bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Absorção de nutrientes e alterações químicas em Latossolos cultivados com plantas de cobertura em rotação com soja e milho
Authors: Borges Wander Luis Barbosa , Freitas Rogério Soares de , Mateus Gustavo Pavan , Sá Marco Eustáquio de , Alves Marlene Cristina
Published: April 2014

Os efeitos promovidos pelas plantas de cobertura nos atributos químicos do solo são bastante variáveis, dependendo de fatores como espécie utilizada, manejo dado à biomassa, época de plantio e corte das plantas, tempo de permanência dos resíduos no solo, condições locais e interação entre esses fatores. Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar a absorção de nutrientes por cinco plantas de cobertura, que foram utilizadas para produção de grãos, sementes e forragem, em diferentes quantidades de sementes por hectare e pela vegetação espontânea, bem como para o efeito sobre as propriedades químicas de dois Latossolos, cultivadas em rotação com as culturas da soja e do milho. Os experimentos foram instalados em Votuporanga, SP, e Selvíria, MS, em março de 2008, após o preparo convencional do solo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições, utilizando as seguintes plantas de cobertura em diferentes quantidades de sementes por hectare que constituíram os tratamentos: sorgo granífero: 6, 7 e 8 kg ha-1; milheto: 10, 15 e 20 kg ha-1; capim-sudão: 12, 15 e 18 kg ha-1; híbrido de sorgo com capim-sudão: 8, 9 e 10 kg ha-1; e Urochloa ruziziensis: 8, 12 e 16 kg ha-1. Também se utilizou um tratamento-controle com vegetação espontânea. Após o manejo das coberturas, no primeiro ano de estudo, foi semeada a soja e, no segundo ano, semeou-se o milho, ambos em sistema de semeadura direta. Avaliaram-se a produtividade de matéria seca das diferentes coberturas, a absorção de nutrientes pelas coberturas e as alterações químicas no solo. Constatou-se que em solos argilosos, com elevado teor de alumínio no solo, como em Selvíria, o capim-sudão, com 18 kg ha-1 de sementes, e o sorgo granífero, com 6 kg ha-1, em associação a calagem, contribuem para redução do teor de alumínio e da acidez potencial e para elevação da saturação por bases. As diferentes quantidades de sementes de cada planta de cobertura não influenciaram a produtividade de matéria seca da mesma planta de cobertura, mas interferiram na absorção de nitrogênio do híbrido de sorgo com capim-sudão, com 10 kg ha-1 de sementes, apresentando menor absorção que com 8 kg ha-1 de sementes, e também no teor de matéria orgânica no solo, com o capim-sudão, com 15 kg ha-1 de sementes, propiciando maior teor que o de 18 kg ha-1 de sementes.
Soybean root growth and crop yield in reponse to liming at the beginning of a no-tillage system
Authors: Bortoluzzi Edson Campanhola , Parize Guilherme Luis , Korchagin Jackson , Silva Vanderlei Rodrigues da , Rheinheimer Danilo dos Santos , Kaminski João
Published: April 2014

Analyzing the soil near crop roots may reveal limitations to growth and yield even in a no-tillage system. The purpose of the present study was to relate the chemical and physical properties of soil under a no-tillage system to soybean root growth and plant yield after five years of use of different types of limestone and forms of application. A clayey Oxisol received application of dolomitic and calcitic limestones and their 1:1 combination in two forms: surface application, maintained on the soil surface; and incorporated, applied on the surface and incorporated mechanically. Soil physical properties (resistance to mechanical penetration, soil bulk density and soil aggregation), soil chemical properties (pH, exchangeable cations, H+Al, and cation exchange capacity) and plant parameters (root growth system, soybean grain yield, and oat dry matter production) were evaluated five years after setting up the experiment. Incorporation of lime neutralized exchangeable Al up to a depth of 20 cm without affecting the soil physical properties. The soybean root system reached depths of 40 cm or more with incorporated limestone, increasing grain yield an average of 31 % in relation to surface application, which limited the effect of lime up to a depth of 5 cm and root growth up to 20 cm. It was concluded that incorporation of limestone at the beginning of a no-tillage system ensures a favorable environment for root growth and soybean yield, while this intervention does not show long-term effects on soil physical properties under no-tillage. This suggests that there is resilience in the physical properties evaluated.
Critical limits of soil penetration resistance in a rhodic Eutrudox
Authors: Moraes Moacir Tuzzin de , Debiasi Henrique , Carlesso Reimar , Franchini Julio Cezar , Silva Vanderlei Rodrigues da
Published: April 2014

Soil penetration resistance is an important indicator of soil physical quality and the critical limit of 2 MPa has been widely used to characterize the soil physical quality, in both no-tillage and conventional systems. The aim of this study was to quantify the influence of different tillage and cropping systems on the soil penetration resistance in a Rhodic Eutrudox. The experiment was carried out in a 5 × 2 factorial, completely randomized block design (tillage systems vs cropping systems), with four replications. The tillage systems consisted of: conventional tillage disk harrow; minimum tillage with annual chiseling; minimum tillage with chiseling every three years; no-tillage for 11 consecutive years; and no-tillage for 24 consecutive years. The factor cropping systems was represented by: crop rotation and crop succession. The soil penetration resistance (SPR) was determined in 20 soil samples per treatment and layer (0.0-0.10; 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m) for each soil matric potential: -6, -10, -33, -100, -500 kPa. The SPR was determined at a volumetric soil water content equivalent to the fraction of plant-available water of 0.7. There were no differences of soil penetration resistance between the two cropping systems. Differences in soil penetration resistance among tillage systems were related to the matric potential at which the samples were equilibrated. The critical SPR limit of 2 MPa normally used for conventional tillage should be maintained. However, this value of 2 MPa is inappropriate for the physical quality characterization of Rhodic Eutrudox under no-tillage and/or minimum tillage with chiseling. Regardless of the cropping systems, the critical SPR limit should be raised to 3 MPa for minimum tillage with chiseling and to 3.5 MPa for no-tillage.
Aplicação de resíduo de reciclagem de papel em Cambissolo Háplico e seu efeito no solo e no cultivo de plantas
Authors: Balbinot Junior Alvadi Antonio , Veiga Milton da , Fonseca José Alfredo da , Vogt Gilcimar Adriano , Albuquerque Jackson Adriano , Costa Epitágoras Rodson Oliveira
Published: April 2014

O processo de reciclagem de papel gera grande quantidade de resíduo e a sua aplicação no solo pode ser uma das estratégias de disposição desse produto, sendo necessário estudar os seus efeitos no solo e nas culturas agrícolas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de resíduo de reciclagem de papel sobre atributos químicos de um Cambissolo Háplico muito ácido e na produtividade de grãos de soja e feijão. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos completos casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram: testemunha, sem calcário ou resíduo; resíduo da reciclagem de papel nas doses de 50, 100, 150, 250, 400 e 600 Mg ha-1, em base úmida; e calcário dolomítico para elevar o pH do solo em água para 6,0. O resíduo corrigiu a acidez do solo, bem como aumentou os teores de cálcio e fósforo. As doses de resíduo não interferiram nos teores de metais pesados no solo e nos grãos. As máximas produtividades de soja e feijão são obtidas nas doses de 323 e 372 Mg ha-1 de resíduo úmido, respectivamente.
Rancière e Laclau: democracia além do consenso e da ordem
Authors: Mendonça Daniel de , Vieira Junior Roberto
Published: April 2014

O presente texto apresenta uma leitura crítica sobre a democracia liberal a partir das teorias pós-estruturalistas propostas por Jacques Rancière e Ernesto Laclau. Parte-se da discussão sobre o conformismo com relação à democracia representativa liberal e da sua resistência em considerar a vontade popular em detrimento do estrito respeito à lei. Para ambos os autores, democracia não é um regime político com instituições definidas, mas, pelo contrário, é justamente um princípio de valorização da vontade do demos. Nesse sentido, a democracia reside no momento em que as próprias instituições são postas em xeque a partir da construção de vontades coletivas, de discursos antagônicos que promovem o dissenso ou o deslocamento estrutural, segundo as visões, respectivamente, de Rancière e de Laclau.
O humor na estratégia de persuasão durante as campanhas eleitorais
Authors: Valdez Zepeda Andrés , Huerta Franco Delia A. , Perez Preciado Octavio Adolfo
Published: April 2014

Realiza-se uma análise do uso do humor como parte das estratégias de persuasão na liderança e na política, em geral, e nas campanhas eleitorais em particular. Aborda-se também o estudo das funções desempenhadas pelo humor nas campanhas eleitorais e as razões pelas quais este é usado como parte de estratégias para convencer os eleitores. Examinou-se também a literatura especializada e as investigações já realizadas sobre o assunto, tanto nos negócios como na política. Finalmente, concluiu-se que, sob regimes democráticos, o humor tem sido utilizado como estratégia de comunicação durante as campanhas eleitorais para gerenciar o afeto e conquistar o voto dos eleitores, procurando persuadí-los e mobilizá-los.
Produção e qualidade da fruta do morangueiro sob influência da aplicação de boro
Authors: Lemiska Anderson , Pauletti Volnei , Cuquel Francine Lorena , Zawadneak Maria Aparecida Cassilha
Published: April 2014

Nos sistemas de produção do morangueiro, a adubação com boro é uma das práticas culturais mais empregadas pelos produtores, contudo o seu uso de forma incorreta pode comprometer a produção e a qualidade das frutas. O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi avaliar os efeitos da aplicação de boro no solo (0 e 4kg ha-1) combinada com pulverizações na parte aérea das plantas (0, 240, 480, 720 e 960g B ha-1) sobre a planta, número, produção, acidez titulável, teor de sólidos solúveis, pH da polpa e firmeza das frutas do morangueiro. A aplicação de 4kg B ha-1 no solo proporcionou redução da produção de massa seca radicular e aérea das plantas de morangueiro. A aplicação foliar de boro aumentou o número e a produção de frutas com maior diâmetro, e a máxima produção total de frutas foi obtida com a aplicação foliar de 568g B ha-1 durante o período reprodutivo. Tanto a aplicação de boro na parte aérea quanto no solo aumentaram o teor foliar deste nutriente, sendo que o teor foliar adequado para a segunda florada do morangueiro oscilou entre 69 a 88mg kg-1. A aplicação foliar de boro aumentou a firmeza das frutas, porém independentemente da forma de aplicação de boro houve redução no teor de sólidos solúveis das frutas do morangueiro.
Incorporação ao solo de substrato contendo micélio e conídios de Pochonia chlamydosporia para o manejo de Meloidogyne javanica
Authors: Dallemole-Giaretta Rosangela , Freitas Leandro Grassi de , Xavier Deborah Magalhães , Zooca Ronaldo João Falcão , Ferraz Silamar , Lopes Everaldo Antônio
Published: April 2014

Os clamidósporos são os principais propágulos utilizados como fonte de inóculo de Pochonia chlamydosporia em experimentos envolvendo o biocontrole do nematoide das galhas. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o controle de Meloidogyne javanica em tomateiro por meio da aplicação ao solo de grãos de arroz colonizados pelo fungo contendo apenas micélio e conídio, sem a presença de clamidósporos. O isolado de P. chlamydosporia Pc-10 foi cultivado por 15 dias a 26°C em arroz previamente esterilizado em forno microondas. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos simultaneamente em casa de vegetação. No experimento 1, vasos de 2L de capacidade foram preenchidos com mistura solo:areia (1:1, v:v), contendo 3g kg-1 de solo de grãos de arroz colonizados pelo antagonista. No experimento 2, o fungo foi adicionado ao solo de vasos de 0,5L nas doses de 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 ou 30g kg-1 de solo. Em seguida, o substrato de cada vaso foi infestado com 4.000 ovos de M. javanica e, após 15 dias, uma plântula de tomate foi transplantada. No experimento 1, a aplicação do fungo ao solo reduziu o número de galhas e de ovos do nematoide em 40% e 72,83%, respectivamente. No experimento 2, houve redução do número de ovos a partir de doses de 5g kg 1 de solo e no número de galhas, principalmente, nas doses de 25 e 30g kg-1 de solo. Conclui-se que P. chlamydosporia Pc-10 controlou M. javanica em tomateiro, mesmo quando aplicado ao solo na forma de grãos de arroz colonizados e sem a presença de clamidósporos.
Increase in biofilm formation by Escherichia coli under conditions that mimic the mastitic mammary gland
Authors: Costa João Carlos Miguel , Espeschit Isis de Freitas , Pieri Fábio Alessandro , Benjamin Laércio Anjos , Moreira Maria Aparecida Scatamburlo
Published: April 2014

Bacterial biofilms are involved in the aggravation and recurrence of clinical mastitis in dairy herds. Several factors such as pH, temperature, concentration of O2 and glucose can affect their induction and growth rates. In this study, biofilm production was demonstrated by 27 Escherichia coli strains isolated from bovine mastitis at different pH values depending on the availability of glucose, mimicking conditions found in mammary glands affected by the disease. Biofilm formation was analyzed by spectrophotometric analysis in microtiter plate with 16 different culture media and by scanning electron microscopy. Biofilm formation was greater in isolates cultured under conditions associated with low glucose availability (0.5% or 1.5%) and with either an acidic (5.5) or alkaline (8.5) pH, compared to conditions associated with high glucose availability (2.5% or 3.5%) and near-neutral pH (6.5 or 7.5). Results indicate possible favoring of biofilm production in the later stages of the infectious process caused by E. coli, when the gland environment is less propitious to bacterial growth due to the stress conditions mentioned above; contrasting with the environment of the healthy mammary gland, in which there is no limitation on nutrients or conditions of particular alkalinity or acidity. Thus, knowledge of the stage in which is the infection and environmental conditions of the mammary gland that cause increased production of biofilms is of paramount importance to guide the most appropriate control strategies to prevent relapse after treatment of bovine mastitis, an economically important disease in dairy cattle worldwide.
Qualidade da produção da bananeira Nanicão em função do uso de biofertilizantes
Authors: Santos José G. R. dos , Andrade Raimundo , Galdino Pablícia O. , Linhares Ayonna S. F. , Maia Paloma M. E. , Lima Antonio S. de
Published: April 2014

Com esta pesquisa objetivou-se estudar os efeitos de 5 doses de 4 diferentes tipos de biofertilizante na produção da bananeira Nanicão, em 3 ciclos sucessivos. O experimento foi conduzido em condições de campo, na Escola Agrotécnica do Cajueiro, no município de Catolé do Rocha, estado da Paraíba, Brasil. O solo da área é classificado como Neossolo Flúvico, com textura franco arenosa. O experimento foi conduzido entre os meses de junho de 2008 a junho de 2011. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o de blocos casualizados com 20 tratamentos no esquema fatorial 5x4 (doses x tipos) de biofertilizantes, com quatro repetições. Os resultados mostram que os tipos de biofertilizante não afetaram as variáveis de qualidade da produção; o comprimento e o diâmetro do fruto aumentaram com o incremento da dose de biofertilizante até limites ótimos; o comprimento do fruto das plantas do segundo ciclo foi superior ao das plantas dos primeiro e terceiro ciclos; o diâmetro do fruto das plantas do segundo ciclo foi superior ao das plantas dos primeiro e terceiro ciclos e os valores de ºBrix e de pH da polpa do fruto não foram afetados pelas doses de biofertilizante aplicadas.
Interface friction evolution of FRP tube confined concrete piles during the driving installation process
Authors: Abuel-Naga H. M. , Shaia H. A.
Published: April 2014

The surface topography of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) tube confined concrete piles may be significantly altered during the driving installation process. This change could affect the interface pile design parameters and therefore an accurate quantification of this change is required to precisely determine the pile shaft resistance. This article presents the results of an experimental study carried out to investigate the changes in surface topography and interface shear coefficient of two different FRP counterface surfaces that sheared against different types of sand under increased normal stress levels. The test results indicate that quantifiable surface topography changes could be induced by subjecting FRP surfaces to interface shearing under increased normal stress levels. Furthermore, the interface shear resistance coefficient decreases as the normal stress increases. The study also shows that the deterioration of the interface shear resistance coefficient as the normal stress increases can be mainly attributed to the interface dilatancy behaviour. However, the effect of surface topography change on the deterioration rate is a function of the hardness of the counterface material.
Energy analysis of Organic Rankine Cycles for biomass applications
Authors: Algieri Angelo , Morrone Pietropaolo
Published: April 2014

The present paper aims at analysing the performances of Organic Rankine
Cycles (ORCs) adopted for the exploitation of the biomass resulting from the
pruning residues in a 3000 hectares district in Southern Italy. A parametric
energy analysis has been carried out to define the influence of the main
plant operating conditions. To this purpose, both subcritical and
transcritical power plants have been examined and saturated and superheated
conditions at the turbine inlet have been imposed. Moreover, the effect of
the working fluid, condensation temperature, and internal regeneration on
system performances has been investigated. The results show that ORC plants
represent an interesting and sustainable solution for decentralised and
small-scale power production. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the
significant impact of the maximum temperature and the noticeable effect of
internal regeneration on the performances of the biomass power plants.
Analysis of Rheological State of SBS Modified Bitumens Based on Viscosity Measurements
Authors: Zieliński K.
Published: April 2014

Each bitumen has a slightly different group composition, thus bitumen modification with the SBS copolymer gives slightly different results in each case. Both in the industry and construction practice there is still no simple method available which would allow the evaluation of the impact of SBS content and the group composition of bitumen on the structural and rheological properties of the polymer bitumen mix. The article presents the results of the dynamic viscosity tests of three bitumen types. Based on the analysis of the results obtained, it was found that changes in the rheological properties caused by SBS additive are characteristic for each of the bitumens tested and their chemical and group composition. They are also proportionate to the amount of the modifier added. In order to have a possibility to measure this impact, three coefficients rheologically characterizing polymer and bitumen mixes were applied.
METROLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF A/D CONVERTERS UTILIZING HIGHER ORDER SIGMA–DELTA MODULATORS COMPARED WITH A/D CONVERTERS WITH MODULATORS OF FIRST ORDER
Authors: Sidor Tadeusz
Published: April 2014

Time domain analysis is used to determine whether A/D converters that employ higher order sigma-delta modulators, widely used in digital acoustic systems, have superior performance over classical synchronous A/D converters with modulators of first order when taking into account their important metrological property which is the magnitude of the quantization error. It is shown that the quantization errors of delta-sigma A/D converters with higher order modulators are exactly on the same level as for converters with a first order modulator.
HIGH RESOLUTION TIME-INTERVAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS APPLIED TO FLOW MEASUREMENT
Authors: Grzelak Sławomir , Kowalski Marcin , Czoków Jarosław , Zieliński Marek
Published: April 2014

The designing process of high resolution time interval measurement systems creates many problems that need to be eliminated. The problems are: the latch error, the nonlinearity conversion, the different duty cycle coefficient of the clock signal, and the clock signal jitter. Factors listed above affect the result of measurement. The FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) structure also imposes some restrictions, especially when a tapped delay line is constructed. The article describes the high resolution time-to-digital converter, implemented in a FPGA structure, and the types of errors that appear there. The method of minimization and processing of data to reduce the influence of errors on the measurement is also described.
POWER GRID IMPEDANCE TRACKING WITH UNCERTAINTY ESTIMATION USING TWO STAGE WEIGHTED LEAST SQUARES
Authors: Borkowski Dariusz , Barczentewicz Szymon
Published: April 2014

The paper presents a new method for simultaneous tracking of varying grid impedance and its uncertainty bounds. Impedance tracking consists of two stages. In the first stage, the actual noise estimate is obtained from least squares (LS) residua. In the second stage, the noise covariance matrix is approximated with the use of residual information. Then weighted least squares (WLS) method is applied in order to estimate impedance and background voltage. Finally uncertainty bounds for impedance estimation are computed. The robustness of the method has been verified using simulated signals. The proposed method has been compared to sliding LS. The results have shown, that the method performs much better than the LS for all considered cases, even in the presence of significant background voltage variations.
SURFACE IRREGULARITIES AS A COMPLEX SIGNAL OF TOOL REPRESENTATION TOGETHER WITH UNEVEN DISPLACEMENT IN RESPECT TO THE WORKPIECE
Authors: Boryczko Adam , Rytlewski Wojciech
Published: April 2014

In a dynamic machining process, distortion in surface irregularity is a very complex phenomenon. Surface irregularities form a periodic representation of the tool profile with various kinds of disturbance in a broad range of changes in the height and length of the profile. To discern these irregularity disturbances, interactions of the tool in the form of changes perpendicular and parallel relative to the workpiece were analyzed and simulated. The individual kinds of displacement of the tool relative to the workpiece introduce distortions in the changes of height and length. These changes are weakly represented in standard height and length irregularity parameters and their discernment has been found through amplitude-frequency functions.
SURFACE TEXTURE ANALYSIS AFTER BALL END MILLING WITH VARIOUS SURFACE INCLINATION OF HARDENED STEEL
Authors: Wojciechowski Szymon , Twardowski Paweł , Wieczorowski Michał
Published: April 2014

In this paper, an analysis of various factors affecting machined surface texture is presented. The investigation was focused on ball end mill inclination against the work piece (defined by surface inclination angle a. Surface roughness was investigated in a 3D array, and measurements were conducted parallel to the feed motion direction. The analysis of machined surface irregularities as a function of frequency (wavelength A), on the basis of the Power Density Spectrum - PDS was also carried out. This kind of analysis is aimed at valuation of primary factors influencing surface roughness generation as well as its randomness. Subsequently, a surface roughness model including cutter displacements was developed. It was found that plain cutting with ball end mill (surface inclination angle a= 0°) is unfavorable from the point of view of surface roughness, because in cutter’s axis the cutting speed vc ~ 0 m/min. This means that a cutting process does not occur, whereas on the machined surface some characteristics marks can be found. These marks do not appear in case of a* 0°, because the cutting speed vc * 0 on the fill I length of the active cutting edge and as a result, the machined surface texture is more homogenous. Surface roughness parameters determined on the basis of the model including cutter displacements are closer to experimental data for cases with inclination angles a* 0°, in comparison with those determined for plain cutting (a= 0°). It is probably caused by higher contribution in surface irregularities generation of plastic and elastic deformations cumulated near the cutter’s free end than kinematic and geometric parameters, as well as cutter displacements.
On Lattice-Ordered Rees Matrix Γ-Semigroups
Authors: Hila Kostaq , Pisha Edmond
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and give some properties of l-Rees matrix Γ-semigroups. Generalizing the results given by Guowei and Ping, concerning the congruences and lattice of congruences on regular Rees matrix Γ-semigroups, the structure theorem of l-congruences lattice of l - Γ-semigroup M = μº(G : I; L; Γe) is given, from which it follows that this l-congruences lattice is distributive.
How Important Is Teaching Phonemic Awareness to Children Learning to Read in Spanish?
Authors: Goldenberg Claude , Tolar Tammy D. , Reese Leslie , Francis David J. , Ray Bazán Antonio , Mejía-Arauz Rebeca
Published: March 2014

This comparative study examines relationships between phonemic awareness and Spanish reading skill acquisition among three groups of Spanish-speaking first and second graders: children in Mexico receiving reading instruction in Spanish and children in the United States receiving reading instruction in either Spanish or English. Children were tested on Spanish oral language and reading skills in fall and spring of Grades 1 and 2. Children in Mexico were the lowest in phonemic awareness among the three groups and very low in their entering first-grade reading skills. However, they ended second grade matching or surpassing the reading skills of the U.S. students while remaining lower in phonemic awareness. Findings cast doubt on whether phonemic awareness instruction is helpful for children learning to read in Spanish.
Teaching Medical Students to Develop an ‘Appropriate’ Relationship with the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Shankar Ravi P
Published: March 2014

Considering the studies reported in the literature and trends in developed nations, teaching students about pharmaceutical promotion and how to deal with it should be an important part of the medical school curriculum. Appropriate interaction of doctors in the teaching hospital with MRs is essential as they serve as role models for students and as a strong influence on their future behavior. The hospital drug/medicine and therapeutics committee has an important role to play in this regard. The HAI-WHO manual on pharmaceutical promotion can be used as a guide for conducting sessions for students. Sensitizing students about pharmaceutical promotion and helping them develop an ‘appropriate’ relationship during their professional career is the need of the hour!  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v4i1.10124 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2014;4 (1): 299-300
Case Based Approach in Pharmacology: A Novel Approach
Authors: Banerjee Indrajit
Published: March 2014

Case Oriented approach in Pharmacology will be helpful to know/study all the basic science in an integrated manner. This approach is a better approach so that the medical student will get the clinical scenario in the beginning of the topic. It will be also be effective tool for the students to solve the problem based questions and also they will learn the role of the clinical pharmacology too. Thus case oriented approach in teaching pharmacology will make Pharmacology more interesting subject.  Recently based on certain evidences it was found out that basic science medical curriculum is based   on clinical approach in which pharmacology is one integrated component in a holistic approach to teaching and learning methodology. One major problem of teaching pharmacology is that a student doesn’t see patients in basic science teaching and learning method. This problem can be solved to some extent by this novel case oriented approach in Pharmacology.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v4i1.10125 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2014;4 (1): 301-305
Impact of ethnicity, unemployment and economy on mental disorders : A study from Western Nepal
Authors: Banerjee Indrajit , Banerjee Indraneel , Roy Bedanta , Sathian Brijesh , Kadkha Shovit , Chakraborty Prasanta Kumar , Saha Archana , Pugazhandhi Bakthavatchalam
Published: March 2014

Background: The causes of mental health problems and ethnic variation are poorlyunderstood. The main objective of the study was to find out about psychiatricdiseases which frequently occur in Western Nepal for which hospitalization isrequired. The specific objective was to research about theeconomic condition ofthe psychiatric patients and the prevalence of common psychiatric disorderwitnessed among hospitalized patients who belong to diverse ethnic and culturalgroups in Western Nepal. Materials and Methods: It was a cross sectional studywhich was conducted in between 1st October 2009 and 31th March 2010 between at Manipalteaching hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. Odds ratios and adjusted odds ratio andtheir 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. p < 0.05 wasconsidered as statistically significant. Results: Out of 240 cases the commonestcases of psychiatric disorders include Schizophrenia, Schizotypal and DelusionDisorders 36.3%, Mood Disorders 27.9%, Neurotic, stress-related and somatoformdisorders 15.8%. Study based on ethnicity revealed that the majority ofpatients were Dalit [n= 72] followed by Brahmin [n = 66], Chettri [n = 46],Newar [n = 19], Gurung [n = 17], others [n = 13] and Magar and Pun [n = 7].Most of the patients were <40yrs [n=191] unemployed [n=199], monthly familyincome <10000 NPR/month [n= 187], students [n = 102] housewives [n = 74,], job holders [n= 17]. Study showed that Mental and Behavioural disorder due toPsychoactive Substance abuse, Schizophrenia, Schizotypal and Delusion DisordersMood (Affective) Disorders, Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorderswere prevalent among unemployed patients [OR 8.170(CI 1.062, 62.853)], [OR3.033(CI 1.334, 6.897)], [OR 0.413(CI 0.199, 0.856)[OR 0.228(CI 0.089,0.583)]as compared to employed patients(p=0.001). Conclusion: Schizophrenia was the commonestpsychiatric disorder among the low socio-economic class of like Dalits. The study showed that culture based differences concerning mental health is furthermediated by poverty, unemployment and dearth of family income which leads tohigh prevalence of psychiatric illness among Nepalese population. Based on thefinding of the study, interventions should target these factors to minimise theload of various psychiatric illness among poor Dalit Nepalese population.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v4i1.10132Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2014;4 (1): 306-315Keywords:Culture, Ethnicity,Nepal, Psychiatry
Reporting Adverse Drug Reactions Among Hospitalized Medical Patients: A Prospective Study From Tertiary Care Hospital in Western Nepal
Authors: Alam Kadir , Shakya R , Ojha P
Published: March 2014

Background    The risk of adverse drug reaction ranges nearly from zero to high level depending upon the drug itself and the patient factor. The process of detection, assessment, monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reaction is necessary to prevent its occurrence in future. Materials and Methods Information related to suspected Adverse Drug Reactions(ADRs) were collected by pharmacists from general medical ward using ADRs reporting form from Manipal Teaching Hospital (MTH)during ward rounds. The details of suspected drug, drug reaction and all related data were documented. Naranjo Algorithm, modified Hartwig and Siegel and modified Shumock and Thornton scale were used for assessment of causality, severity and preventability respectively. All suspected ADRs were reported to National Pharmacovigilance Center and then to Uppsala Monitoring centre through the electronic online data base named Vigiflow.  Results Among 1,105 patients, 51 patients experienced ADR (4.61%). Incidents of ADRs were higher with antibiotics (47.06%) and Ceftriaxone was at top of list (15.69 %). Dermatological system (25.49%) and gastrointestinal system (19.61%) were affected more. About 33.33% of suspected drugs were discontinued. About 41.18% of ADRs required medical treatment where antihistaminic (24.32%) and antipruritic (21.62%) were most commonly used to treat ADRs. To sum up, 64.71% of ADRs were probable, 62.75% were mild in nature and 60.78% were probably preventable. Conclusion Finding of the study suggests that ADRs still pose serious health threat among hospitalized patients and as a matter of fact over 60% of them are preventable. Reporting of ADR scan provide effective measures to prevent the occurrence in the future in which the role of pharmacist is vital.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v4i1.10135 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2014;4 (1): 330-336
Inducible Clindamycin Resistance Among the Staphylococcus aureus Colonizing the Anterior Nares of School Children of Udupi Taluk
Authors: Govindan S , Mohammed C A , Bairy I
Published: March 2014

Clindamycin is one of the preferred antibiotics in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) skin and soft tissue infections. However the emergence of inducible clindamycin resistant SA is a major concern for clinicians in the management of such infections. Information about such resistant strains of SA colonizing the anterior nares is very important in planning infection control strategies. The objective of the current study was to assess the proportion of SA showing inducible clindamycin resistance and also to know their association with methicillin resistance. Among the isolates, 11.6% (44/378) strains were showing positive D test which indicates inducible clindamycin resistance and a highly significant 71% (12/17) inducible clindamycin resistance was also noticed in the case of MRSA. The nasal carriage of inducible clindamycin resistant SA showing a significant association with MRSA strains by the paediatric population from this area warrants the inclusion of D test in the routine antibiotic susceptibility testing of SA isolates. Information about the MLSBi status among the colonizing strains would also help the public health authorities to plan and implement infection control strategies at the community level.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v4i1.10136 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2014;4 (1): 337-340
Finding the right title for your article: Advice for academic authors
Authors: Van Teijlingen E , Ireland J , Hundley V , Simkhada P , Sathian Brijesh
Published: March 2014

On reading the title of an article the reader can sometimes wonder what the author is trying to say, as the title seems so far removed from the research covered in the article.  Do such authors forget that many readers of health and medical journals browse the list of contents (in a paper or electronic format) and use titles to select the article that attracts attention? Academic authors are often not clear enough in the titles of their articles, and hence may not attract as large a readership as possible.   Any author would want their article to be read and cited, and to stand out in a crowded Table of Contents or a list of papers found in a search on electronic databases.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nje.v4i1.10138 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 2014;4 (1): 344-347
Ice Thickness Sensor for Overhead Transmission Lines Based on Capacitance Sensing
Authors: Dou Yinke , Chang Xiaomin , Dun Zhuo , Yuan Kaiqi , Xue Ying
Published: April 2014

A transmission line ice thickness real-time simulation and online monitoring system were designed by using the coplanar multi-point capacitance sensor technology. The capacitance sensing type ice thickness sensor is used in the system to detect the metal electrode capacitance change on various positions surrounding the analog transmission line, and verify the ice thickness on analog line. By theoretical analysis and simulation of a plurality of coplanar metal line electrode fields and capacitors, as well as the freezing test of the system in low temperature, the system is validated to have the feasibility of monitoring the ice thickness of transmission lines.
Book Reviews
Authors: Collier Peter , Macdonald Neil , Whited Tamara L. , Miller Char , Gaynor Andrea
Published: April 2014

Daniel E. Orenstein, Allon Tal and Char Miller, eds., Between Ruin and Restoration: An Environmental History of Israel (Peter Collier)
Emily O'Gorman, Flood Country: An Environmental History of the Murray-Darling Basin (Neil Macdonald)
Chris Pearson, Mobilizing Nature: The Environmental History of War and Militarization in Modern France (Tamara L. Whited)
John Wills, US Environmental History: Inviting Doomsday (Char Miller)
Christopher C. Sellers, Crabgrass Crucible: Suburban Nature and the Rise of Environmentalism in Twentieth-Century America (Andrea Gaynor)
Poems and Festivals, Art and Artefact and the Commemoration of Robert Burns, c.1844–c.1896
Authors: Pittock Murray
Published: April 2014

The following article examines the major Burns festivals of the nineteenth century, particularly the Ayr Festival of 1844, in the context of the wider creation of cultural memory through the monumental celebration of national heroes in these years. It argues both that what we now think of as Burns’ literary reputation was substantially created by iconic objects, celebrations and events, rather than literary criticism, and that the cultural memory of Burns was ultimately beyond the control of those who sought to stage-manage it. Given the centrality of Burns in Victorian Scotland, both conclusions have much wider implications both for literary canon formation and banal manifestations of cultural and national identity.
Official Histories of Parliament and the Nature of the Union of 1707: A Forgotten Episode in Anglo-Scottish Academic Relations
Authors: Hayton D.W.
Published: April 2014

The Scottish Committee on the History of Parliament was established in 1936 as an offshoot of Col. Josiah Wedgwood's scheme for a collaborative ‘history of parliament’ researched and written on biographical lines. Circumstances, however, determined that the Scottish history would take a separate path. When Wedgwood's scheme was revived in 1951 an unsuccessful attempt was made to reintegrate the two projects. Discussions between the respective managing committees were conflicted and often bad-tempered, focussing on different interpretations of the nature of the united parliament created in 1707. The Scottish committee insisted that it was a new constitutional entity, while the English saw it as a continuation of the Westminster parliament with Scottish MPs added. This story of mutual incomprehension illustrates the profound differences between Scottish and English academics in the writing of parliamentary history, and also reveals a hitherto unobserved element in the development among leading Scottish jurists of a strain of ‘legal nationalism’ based on their interpretation of the constitutional significance of the Union.
A Biomarker Found in Cadmium Exposed Residents of Thailand by Metabolome Analysis
Authors: Suvagandha Dhitiwass , Nishijo Muneko , Swaddiwudhipong Witaya , Honda Ruymon , Ohse Morimasa , Kuhara Tomiko , Nakagawa Hideaki , Ruangyuttikarn Werawan
Published: April 2014

First, the urinary metabolic profiling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), was performed to compare ten cadmium (Cd) toxicosis cases from a Cd-polluted area in Mae Sot (Thailand) with gender-matched healthy controls. Orthogonal partial list square-discrimination analysis was used to identify new biomarker candidates in highly Cd exposed toxicosis cases with remarkable renal tubular dysfunction. The results of the first step of this study showed that urinary citrate was a negative marker and myo-inositol was a positive marker for Cd toxicosis in Thailand. In the second step, we measured urinary citrate in the residents (168 Cd-exposed subjects and 100 controls) and found significantly lower levels of urinary citrate and higher ratios of calcium/citrate and magnesium/citrate, which are risk factors for nephrolithiasis, in highly Cd-exposed residents. Additionally, this inverse association of urinary citrate with urinary Cd was observed after adjustment for age, smoking and renal tubular dysfunction, suggesting a direct effect of Cd on citrate metabolism. These results indicate that urinary citrate is a useful biomarker for the adverse health effects of Cd exposure in a Thai population with a high prevalence of nephrolithiasis.
The Marine Fungal Metabolite, Dicitrinone B, Induces A375 Cell Apoptosis through the ROS-Related Caspase Pathway
Authors: Chen Li , Gong Mei-Wei , Peng Zhen-Fei , Zhou Tong , Ying Min-Gang , Zheng Qiu-Hong , Liu Qin-Ying , Zhang Qi-Qing
Published: April 2014

Dicitrinone B, a rare carbon-bridged citrinin dimer, was isolated from the marine-derived fungus, Penicillium citrinum. It was reported to have antitumor effects on tumor cells previously; however, the details of the mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we found that dicitrinone B inhibited the proliferation of multiple tumor types. Among them, the human malignant melanoma cell, A375, was confirmed to be the most sensitive. Morphologic evaluation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis rate analysis results showed that dicitrinone B significantly induced A375 cell apoptosis. Subsequent observation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) reduction revealed that the apoptosis induced by dicitrinone B may be triggered by over-producing ROS. Further studies indicated that the apoptosis was associated with both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways under the regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins. Caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3 were activated during the process, leading to PARP cleavage. The pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK, could reverse dicitrinone B-induced apoptosis, suggesting that it is a caspase-dependent pathway. Our data for the first time showed that dicitrinone B inhibits the proliferation of tumor cells by inducing cell apoptosis. Moreover, compared with the first-line chemotherapy drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), dicitrinone B showed much more potent anticancer efficacy, suggesting that it might serve as a potential antitumor agent.
Variegatusides: New Non-Sulphated Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Stichopus variegates Semper
Authors: Wang Xiao-Hua , Zou Zheng-Rong , Yi Yang-Hua , Han Hua , Li Ling , Pan Min-Xiang
Published: April 2014

Four new triterpene glycosides, variegatusides C–F (1–4), together with three structurally known triterpene glycosides, variegatusides A and B (5, 6), and holothurin B (7), were isolated from the sea cucumber Stichopus variegates Semper (Holothuriidae), collected from the South China Sea. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectral analysis (nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS)) and chemical evidence. Variegatusides C–F exhibit the same structural feature consisting of the presence of a 23-hydroxyl group at the holostane-type triterpene aglycone side chain. Variegatuside C (1) has a double bond (24, 25) in this same chain, while variegatuside D (2) exhibits a 8(9)-ene bond in the holostane-type triterpene aglycone, which has not been extracted from other sea cucumber species. Compound 4 is a native compound from the sea cucumber S. variegates Semper, which has been reported to be desacetylstichloroside B1. Except for holothurin B, these glycosides have no sulfate group in their sugar chain and show potent antifungal activities in vitro biotests.
Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Gerbera anandria
Authors: He Fa , Wang Miao , Gao Minghuan , Zhao Min , Bai Yuhua , Zhao Chunjie
Published: April 2014

Gerbera anandria (Compositae) was extracted with 75% ethanol and the residue was fractionated using light petroleum, chloroform and ethyl acetate. The constituents of the extracts were separated by column chromatography employing solvents of different polarity. Column chromatography of the light petroleum fraction resulted in the isolation of methyl hexadecanoate, while the chloroform fraction afforded xanthotoxin, 2-hydroxy-6-methylbenzoic acid, 7-hydroxy-1(3H)-isobenzofuranone, a mixture of β-sitosterol and stigmasterol, and 8-methoxysmyrindiol and the ethyl acetate fraction gave gerberinside, apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside and quercetin. A new coumarin, 8-methoxysmyrindiol, was found. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were established by MS and NMR (HSQC, HMBC). Free radical scavenging and cytotoxic activities of crude extracts and 8-methoxysmyrindiol were further investigated. The ethyl acetate phase exerted the strongest DPPH free radical scavenging activity in comparison to the other fractions. The coumarin 8-methoxysmyrindiol demonstrated cytotoxicity against multiple human cancer cell lines, with the highest potency in HepG2 cells.
A One-Step Microwave-Assisted Synthetic Method for an O/S-Chemoselective Route to Derivatives of the First Adenosine A3 PET Radiotracer
Authors: Shanab Karem , Neudorfer Catharina , Holzer Wolfgang , Mitterhauser Markus , Wadsak Wolfgang , Spreitzer Helmut
Published: April 2014

The synthesis of reference standards and expected in vivo metabolites of the first adenosine A3 PET radiotracer [18F]FE@SUPPY ([18F]fluoroethyl 4,6-diethyl-5-[(ethyl-sulfanyl)carbonyl]-2-phenylpyridine-3-carboxylate) was achieved by using a straightforward microwave assisted alkylation method, which allowed O/S-chemoselective alkylation of the starting material 1 to give each target compound 2–8 in a single step.
High-Throughput Sequencing, a VersatileWeapon to Support Genome-Based Diagnosis in Infectious Diseases: Applications to Clinical Bacteriology
Authors: Caboche Ségolène , Audebert Christophe , Hot David
Published: April 2014

The recent progresses of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies enable easy and cost-reduced access to whole genome sequencing (WGS) or re-sequencing. HTS associated with adapted, automatic and fast bioinformatics solutions for sequencing applications promises an accurate and timely identification and characterization of pathogenic agents. Many studies have demonstrated that data obtained from HTS analysis have allowed genome-based diagnosis, which has been consistent with phenotypic observations. These proofs of concept are probably the first steps toward the future of clinical microbiology. From concept to routine use, many parameters need to be considered to promote HTS as a powerful tool to help physicians and clinicians in microbiological investigations. This review highlights the milestones to be completed toward this purpose.