних питань правового регулювання та забезпечення дієвості інституту спеціального кримінального провадження. Приділено увагу підставам здійснення спеціального досудового розслідування та спеціального судового розгляду, зокрема в частині оголошення підозрюваного / обвинуваченого в розшук; застосуванню процедури спеціального досудового розслідування щодо осіб, які вчинили злочин та перебувають на території ООС або на тимчасово окупованій території АР Крим; потребі передбачити процедуру повторного судового розгляду у суді першої інстанції за умови з’явлення обвинуваченого у провадженні in absentia після постановлення вироку, що забезпечило б відповідність конвенційним стандартам ЄС.
Система збирання данини та причини її реформування в Київській Русі
Authors: Журавель Я. В. , Богайчук В. С.
Published: February 2020

У статті досліджено проблеми наповнення державної казни в Київській Русі. Вивчено систему збирання данини полюддя та виявлено недоліки, які ця система спричинила. Встановлено, що місцева адміністрація влади, знаючи, що князь не оперує точними даними стосовно данників, зловживала своїми обов’язками і приховувала від Києва частину данини, яку вони збирали на користь князя. З’ясовано, що саме приховування фактів крадіжок з боку місцевих князів та спроба князя Ігоря Рюриковича провести ревізію і з’ясувати масштаби зловживання древлянськими князями і призвела до його вбивства. Зроблено висновок, що війна на Балканах, яка починала переходити в затяжну, призвела до суттєвого навантаження на княжу казну, що вплинуло на Святослава Ігоровича і змусило провести реформу, в результаті якої в підконтрольні землі були направлені його сини, які самі почали збирати данину для княжої адміністрації, виключивши із системи посередників місцевих князів, посадників. Підсумовано, що ці обставини призвели до зникнення системи полюддя та встановлення нової системи збору данини, сутність якої полягала в її збиранні через своїх синів, що виконували роль посадників.
Право на справедливу винагороду за працю: міжнародні стандарти та українські реалії
Authors: Костюченко О. Є.
Published: February 2020

Стаття присвячена аналізу міжнародних стандартів у сфері оплати праці. Наголошується на необхідності впровадження в Україні правових підходів до оплати праці працівників на умовах справедливості відповідно до рамкових показників, визначених у міжнародних нормах. Відстоюється думка про те, що «справедлива винагорода» є не лише однією з умов праці, а й правовим засобом протидії трудовій міграції працівників. На основі аналізу міжнародних підходів до розкриття сутності «справедливої винагороди» запропоновано відійти у вітчизняному законодавстві від формулювання «заробітна плата, не нижче від визначеної законом», замінивши на «справедлива винагорода».
Enfoque de aprendizaje basado en tareas en el desarrollo de la habilidad del habla
Authors: Bravo Montenegro Marco Antonio , Soria Guerrero Byron Rafael , Ureña Lara David Antonio , Mora Lara Jaime Oswaldo
Published: February 2020

El propósito central del presente artículo científico fue determinar la influencia del Enfoque de aprendizaje basado en tareas que ayuda a fortalecer la capacidad de los estudiantes de habla del Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo nivel 1. Para determinar la efectividad de este procedimiento, un Los exámenes previos y posteriores basados en el examen Cambridge KET - parte oral, se dieron a los estudiantes de primer nivel en el Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, clases 1K4 y 1E4 durante el período de octubre de 2018 a marzo de 2019. A Se diseñó un manual para el maestro que se utilizó durante el procedimiento en el aula. La interpretación de los datos se realizó antes y después del trabajo en el aula. El diseño del manual para el maestro se realizó en base a las tres etapas del proceso de una tarea: tarea previa, tarea propia y tarea posterior con el uso de varios tipos de tareas como individual, grupal, abierta, cerrada, y tareas de falta de información, teniendo en cuenta el desafío y el incentivo que cada tarea implica en el aumento de la habilidad de hablar de los alumnos. Una vez que el procedimiento ha finalizado con la implementación de la propuesta, el análisis de datos obtenido de la prueba previa y posterior se analizó mediante el uso de la prueba T-student. La conclusión muestra que, efectivamente, el Enfoque de aprendizaje basado en tareas tuvo una influencia positiva en el desarrollo de la producción oral de los estudiantes que mejoraron su capacidad de hablar. Por lo tanto, se recomienda que los maestros apliquen esta propuesta con el enfoque de aprendizaje basado en tareas para mejorar el rendimiento oral de los estudiantes.
Plan de comunicación para la fábrica Costurìn de la cuidad Cuenca-Ecuador
Authors: Luna Altamirano Kléber Antonio , Aguilar Patiño Adriana Edelmira , Sicha Suconota Jessica Esperanza , Tenecela Pillco Jessica Gabriela Tenecela Pillco
Published: February 2020

La Empresa textil Costurin, se encuentra ubicada en la ciudad de Cuenca-Ecuador, considerada una fábrica de textil de gran importancia debido a su nivel de producción para ofertar sus productos dentro del mercado comercial desde el año 2014 hasta la presente fecha. El problema de la presente investigación radica en la escasa comunicación interna en el área de producción de la fábrica, por la inadecuada gestión y coordinación de los directivos al momento de orientar la realización de las actividades, el cual ocasiona atrasos en el cumplimiento de metas establecidas. El objetivo del presente estudio es diseñar un plan de comunicación para el clima organizacional, que respalde el poder motivar a los empleados a que realicen sus actividades de producción de la mejor forma, establecer un clima adecuado para la fábrica, obteniendo mejores resultados de producción y logrando una estabilidad laboral al personal. La metodología del estudio es de tipo descriptiva con un enfoque cuantitativo, el cual se utilizará el método deductivo, se aplican encuestas dirigidas al personal, quienes aportaron la información necesaria para el cumplimiento del objetivo planteado. Los resultados proporcionan que, al aumentar la comunicación dentro del clima organizacional traerá beneficios tales como: personal motivado y organizado para realizar mejor su actividad, facilita la comunicación con su entorno obteniendo los resultados requeridos de producción.
Evaluation of hearing status after type I tympanoplasty
Authors: Mahamud Mashuque , Aich Mani Lal , Mamun Abdullah Al , Alam Rafiul
Published: February 2020

Objective: To evaluate hearing outcome after type I tympanoplasty in inactive mucous type of chronic otitis media.
Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in the department of Otolaryngology & Head Neck Surgery, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, from July 2014 to June 2016. 50 cases were selected by matching inclusion and exclusion criteria. Paired t-test and Z test was used to analyze the variables. P values <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: The mean age was found 28.5 years with range from 15 to 41 years and male female ratio was 1.3:1. All patients had intermittent otorrhoea and varying degree of hearing loss. The mean air conduction threshold was 40.2 dB preoperatively and 27.1 dB post-operatively. Air-bone gap was found 26.9 dB in preoperative and 16.1 dB in post-operative group. The differences were statistically significant between preoperative and post-operative group. Thus mean improvement of air conduction threshold was 13.1 dB and air-bone gap was 10.8 dB. Two third (66.%) patients improved <15 db air conduction thresholds and 17(34%) improved ≥15 db air conduction thresholds. Using the proportion of patients with a postoperative hearing within 40 dB as the criterion, this study showed 46(92%) patients achieving this and 40(80%) patients achieving AB gap within 20 db postoperatively.
Conclusion: Improvement of air conduction threshold and AB gap after type I tympanoplasty was statistically significant. Thus from this study it can be concluded that type I tympanoplasty is an effective technique for hearing improvement in inactive mucous type of chronic otitis media.
Bangladesh J Otorhinolaryngol; April 2018; 24(1): 50-55
Study of Pathological Variations of Solitary Thyroid Nodule
Authors: Mamun Abdullah Al , Alam Zahedul , Islam Mazharul , Mahamud Mashuque , Rahman Mizanur , Aich Mani Lal
Published: February 2020

Objective: To find out the incidence of malignancy in patient with solitary thyroid nodule.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out with 100 solitary thyroid nodular patients who admitted in Otolaryngology & Head-Neck Surgery Department of Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital (SSMCMH) & Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujib Medical Univercity (BSMMU), Dhaka, from July 2012 to December 2013, where all patients were admitted throughout patient department. All patients were selected as per described criteria from the Department of Otolaryngology & Head-NeckSurgery,SSMCMH & BSMMU.Diagnosed the cases by detail history,clinical examination,investigations,analysed data presented by various tables,figures.
Results: In this study mean age of the patients of solitary thyroid nodule was 35.613.54 years and the highest frequency (38%) was within 21-30 years of age with female predominance(78%).Thyroid swelling was the common presentation in all9100%) cases, some patients also presented with other symptoms like cervical lymphadenopathy 13(13%) cases, dysphagia 1(1%), dyspnoea 1(1%), hoarseness of voice 1(1%) case & no bone metastetic found.In this series of solitary thyroid nodules constituted 73% firm, 6% hard and 11% cystic. Malignancy was found more in firm nodule 13(72.22%).Isotopes scanning of the thyroid gland were done to see the functional status of the nodule. We found most 96(96%) of the nodules were cold & 4(4%) were warm nodule & no hot nodule found. In our study out of 96 cold nodular goiters we found 18(18.75 %) malignant & no malignant case found from rest of 4 warm cases. In our study, out of 89 solid nodule 72(80.89%) were benign & 17(19.10%) nodule were malignant and out of 11 cystic nodule 10(90.9%) were benign & 1 (9.1%) was malignant. In this study, most of the benign & malignant nodules were predominantly solid. Study showed the malignancy is significantly (p<0.001) more in solid than cystic solitary thyroid nodule. Final diagnosis in this study was on the basis of histopathological reports record. Out of 100 cases, 54 cases (54%) were proven as nodular goitre & 2 % were thyroiditis in non-neoplastic lesion & in neoplastic lesion we found 26(26%)
Bangladesh J of Otorhinolaryngology; October 2018; 24(2): 105-114
Pediatric Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: Outcome in Response to Initial Treatment
Authors: Uddin Md Mosleh , Ali Razib Syed Farhan , Salam Kazi Shameemus , Sattar Mohd Abdus , Siddiquee Belayat Hossain
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Though the differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children is a common pediatric endocrine malignancy, its prognosis is excellent with a proper initial treatment.
Objectives: This is to evaluate the initial treatment patern for a good prognosis with longterm outcome in pediatric DTC patients.
Methods: This study is a prospective one done in BSMMU during a period of 10 years in 52 post-operative pediatric DTC patients after excluding the follow-up missing patients. These patients are yet in a regular follow-up were outcome evaluated with clinical, pathological & imaging studies.
Results: All the patients got initial treatment of total thyroidectomy. About half of the group had undergone neck dissection along with total thyroidectomy. Forty six patients had taken 131-I therapy. The survival is 100%.
Conclusion: The life expectancy for children with DTC is excellent. However, many patients experience adverse effects from thyroid surgery, resulting in life long complications.
 Bangladesh J of Otorhinolaryngology; October 2018; 24(2): 143-148
DISEÑO GRÁFICO Y PATRIMONIO
Authors: Lazo-Galán Juan
Published: February 2020

El diseño gráfico profesional en Ecuador se ha convertido en una carrera que tiene una enorme aceptación en el país con  más de 24 universidades que tienen la carrera. Es una profesión que utiliza signos y símbolos arraigados en el inconsciente colectivo para generar comunicación. En un importante movimiento en los últimos años, los diseñadores gráficos han estado buscando referentes dentro del patrimonio ecuatoriano para generar propuestas con características propias, en algunos casos volviendo la mirada al pasado y en otras buscando en la cultura popular y en la naturaleza aquello que nos caracteriza. Este artículo analiza el diseño gráfico generado en los últimos 50 años y su relación con el patrimonio histórico, cultural y natural del país.

Palabras Clave: Cultura popular, precolombino, naturaleza, identidad, expresión visual

AbstractProfessional graphic design has become a career with a huge acceptance in Ecuador, with more than 24 universities offering it as a program of study. It’s a profession that uses signs and symbols rooted in the collective subconscious to producecommunication. In an important movement over the last few years, graphic designers have been searching for references within Ecuadorean culture to generate proposals with their own unique characteristics, in some cases, looking at the past andin others, searching within popular culture and in nature all that characterizes us. This article analyzes graphic design generated in the last 50 years and its relationship with the country’s historical, cultural and natural heritage.

Keywords: Popular culture, pre-Columbian, nature, identity, visual expression.
Approaches to the definition of national minorities and ethnic groups and their legal position in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Vyrostko Matúš
Published: February 2020

The issue of national minorities and ethnic groups is the subject of debates and discussions, often in connection with their legal status in individual states. In the majority of cases, both the national minority and the ethnic group are not distinguished in both legal documents and professional literature. We believe that the reason may be the ambiguity and complexity of the definition of the two terms. However, the need for at least partial definition is reinforced in some cases by a different approach to legal protection and the status of these groups and minorities. The primary aim of our contribution is to point out different approaches to the definition of national minorities and ethnic groups at international and national level. We use scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction and comparison.
Information technology at the service of city management in Russia
Authors: Kirsanov Sergey , Safonov Eugene
Published: February 2020

Today in Russia, the problems of effective urban development and urban infrastructure management are relevant. To solve these important tasks, information technologies are being introduced in municipalities, and therefore, the quality of work and productivity of city services are being improved, resource consumption is being reduced, and communication between city residents and local authorities is improving. Moscow is a metropolis that has all the necessary information, intellectual and financial resources to successfully solve the important task of improving the efficiency of city management. Now in Moscow there are more than 16 thousand access points to the network in different segments: on the streets of the city center, where there are many tourist routes, in parks, libraries, museums, cinemas. By the number of access points to free Wi-Fi, Moscow has become one of the world leaders. A new task for the Government of the capital is to improve the quality of the network. For this, a single Wi-Fi operator has already been created, the task of which is to combine all segments created by different operators on a single digital platform. Thanks to this, users will no longer have to re-authorize, switching between access points. The article talks about the problems and prospects of implementing information technology for managing various aspects of the life of a metropolis. The introduction and innovative use of information technology helps to improve the quality and efficiency of management, reduce administrative costs and improve the level and quality of life of the population.
The role and importance of environmental administration in the protection against environmental damages
Authors: László Erika
Published: February 2020

In this study, the author presents the central, regional and local levels of environmental administration in Hungary and their tasks. Through two specific examples (the Danube Flood and the 2010 Kolontár Red Sludge Disaster), she analyzes the incidents damaging the environment, their consequences and impacts. She also proves that the cooperation between municipalities and regional environmental and disaster management bodies is inevitable. She studies the role played by the environmental administration in the protection and makes suggestions for improving the efficiency of protection. In the context of the two incidents, she analyzes the possibilities of the environmental administration in the protection against environmental damages and makes recommendations on its development.
Bezpečná a ekologická doprava v regiónoch
Authors: Gmitrová Tatiana
Published: February 2020

The aim of this article is to highlight the increasing importance of transport based on the priorities of the Integrated Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020. The article deals with the financing of the priority "Safe and environmentally-friendly transport in regions" from the European Regional Development Fund and with the help of the method of comparison also with the financing of its specific objectives in the selected more developed and less developed region. Presented contribution is part of solution of Project VEGA n.1/0302/18 „Smart cities as a possibility to implementation of the concept of sustainable urban development in the Slovak Republic.“
Connecting school and workplace with digital technology: Teachers’ experiences of gaps that can be bridged
Authors: Enochsson Ann-Britt , Kilbrink Nina , Andersén Annelie , Ådefors Annica
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study is to gain more knowledge about the gaps vocational teachers identify between school and workplaces in upper secondary vocational education, and their experiences of using digital technology as boundary objects to bridge these gaps. This study builds on theories of boundary crossing and is carried out through in-depth interviews with six vocational teachers. For the analysis, a model is used, where the concept learning mechanisms is borrowed from Akkerman and Bakker. In our model, the learning mechanisms coordination, reflection and transformation represent three levels to which all the gaps identified by the teachers relate. The teachers’ pedagogical aims are qualitatively different on the different levels. At the basic level, coordination; gaps with the aim to control and to keep in touch with students in their workplaces, are identified, whereas at the next level, reflection; the gaps that need to be bridged, concern creating better conditions for the students to reflect on and connect with what they have learned in the different learning arenas. Those teachers identifying gaps on the most elaborated level, transformation, want to create a complete educational experience for their students, as they try to find a seamless way of crossing the boundaries between school and the workplace.
Attenuation and Phase Velocity of Elastic Wave in Textured Polycrystals with Ellipsoidal Grains of Arbitrary Crystal Symmetry
Authors: Sha Gaofeng
Published: February 2020

This study extends the second-order attenuation (SOA) model for elastic waves in texture-free inhomogeneous cubic polycrystalline materials with equiaxed grains to textured polycrystals with ellipsoidal grains of arbitrary crystal symmetry. In term of this work, one can predict both the scattering-induced attenuation and phase velocity from Rayleigh region (wavelength >> scatter size) to geometric region (wavelength << scatter size) for an arbitrary incident wave mode (quasi-longitudinal, quasi-transverse fast or quasi-transverse slow mode) in a textured polycrystal and examine the impact of crystallographic texture on attenuation and phase velocity dispersion in the whole frequency range. The predicted attenuation results of this work also agree well with the literature on a textured stainless steel polycrystal. Furthermore, an analytical expression for quasi-static phase velocity at an arbitrary wave propagation direction in a textured polycrystal is derived from the SOA model, which can provide an alternative homogenization method for textured polycrystals based on scattering theory. Computational results using triclinic titanium polycrystals with Gaussian orientation distribution function (ODF) are also presented to demonstrate the texture effect on attenuation and phase velocity behaviors and evaluate the applicability and limitation of an existing analytical model based on the Born approximation for textured polycrystals. Finally, quasi-static phase velocities predicted by this work for a textured polycrystalline copper with generalized spherical harmonics form ODF are compared to available velocity bounds in the literature including Hashin–Shtrikman bounds, and a reasonable agreement is found between this work and the literature.
Construction of Soybean Mutant Diversity Pool (MDP) Lines and an Analysis of Their Genetic Relationships and Associations Using TRAP Markers
Authors: Kim Dong-Gun , Lyu Jae Il , Lee Min-Kyu , Kim Jung Min , Hung Nguyen Ngoc , Hong Min Jeong , Kim Jin-Baek , Bae Chang-Hyu , Kwon Soon-Jae
Published: February 2020

Mutation breeding is useful for improving agronomic characteristics of various crops. In this study, we conducted a genetic diversity and association analysis of soybean mutants to assess elite mutant lines. On the basis of phenotypic traits, we chose 208 soybean mutants as a mutant diversity pool (MDP). We then investigated the genetic diversity and inter-relationships of these MDP lines using target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) markers. Among the different TRAP primer combinations, polymorphism levels and polymorphism information content (PIC) values averaged 59.71% and 0.15, respectively. Dendrogram and population structure analyses divided the MDP lines into four major groups. According to an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), the percentage of inter-population variation among mutants was 11.320 (20.6%), whereas mutant intra-population variation ranged from 0.231 (0.4%) to 14.324 (26.1%). Overall, intra-population genetic similarity was higher than that of inter-populations. In an analysis of the association between TRAP markers and agronomic traits using three different statistical approaches based on the single factor analysis (SFA), the Q general linear model (GLM), and the mixed linear model (Q+K MLM), we detected six significant marker–trait associations involving five phenotypic traits. Our results suggest that the MDP has great potential for soybean genetic resources and that TRAP markers are useful for the selection of soybean mutants for soybean mutation breeding.
Analysis of the Influence of Different Parameters on Droplet Characteristics and Droplet Size Classification Categories for Air Induction Nozzle
Authors: Liao Juan , Luo Xiwen , Wang Pei , Zhou Zhiyan , O’Donnell Chris C. , Zang Ying , Hewitt Andrew J.
Published: February 2020

Droplet characteristics are identified as essential factors in agricultural spray application. The aims of this study were to analyse the influence of spray parameters on droplet characteristics and to determine possible candidate sprays that would produce the same droplet size categorizations as the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) standard S-572.1 for air induction nozzles (AINs). Six different orifice sizes of the Billericay Farm Services (BFS) air induction (AI) flat fan hydraulic nozzles (the air bubblejet) were examined at different spray pressures (200 kPa, 300 kPa, 400 kPa, 500 kPa, 600 kPa and 700 kPa) and concurrent air velocities (2 m/s, 3 m/s, 4 m/s and 5 m/s). The influences of spray parameters on the droplet characteristics were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results showed that: (1) The values of droplet characteristics and the results of ANOVA were significantly different before and after eliminate the influence of dynamic surface tension (DST) on droplet characteristics by ANCOVA; (2) (a) the reduction rates of the droplet diameter sizes decreased with increasing spray pressure; (b) air velocities of 2 m/s and 5 m/s resulted in smaller droplets reports, and air velocities of 3 m/s and 4 m/s are more suitable for agricultural spray applications; (c) a larger nozzle orifice size not always result in a larger droplet size and (3) Fine, Medium, Coarse, Very Coarse and Extremely Coarse droplet classification categories as the ASABE S-572.1 standard categorizations were determined to classify AINs.
Absence of Yield Reduction after Controlled Water Stress during Prehaverst Period in Table OliveTrees
Authors: Martín-Palomo María , Corell Mireia , Girón Ignacio , Andreu Luis , Galindo Alejandro , Centeno Ana , Pérez-López David , Moriana Alfonso
Published: February 2020

Deficit irrigation scheduling is becoming increasingly important under commercial conditions. Water status measurement is a useful tool in these conditions. However, the information about water stress levels for olive trees is scarce. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect on yield of a moderate controlled water stress level at the end of the irrigation season. The experiment was conducted in the experimental farm of La Hampa (Coria del Río, Seville, Spain) during three years. A completely randomized block design was performed using three different irrigation treatments. Deficit irrigation was applied several (4 or 2) weeks before harvest. Irrigation was controlled using the midday stem water potential, with a threshold value of −2 MPa and compared with a full irrigated treatment. This water stress did not reduced gas exchange during the deficit period. The effect on yield was not significant in any of the three seasons. In the high-fruit load season, fruit volume was slightly affected (around 10%), but this was not significant at harvest. Results suggest an early affection of fruit growth with water stress, but with a slow rate of decrease. Moderate water stress could be useful for the management of deficit irrigation in table olive trees.
Evaluation of Pain Mitigation Strategies in Goat Kids after Cautery Disbudding
Authors: Ajuda Inês , Battini Monica , Mattiello Silvana , Arcuri Cecilia , Stilwell George
Published: February 2020

Nowadays, most of the goat milk production in developed countries is done in intensive indoors production systems. In these systems, procedures such as disbudding are performed routinely. Disbudding is done in young goat kids and is a recognised as a painful procedure. Pain mitigation strategies have been extensively researched, but a method that is effective in mitigating pain as well as being safe and practical has not yet been found. In this paper we used three treatment groups: one control and two groups with pain mitigation strategies for cautery disbudding, one using local anaesthesia (lidocaine) and a second one using local anaesthesia (lidocaine) plus an analgesic (flunixin meglumine). The behaviour of twenty-seven goat kids was recorded for three hours after disbudding. Overall, the goat kids that received both pain mitigation treatments dedicated more time performing active and positive behaviours. Nevertheless, the incidence of behaviours related to pain and discomfort was not consistently reduced. Research is still needed to find a practical and effective pain mitigation strategy for disbudding. A solution to this challenge would improve animal welfare as well as address societal concerns linked to the suffering of farm animals.
Rifabutin Suppresses Inducible Clarithromycin Resistance in Mycobacterium abscessus by Blocking Induction of whiB7 and erm41
Authors: Aziz Dinah Binte , Go Mei Lin , Dick Thomas
Published: February 2020

Clarithromycin (CLR) is the corner stone in regimens for the treatment of lung disease caused by Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab). However, many strains harbor the CLR-inducible CLR resistance gene erm41, encoding a ribosome methylase. Induction of erm41 is mediated by the transcription factor whiB7. We hypothesized that an inhibitor of RNA synthesis should be able to block the whiB7–erm41 induction response to CLR exposure and thus suppress CLR resistance. Recently, we discovered that the rifampicin analog rifabutin (RFB) shows attractive potency against Mab. To determine whether RFB-CLR combinations are synergistic, a checkerboard analysis against a collection of erm41 positive and negative Mab strains was carried out. This revealed synergy of the two drugs for erm41 positive but not for erm41 negative strains. To determine whether RFB’s potentiation effect was due to inhibition of the transcriptional induction of the whiB7–erm41 resistance system, we measured the effect of CLR alone and in combination with RFB on whiB7 and erm41 mRNA levels. CLR alone strongly induced whiB7 and erm41 expression as expected. The synergistic, growth-inhibiting combination of RFB with CLR blocked induction of both genes. These results suggest that RFB suppresses inducible CLR resistance by preventing induction of whiB7 and erm41 expression.
Molecular Characterization Of Pathogenic Salmonella Spp From Raw Beef In Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Altaf Hussain Muhammad , Wang Wan , Sun Changbao , Gu Liya , Liu Zhijing , Yu Tong , Ahmad Yasin , Jiang Zhanmei , Hou Juncai
Published: February 2020

The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella and investigate the dominant serovars distribution in raw beef and to screen the isolated serovars for the prescense of beta-lactamases and virulence genes. A total of 150 samples of raw beef sold at butcher shops (n = 75) and supermarkets (n = 75) in Karachi city were collected (50 samples each from muscles, lymph nodes, and minced beef). The samples were cultured according to the ISO-6579-1guidlines. The overall prevalence of Salmonella strains was found to be 21.34%. A total of 56 isolates of Salmonella belonging to four serogroups (Salmonella Pullorum, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Choleraesuis) were isolated from beef muscles (12%), lymph nodes (24%) and minced beef (28%) samples collected from butcher shops (av. 21.34%). No Salmonella was detected in beef samples collected from supermarkets. S. Enteritidis contamination was highest (37.5%), followed by S. Choleraesuis (30.4%), S. Pullorum (19.6%) and S. Typhimurium (12.5 %). Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed that Salmonella isolates were highly resistant to Oxytetracycline (90%), Ampicillin (90.5%), Amoxicillin (81.1%), Tetracycline (76%), Neomycin, (79.8%) and Ciprofloxacin (61.4%). The Salmonella isolates examined were more susceptible to the Cephalosporin antibiotics such as Cefixime (43.2%), Cefepime (48.2) and Cefoxitin (49.8%). PCR based screening of blaTEM, blaCTX-M and blaSHV revealed that blaCTX-M and blaTEM were the dominant resistant genes in S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium followed by S. Pullorum and S. Choleraesuis whereas blaSHV was the least detected beta-lactamase in Salmonella isolates. Virulence genes screening revealed that at least five genes were present in all the serovars, highest being present in S. Enteritidis (12/17) and S. Typhimurium (12/17). S. Cholerasuis (5/17) carried the least number of virulence genes followed by S. Pullorum (6/17). The present data suggest that beef samples from butcher shops of Karachi city are heavily contaminated with MDR Salmonella. The presence of resistance and virulence genes in MDR strains of Salmonella may play a significant role in transmission and development of Salmonella infection in humans.
Gram-Negative Bacterial Lysins
Authors: Ghose Chandrabali , Euler Chad W.
Published: February 2020

Antibiotics have had a profound impact on human society by enabling the eradication of otherwise deadly infections. Unfortunately, antibiotic use and overuse has led to the rapid spread of acquired antibiotic resistance, creating a major threat to public health. Novel therapeutic agents called bacteriophage endolysins (lysins) provide a solution to the worldwide epidemic of antibiotic resistance. Lysins are a class of enzymes produced by bacteriophages during the lytic cycle, which are capable of cleaving bonds in the bacterial cell wall, resulting in the death of the bacteria within seconds after contact. Through evolutionary selection of the phage progeny to be released and spread, these lysins target different critical components in the cell wall, making resistance to these molecules orders of magnitude less likely than conventional antibiotics. Such properties make lysins uniquely suitable for the treatment of multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens. Lysins, either naturally occurring or engineered, have the potential of being developed into fast-acting, narrow-spectrum, biofilm-disrupting antimicrobials that act synergistically with standard of care antibiotics. This review focuses on newly discovered classes of Gram-negative lysins with emphasis on prototypical enzymes that have been evaluated for efficacy against the major antibiotic resistant organisms causing nosocomial infections.
Effect of Ultrasound-Treated Arabinoxylans on the Oxidative Stability of Soybean Oil
Authors: Mendez-Encinas Mayra A. , Carvajal-Millan Elizabeth , Ortega-García Jesús , Santiago-Gómez Lubitza B. , De Anda-Flores Yubia , Martínez-Robinson Karla G. , Valencia-Rivera Dora E.
Published: February 2020

Arabinoxylans (AX) are polysaccharides with antioxidant activity and emulsifying properties, which make them an attractive alternative for its potential application as a natural antioxidant in oils. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic treatment of AX on their antioxidant capacity and its ability to improve the oxidative stability of soybean oil. For this purpose, AX were exposed to ultrasonic treatment at 25% (100 W, AX-1) and 50% (200 W, AX-2) power and an operating frequency of 20 KHz during 15 min, and their macromolecular properties (weight average molecular weight (Mw), polydispersity index and intrinsic viscosity) were evaluated. The antioxidant capacity of AX was determined by the DPPH assay and Rancimat test. Results showed that ultrasonic treatment did not affect the molecular identity of the polysaccharide but modified its Mw distribution. AX-1 showed the highest antioxidant activity (75% inhibition) at 533 µg/mL by the DPPH method compared to AX and AX-2. AX at 0.25% (w/v) and AX-1 at 0.01% (w/v) exerted the highest protective effects on oxidative stability of soybean oil with induction periods of 7.69 and 5.54 h, respectively. The results indicate that AX could be a good alternative for the potential application as a natural antioxidant in oils.
Lespedeza bicolor Extract Ameliorated Renal Inflammation by Regulation of NLRP3 Inflammasome-Associated Hyperinflammation in Type 2 Diabetic Mice
Authors: Park Ji Eun , Lee Heaji , Kim Sun Yeou , Lim Yunsook
Published: February 2020

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The chronic hyperglycemic condition causes hyperinflammation via activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like pyrin domain containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and abnormally leads to morphological and functional changes in kidney. A previous study showed a protective effect of Lespedeza bicolor extract (LBE) on endothelial dysfunction induced by methylglyoxal glucotoxicity. We aimed to investigate whether LBE ameliorated renal damage through regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent hyper-inflammation in T2DM mice. After T2DM induction by a high fat diet and low dose of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg), the mice were administered with different dosages of LBE (100 or 250 mg/kg/day) by gavage for 12 weeks. LBE supplementation ameliorated kidney dysfunction demonstrated by urine albumin-creatinine at a low dose and plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and glomerular hypertrophy at a high dose. Furthermore, a high dose of LBE supplementation significantly attenuated renal hyper-inflammation associated with NLRP3 inflammasome and oxidative stress related to nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) in T2DM mice. Meanwhile, a low dose of LBE supplementation up-regulated energy metabolism demonstrated by phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) and Sirtuin (SIRT)-1 in T2DM mice. In conclusion, the current study suggested that LBE, in particular, at a high dose could be used as a beneficial therapeutic for hyperglycemia-induced renal damage in T2DM.
The Exacerbation of Aging and Oxidative Stress in the Epididymis of Sod1 Null Mice
Authors: Noblanc Anaīs , Klaassen Alicia , Robaire Bernard
Published: February 2020

There is growing evidence that the quality of spermatozoa decreases with age and that children of older fathers have a higher incidence of birth defects and genetic mutations. The free radical theory of aging proposes that changes with aging are due to the accumulation of damage induced by exposure to excess reactive oxygen species. We showed previously that absence of the superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) antioxidant gene results in impaired mechanisms of repairing DNA damage in the testis in young Sod1−/− mice. In this study, we examined the effects of aging and the Sod−/− mutation on mice epididymal histology and the expression of markers of oxidative damage. We found that both oxidative nucleic acid damage (via 8-hydroxyguanosine) and lipid peroxidation (via 4-hydroxynonenal) increased with age and in Sod1−/− mice. These findings indicate that lack of SOD1 results in an exacerbation of the oxidative damage accumulation-related aging phenotype.
FT-IR Characterization of Antimicrobial Hybrid Materials through Sol-Gel Synthesis
Authors: Catauro Michelina , Piccolella Simona , Leonelli Cristina
Published: February 2020

Silica/polycaprolactone and titania/polycaprolactone hybrid organic/inorganic amorphous composites were prepared via a sol-gel method starting from a multi-element solution containing tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) or titanium butoxide (TBT), polycaprolactone (PCL), water and methylethylketone (MEK). The molecular structure of the crosslinked network was based on the presence of the hydrogen bonds between organic/inorganic elements as confirmed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) analysis. In particular, the structure of crosslinked network was realized by hydrogen bonds between the X-OH (X = Si or Ti) group (H donator) in the sol-gel intermediate species and ester groups (H-acceptors) in the repeating units of the polymer. The morphology of the hybrid materials; pore size distribution, elemental homogeneity and surface features, was studied by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The bioactivity of the synthesized hybrid materials was confirmed by observing the formation of a layer of hydroxyapatite (HAP) on the surface of the samples soaked in a simulated body fluid. The antimicrobial behavior of synthetized hybrids was also assessed against Escherichia coli bacteria. In conclusion, the prepared hybrid materials are proposed for use as future bone implants.
GREG: A Global Level Relation Extraction with Knowledge Graph Embedding
Authors: Kim Kuekyeng , Hur Yuna , Kim Gyeongmin , Lim Heuiseok
Published: February 2020

In an age overflowing with information, the task of converting unstructured data into structured data are a vital task of great need. Currently, most relation extraction modules are more focused on the extraction of local mention-level relations—usually from short volumes of text. However, in most cases, the most vital and important relations are those that are described in length and detail. In this research, we propose GREG: A Global level Relation Extractor model using knowledge graph embeddings for document-level inputs. The model uses vector representations of mention-level ‘local’ relation’s to construct knowledge graphs that can represent the input document. The knowledge graph is then used to predict global level relations from documents or large bodies of text. The proposed model is largely divided into two modules which are synchronized during their training. Thus, each of the model’s modules is designed to deal with local relations and global relations separately. This allows the model to avoid the problem of struggling against loss of information due to too much information crunched into smaller sized representations when attempting global level relation extraction. Through evaluation, we have shown that the proposed model yields high performances in both predicting global level relations and local level relations consistently.
TLS for Dynamic Measurement of the Elastic Line of Bridges
Authors: Artese Serena , Zinno Raffaele
Published: February 2020

The evaluation of the structural health of a bridge and the monitoring of its bearing capacity are performed by measuring different parameters. The most important ones are the displacements due to fixed or mobile loads, whose monitoring can be performed using several methods, both conventional and innovative. Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) is effectively used to obtain the displacements of the decks for static loads, while for dynamic measurements, several punctual sensors are in general used. The proposed system uses a TLS, set as a line scanner and positioned under the bridge deck. The TLS acquires a vertical section of the intrados, or a line along a section to be monitored. The instantaneous deviations between the lines detected in dynamic conditions and the reference one acquired with the unloaded bridge, allow to extract the displacements and, consequently, the elastic curve. The synchronization of TLS acquisitions and load location, obtained from a Global Navigation Satellite System GNSS receiver or from a video, is an important feature of the method. Three tests were carried out on as many bridges. The first was performed during the maneuvers of a heavy truck traveling on a bridge characterized by a simply supported metal structure deck. The second concerned a prestressed concrete bridge with cantilever beams. The third concerned the pylon of a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge during a load test. The results show high precision and confirm the usefulness of this method both for performing dynamic tests and for monitoring bridges.
Semantic 3D Reconstruction for Robotic Manipulators with an Eye-In-Hand Vision System
Authors: Zha Fusheng , Fu Yu , Wang Pengfei , Guo Wei , Li Mantian , Wang Xin , Cai Hegao
Published: February 2020

Three-dimensional reconstruction and semantic understandings have attracted extensive attention in recent years. However, current reconstruction techniques mainly target large-scale scenes, such as an indoor environment or automatic self-driving cars. There are few studies on small-scale and high-precision scene reconstruction for manipulator operation, which plays an essential role in the decision-making and intelligent control system. In this paper, a group of images captured from an eye-in-hand vision system carried on a robotic manipulator are segmented by deep learning and geometric features and create a semantic 3D reconstruction using a map stitching method. The results demonstrate that the quality of segmented images and the precision of semantic 3D reconstruction are effectively improved by our method.
Enhanced Phase Retrieval Method Based on Random Phase Modulation
Authors: Li Fanxing , Yan Wei , Peng Fupin , Wang Simo , Du Jialin
Published: February 2020

The phase retrieval method based on random phase modulation can wipe out any ambiguity and stagnation problem in reconstruction. However, the two existing reconstruction algorithms for the random phase modulation method are suffering from problems. The serial algorithm from the spread-spectrum phase retrieval method can realize rapid convergence but has poor noise immunity. Although there is a parallel framework that can suppress noise, the convergence speed is slow. Here, we propose a random phase modulation phase retrieval method based on a serial–parallel cascaded reconstruction framework to simultaneously achieve quality imaging and rapid convergence. The proposed serial–parallel cascaded method uses the phased result from the serial algorithm to serve as the initialization of the subsequent parallel process. Simulations and experiments demonstrate that the superiorities of both serial and parallel algorithms are fetched by the proposed serial–parallel cascaded method. In the end, we analyze the effect of iteration numbers from the serial process on the reconstruction performance to find the optimal allocation scope of iteration numbers.
CFD-Rotordynamics Sequential Coupling Simulation Approach for the Flow-Induced Vibration of Rotor System in Centrifugal Pump
Authors: Zhang Hehui , You Haolin , Lu Haishan , Li Kun , Zhang Zhiyong , Jiang Liangxing
Published: February 2020

Vibration of the rotor system is closely related with the operation stability of centrifugal pump, and it is inevitably induced by the unsteady inner flow. An unsteady computational fluid dynamics model coupling with a rotordynamics model was presented, and the corresponding numerical calculation program, including a self-designed rotordynamics code, was developed on the commercial package ANSYS Workbench. The validity of the numerical calculation model was verified by a hydraulic performance and vibration test based on an industrial centrifugal pump. The hydraulic radial forces on impeller, pressure pulsation, deformation, and vibration of the main shaft under nine different flow rates were systematically investigated and explained preliminarily from the view of inner unstable flow. Results show that the blade passing frequency is the dominant frequency in the fluctuation of the above dynamical behaviors, which is closely related to the rotor–stator interaction between the impeller and volute casing. This study built the connection between internal fluid flow in the centrifugal pump and the vibration of its external rotor structure, and may provide theoretical references for the design of vibration-reducing and safety monitoring strategies design of centrifugal pumps.