bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sorption isotherms of waterlogged subfossil Scots pine wood impregnated with a lactitol and trehalose mixture
Authors: Majka Jerzy , Babiński Leszek , Olek Wiesław
Published: May 2017

A waterlogged subfossil Scots pine wood, 12 500-years-old, was impregnated with a mixture of lactitol and trehalose as well as with polyethylene glycol (PEG) mixtures, respectively, and the sorption properties of the impregnated samples were determined. All the impregnated wood samples were freeze-dried. The sorption isotherms were parameterized with the Guggenheim-Anderson-deBoer (GAB) and Generalized D’Arcy and Watt (GDW) models. Better hygroscopic properties were found for wood impregnated with the lactitol and trehalose mixture as compared to the PEG treatments. An anomalous increase of equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was found for PEG treated wood at a high relative humidity (RH) as compared to untreated wood at RH<80%. The lactitol and trehalose mixture significantly reduced this effect due to the decreased sorption of polymolecular water. Another positive effect of the alternative method is the ca. 50% reduction of the sorption hysteresis as compared to untreated wood. Moreover, the hysteresis was also much lower in the case of high RH as compared to PEG treated wood. The alternative treatment is also effective in terms of the dimensional stabilization of decayed wood.
Effects of Rolling and Cooling Conditions on Microstructure of Umbrella-Bone Steel
Authors: Wu Yan-Xin , Fu Jian-Xun , Zhang Hua , Xu Jie , Zhai Qi-Jie
Published: May 2017

The effects of deformation temperature and cooling rate on the micro-structure evolution of umbrella-bone steel was investigated using a Gleeble thermal-mechanical testing machine and dynamic continuous cooling transformation (CCT) curves. The results show that fast cooling which lowers the starting temperature of ferrite transformation leads to finer ferrite grains and more pearlite. Low temperature deformation enhances the hardening effect of austenite and reduces hardenability, allowing a wider range of cooling rates and thus avoiding martensite transformation after deformation. According to the phase transformation rules, the ultimate tensile strength and reduction in area of the wire rod formed in the optimized industrial trial are 636 MPa and 73.6 %, respectively, showing excellent strength and plasticity.
Improvement Screening for Ultra-High Dimensional Data with Censored Survival Outcomes and Varying Coefficients
Authors: Yue Mu , Li Jialiang
Published: May 2017

Motivated by risk prediction studies with ultra-high dimensional bio markers, we propose a novel improvement screening methodology. Accurate risk prediction can be quite useful for patient treatment selection, prevention strategy or disease management in evidence-based medicine. The question of how to choose new markers in addition to the conventional ones is especially important. In the past decade, a number of new measures for quantifying the added value from the new markers were proposed, among which the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI) stand out. Meanwhile, C-statistics are routinely used to quantify the capacity of the estimated risk score in discriminating among subjects with different event times. In this paper, we will examine these improvement statistics as well as the norm-based approach for evaluating the incremental values of new markers and compare these four measures by analyzing ultra-high dimensional censored survival data. In particular, we consider Cox proportional hazards models with varying coefficients. All measures perform very well in simulations and we illustrate our methods in an application to a lung cancer study.
Addition of omega-3 fatty acid and coenzyme Q10 to statin therapy in patients with combined dyslipidemia
Authors: Tóth Štefan , Šajty Matej , Pekárová Tímea , Mughees Adil , Štefanič Peter , Katz Matan , Spišáková Katarína , Pella Jozef , Pella Daniel
Published: May 2017

Background:

Statins represent a group of drugs that are currently indicated in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Their administration can be associated with side effects and the insufficient reduction of triacylglyceride (TAG) levels. This study aimed to assess the effect of the triple combination of statins with omega-3 fatty acids and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) on parameters associated with atherogenesis and statin side effects.

Methods:

In this pilot randomized double-blind trial, 105 subjects who met the criteria of combined dislipidemia and elevated TAG levels were randomly divided into three groups. In the control group, unaltered statin therapy was indicated. In the second and third groups, omega-3 PUFA 2.52 g/day (Zennix fa Pleuran) and omega-3 PUFA 2.52 g+CoQ10 200 mg/day (Pharma Nord ApS) were added, res//. At the end of the 3-month period (±1 week), all patients were evaluated.

Results:

Significant reduction of hepatic enzymes activity, systolic blood preasure, inflammatory markers and TAG levels were detected in both groups in comparison to the control group. Activity of SOD and GPx increased significantly after additive therapy. Coenzyme Q10 addition significantly reduced most of the abovementioned parameters (systolic blood preasure, total cholesterol, LDL, hsCRP, IL-6, SOD) in comparison with the statin+omega-3 PUFA group. The intensity of statin adverse effects were significantly reduced in the group with the addition of CoQ10.

Conclusions:

The results of this pilot study suggest the possible beneficial effects of triple combination on the lipid and non-lipid parameters related to atherogenesis and side effects of statin treatment.
Associations of Physical Fitness and Body Composition Characteristics With Simulated Military Task Performance
Authors: Pihlainen Kai , Santtila Matti , Häkkinen Keijo , Kyröläinen Heikki
Published: May 2017

Pihlainen, K, Santtila, M, Häkkinen, K, and Kyröläinen, H. Associations of physical fitness and body composition characteristics with simulated military task performance. J Strength Cond Res 32(4): 1089–1098, 2018—The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations of physical fitness and body composition characteristics with anaerobic endurance performance, tested in the combat load using the occupationally relevant military simulation test (MST). Eighty-one male soldiers, deployed to a crisis management operation in the Middle East, volunteered for the study and participated in a test battery consisting measurements of muscle strength, body composition characteristics, endurance capacity, and MST. A Spearman correlational analysis revealed that the strongest variable, correlated with MST time, was the countermovement jump performed with the combat load (CMJ2) (r
s = −0.66, p < 0.001). Among the individual body composition variables, the MST time had the strongest relationship with fat percentage (r
s = 0.53, p < 0.001) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) (r
s = −0.47, p < 0.001). The use of the dead mass ratio, which was calculated dividing body mass by fat mass accompanied with the weight of the combat load, increased body composition-based associations significantly, and this variable turned out to be the best single predictor for the MST performance (r
s = −0.67, p < 0.001). Significant predictors of the MST time in the stepwise multivariate regression analysis included CMJ2, 3000 m, SMM, and push-ups. Together, these variables explained 66% (

JOURNAL/jscr/04.03/00124278-201804000-00025/inline-formula1/v/2023-08-19T002751Z/r/image-tiff

, model p < 0.001) of the variance in the MST time. In conclusion, the novel MST is a promising military specific assessment method of muscle power of the lower extremities and endurance capacity, which are crucial performance components in anaerobic combat situations.
Genetic defects in pediatric-onset adrenal insufficiency in Japan
Authors: Amano Naoko , Narumi Satoshi , Hayashi Mie , Takagi Masaki , Imai Kazuhide , Nakamura Toshiro , Hachiya Rumi , Sasaki Goro , Homma Keiko , Ishii Tomohiro , Hasegawa Tomonobu
Published: May 2017

Context

Most patients with pediatric-onset primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI), such as 21-hydroxylase deficiency, can be diagnosed by measuring the urine or serum levels of steroid metabolites. However, the etiology is often difficult to determine in a subset of patients lacking characteristic biochemical findings.

Objective

To assess the frequency of genetic defects in Japanese children with biochemically uncharacterized PAI and characterize the phenotypes of mutation-carrying patients.

Methods

We enrolled 63 Japanese children (59 families) with biochemically uncharacterized PAI, and sequenced 12 PAI-associated genes. The pathogenicities of rare variants were assessed based on in silico analyses and structural modeling. We calculated the proportion of mutation-carrying patients according to demographic characteristics.

Results

We identified genetic defects in 50 (85%) families: STAR in 19, NR0B1 in 18, SAMD9 in seven, AAAS in two, NNT in two, MC2R in one and CDKN1C in one. NR0B1 defects were identified in 78% of the male patients that received both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement therapy and had normal male external genitalia. STAR defects were identified in 67% of female and 9% of male patients. Seven of the 19 patients with STAR defects developed PAI at age two or older, out of whom, five did not have mineralocorticoid deficiency.

Conclusions

Molecular testing elucidated the etiologies of most biochemically uncharacterized PAI patients. Genetic defects such as NR0B1 defects are presumed based on phenotypes, while others with broad phenotypic variability, such as STAR defects, are difficult to diagnose. Molecular testing is a rational approach to diagnosis in biochemically uncharacterized PAI patients.
Assessment of Gene Flow BetweenGossypium hirsutumandG. herbaceum: Evidence of Unreduced Gametes in the Diploid Progenitor
Authors: Montes E , Coriton O , Eber F , Huteau V , Lacape J M , Reinhardt C , Marais D , Hofs J L , Chèvre A M , Pannetier C
Published: May 2017

In the framework of a gene flow assessment, we investigated the natural hybridization rate between Gossypium hirsutum (AADD genome) and G. herbaceum (AA genome). The latter species, a diploid progenitor of G. hirsutum, is spontaneously present in South Africa. Reciprocal crosses were performed without emasculation between G. herbaceum and G. hirsutum. Neither examination of the morphological characteristics nor flow cytometry analysis of the 335 plants resulting from the G. hirsutum × G. herbaceum cross showed any hybrid features. Of the 148 plants produced from the G. herbaceum × G. hirsutum cross, three showed a hybrid phenotype, and their hybrid status was confirmed by SSR markers. Analysis of DNA content by flow cytometry and morphological traits clearly showed that two of these plants were triploid (AAD). The third plant had a flow cytometry DNA content slightly higher than G. hirsutum. In addition, its morphological characteristics (plant architecture, presence and size of petal spots, leaf shape) led us to conclude that this plant was AAAD thus resulting from fertilization with an unreduced AA gamete of the female G. herbaceum parent. Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and meiotic behavior confirmed this hypothesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of such gametes in G. herbaceum, and it opens new avenues in breeding programs. Furthermore, this plant material could provide a useful tool for studying the expression of genes duplicated in the A and D cotton genome.
Systematic Analysis of the DNA Damage Response Network in Telomere Defective Budding Yeast
Authors: Holstein Eva-Maria , Ngo Greg , Lawless Conor , Banks Peter , Greetham Matthew , Wilkinson Darren , Lydall David
Published: May 2017

Functional telomeres are critically important to eukaryotic genetic stability. Scores of proteins and pathways are known to affect telomere function. Here, we report a series of related genome-wide genetic interaction screens performed on budding yeast cells with acute or chronic telomere defects. Genetic interactions were examined in cells defective in Cdc13 and Stn1, affecting two components of CST, a single stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding complex that binds telomeric DNA. For comparison, genetic interactions were also examined in cells with defects in Rfa3, affecting the major ssDNA binding protein, RPA, which has overlapping functions with CST at telomeres. In more complex experiments, genetic interactions were measured in cells lacking EXO1 or RAD9, affecting different aspects of the DNA damage response, and containing a cdc13-1 induced telomere defect. Comparing fitness profiles across these data sets helps build a picture of the specific responses to different types of dysfunctional telomeres. The experiments show that each context reveals different genetic interactions, consistent with the idea that each genetic defect causes distinct molecular defects. To help others engage with the large volumes of data, the data are made available via two interactive web-based tools: Profilyzer and DIXY. One particularly striking genetic interaction observed was that the chk1∆ mutation improved fitness of cdc13-1 exo1∆ cells more than other checkpoint mutations (ddc1∆, rad9∆, rad17∆, and rad24∆), whereas, in cdc13-1 cells, the effects of all checkpoint mutations were similar. We show that this can be explained by Chk1 stimulating resection—a new function for Chk1 in the eukaryotic DNA damage response network.
Vitamin D Levels are Associated with Liver Disease Severity in Patients with Cirrhosis
Authors: Rech Megan A. , Von Roenn Natasha , Durazo-Arvizu Ramon , Cotler Scott J , Kramer Holly
Published: May 2017

Vitamin D deficiency is common in advanced liver disease but its clinical significance remains controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation of 25-hydryoxyvitamin D levels with liver disease severity and calcium levels in adults with cirrhosis. This cross-sectional study included 180 adults with cirrhosis enrolled in a clinical cohort study at a single university hospital. The mean age was 58.8 (±9.2) years, and cirrhosis was attributed to alcohol use in 27.2%, hepatitis C in 35.0%, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in 27.2%, and both alcohol and hepatitis C in 10.6%. The median model for end-stage liver disease-sodium (MELD-Na) score was 12.0 (interquartile range 9.0–16.0), and mean serum albumin levels were 3.4 (±0.7) gm/dl. Median serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were 28.0 (interquartile range 20–38) ng/mL, with 16 patients (8.9%) having levels <12 ng/ml and 43 (23.9%) with 25(OH)D levels <20 ng/ml. No correlation was noted between levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and albumin-corrected calcium in the total group and in groups stratified by vitamin D supplementation. In contrast, both serum albumin (r = 0.32; P < 0.001) and MELD-Na scores were significantly correlated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (r = –0.29; P < 0.001). Correlations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and serum albumin (r = ?0.39; P < 0.001) and MELD-Na scores did not change substantially after excluding 67 patients receiving vitamin D supplementation (r = ?0.33; P = 0.009). In conclusion, total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels correlate inversely with liver disease severity in adults with cirrhosis.
Influência da colheita e do armazenamento na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de mamona
Authors: Fanan Sheila , Medina Priscila Fratin , Camargo Marcelo Bento Paes de , Ramos Nilza Patrícia
Published: May 2017

Sabe-se que ao longo do ciclo da mamoneira são produzidos racemos de várias ordens que se desenvolvem sob diferentes condições ambientais, as quais podem provocar variações na qualidade das sementes no campo e durante o armazenamento. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes tratamentos de colheita (ordens de racemos e épocas) e da armazenagem na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de mamona, cultivar IAC-2028. Foram instalados testes de germinação, emergência de plântulas em areia, velocidade de emergência e crescimento de plântulas, logo após a colheita e aos 3, 6, 9 e 12 meses de armazenamento em ambiente de laboratório, sem controle de temperatura e umidade relativa do ar. O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos ao acaso, com cinco repetições, em esquema de parcela subdividida, onde as parcelas foram constituídas por cinco períodos trimestrais de avaliação e as sub-parcelas de 11 tratamentos de colheita. Com base nos resultados obtidos, conclui-se que a colheita dos racemos de mamona da cultivar IAC-2028, nas condições deste experimento, pode ser realizada em uma única etapa sem que ocorram perdas de qualidade fisiológica das sementes e o armazenamento manteve satisfatoriamente a qualidade das mesmas.
Alternative Donor Graft Sources for Adults with Hematologic Malignancies: A Donor for All Patients in 2017!
Authors: Kindwall-Keller Tamila L. , Ballen Karen K.
Published: May 2017

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is potentially curative for a wide variety of malignant diseases, including acute and leukemias, lymphoma, and myelodysplasia. Choice of a stem cell donor is dependent on donor availability, donor compatibility and health, recipient disease type, and recipient condition. Current sources of stem cell donation for HSCT are matched sibling donors (MSDs), matched unrelated donors (MUDs), 1-antigen mismatched unrelated donors (MMUDs), haploidentical donors (haplo), and umbilical cord blood (UCB) units. Historically, preferred donors for HSCT have been human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling donors; however, only about 30% of U.S. patients will have a MSD available. The majority of patients referred for HSCT will require an alternative donor graft: MUD, MMUD, UCB, or haplo. The likelihood of finding a MUD varies depending on the ethnicity of the recipient. White Caucasians of European descent have the greatest chance of finding a MUD. Chances of finding a MUD are significantly less for African-American or Hispanic recipients due to HLA polymorphisms. Therefore, MMUD, UCB, and haplo donor graft sources expand the donor pool for recipients who do not have a MSD or MUD available. Given the variety of different donor stem cell sources available today, nearly every patient who needs an allogeneic HSCT has a potential donor in 2017. All transplant-eligible patients with hematologic malignancies should be evaluated by a transplant center to determine if HSCT is a viable treatment option for their underlying disease process.
A Phase II Study of Everolimus Plus Oral Prednisone in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer
Authors: Lolli Cristian , Gallà Valentina , Schepisi Giuseppe , Barone Domenico , Burgio Salvatore Luca , Maugeri Antonio , Vertogen Bernadette , Amadori Dino , De Giorgi Ugo
Published: May 2017

Lessons Learned

The combination of everolimus and low-dose prednisone administered daily was hypothesized to prevent noninfectious pneumonitis (NIP) and mucositis, two common adverse events related to everolimus. Although mucositis was detected in only one case, all-grade NIP occurred in four of eight cases (50%), and this was considered enough to stop accrual of the study. These data suggest the need for careful monitoring of patients receiving everolimus who are treated with corticosteroids.

Background

Everolimus is standard of care in the treatment of patients affected by metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) that has progressed after at least one previous line of treatment. Stomatitis and noninfectious pneumonitis (NIP) are common adverse events (AEs) in patients treated with everolimus. Prednisone could reduce the incidence of stomatitis, and it is commonly used to treat NIP. We hypothesized that low doses of prednisone could reduce the incidence and/or the severity of everolimus-induced NIP and stomatitis.

Methods

We have conducted an open-label, single-arm, phase II trial of prednisone 5 mg b.i.d. added to everolimus 10 mg/day in patients with mRCC. We planned to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and activity of this combination in mRCC patients. We aimed to reduce incidence of drug discontinuations due to stomatitis or NIP from 25% to 10%.

Results

Three (38%) of the first eight patients enrolled experienced grade ≥2 pneumonitis and stopped treatment. Grade 1 stomatitis occurred in only one patient (13%). Five of eight patients experienced disease progression at the 2-month evaluation. Two patients (25%) were reported free of disease progression at 1 year of treatment.

Conclusion

The incidence of NIP in these patients was considered too high for completing accrual of this study. These results may be of interest for investigating the pathogenesis of NIP and suggest that patients should be carefully followed if treated with chronic corticosteroids while receiving everolimus.
Experimental study of a hybrid structural damper for multi-seismic levels
Authors: Hosseini Hashemi Behrokh , Moaddab Elham
Published: May 2017

Passive energy-dissipating devices or dampers applied as structural fuses are appealing alternatives to traditional earthquake-resisting design approaches. In this paper, two dual-performance designs are introduced as alternatives to the standard steel-plate yielding and friction damper. The new devices are detailed and designed to absorb and dissipate seismic input energy at different levels of ground motion. Both systems are composed of a main fuse to dissipate energy at high-level drift demands encountered in severe earthquakes but also have an auxiliary fuse to control the responses at lower drift demands that normally occur in moderate earthquakes. Six specimens with different specifications were designed and tested. The experimental results prove the efficiency of the dampers at different levels of ground motion. In moderate-level ground motion intensities, the dual-performance characteristics of the dampers permit energy dissipation in the auxiliary fuse without disturbing the main fuse. In high-intensity ground motions, the main fuses are engaged with significant energy-dissipating capability. Moreover, significant enhancements were observed in the plastic rotation capacity of the dampers and the ductility provided. A finite-element model of the dampers was created and close agreement was observed between the numerical and experimental results.
Structural assessment of composite seam-welded rectangular hollow columns
Authors: Castanheira Deborah Souza , de Lima Luciano Rodrigues Ornelas , da Silva Vellasco Pedro Colmar Gonçalves , da Nóbrega Tavares Maria Elizabeth
Published: May 2017

Structural elements made of seam-welded hollow sections are considerably less expensive than their seamless equivalents. This is a strong incentive for their use, but the current steel design standards still contain recommendations for seam-welded hollow sections based on test results performed with sections produced using outdated steel grades and fabrication processes. These design procedures are even more conservative when applied to composite tubular seam-welded elements. This paper presents an experimental campaign performed to investigate the structural behaviour of steel- and concrete-filled composite columns made with seam-welded rectangular hollow profiles. The experiments involved columns with only steel sections, concrete-filled and concrete-filled plus additional reinforcing bars. The main aim of the tests was to identify the contribution of each component in the overall structural response. The results enable an evaluation of the design recommendations present in Eurocode 4 aiming to determine less conservative buckling curves to be used for the investigated composite columns made of seam-welded rectangular hollow sections.
Isolation and characterisation of endocrine disruptor nonylphenol-using bacteria from South Africa
Authors: Qhanya Lehlohonolo B. , Mthakathi Ntsane T. , Boucher Charlotte E. , Mashele Samson S. , Theron Chrispian W. , Syed Khajamohiddin
Published: May 2017

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are synthetic chemicals that alter the function of endocrine systems in animals including humans. EDCs are considered priority pollutants and worldwide research is ongoing to develop bioremediation strategies to remove EDCs from the environment. An understanding of indigenous microorganisms is important to design efficient bioremediation strategies. However, much of the information available on EDCs has been generated from developed regions. Recent studies have revealed the presence of different EDCs in South African natural resources, but, to date, studies analysing the capabilities of microorganisms to utilise/degrade EDCs have not been reported from South Africa. Here, we report for the first time on the isolation and enrichment of six bacterial strains from six different soil samples collected from the Mpumalanga Province, which are capable of utilising EDC nonylphenol as a carbon source. Furthermore, we performed a preliminary characterisation of isolates concerning their phylogenetic identification and capabilities to degrade nonylphenol. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that four isolates belonged to Pseudomonas and the remaining two belonged to Enterobacteria and Stenotrophomonas. All six bacterial species showed degradation of nonylphenol in broth cultures, as HPLC analysis revealed 41–46% degradation of nonylphenol 12 h after addition. The results of this study represent the beginning of identification of microorganisms capable of degrading nonylphenol, and pave the way for further exploration of EDC-degrading microorganisms from South Africa.

Significance: 

First report of endocrine disruptor nonylphenol-using bacteria from South Africa
Six bacterial species capable of using nonylphenol as a carbon source were isolated
Results will pave the way for further exploration of endocrine disruptors degrading microbes from South Africa
MSc-Information Science [Quantum Information Science] Specialization: Its Requirement and Proposed Model for Future I-School Dedicated to Next Generation Information-Technology-Community Interaction
Authors: Paul Prantosh Kumar , Ghose Mrinal K. , Ghosh Minakshi , Ganguly Jhuma
Published: May 2017

Information and its requirement is increasing day by day. Each and every sector, business, society, and family dealing purely depends on information and similar content as far as today's age is concerned. Out of so many stakeholders of information and its development, Information Science is treated as most important. Information Science [IS] as a domain started in the mid of 1960's and 1970's; but got strong recognition during 1980's-90s'. The advancement of tools and technologies changes the entire arena of conventional Information Science and makes this is an important Applied Science of repute. The interaction and integration of Information Science with domain create some more fields out of which Quantum Information Science is valuable due to its wonderful performance in information infrastructure building. The paper talks about MSc-Information Science with Quantum Information Science context and highlights about the potentiality of MSc- Information Science [QIS] in Information Schools or I-Schools for overall community development.
Information Needs of Hearing Impaired Students: A Case Study of Government VHSS for Deaf, Thiruvananthapuram
Authors: Midhula Soman V. S. , Pillai Sudhier K. G.
Published: May 2017

The study was conducted to investigate the information seeking behavior of hearing impaired students in school libraries. The study was based on a questionnaire survey and data was collected from students from Government Vocational Higher Secondary School (VHSS) for Deaf, Thiruvananthapuram. The analyses revealed that the information needs of hearing impaired students have become complex and problematic due to the insufficiency of adequate information sources and services and there are quite a number of challenges faced by the hearing impaired students in accessing information from the libraries. It has been found that, even though assistive technologies are playing a vital role in the educational aspects of differently-abled students, it is not playing a role in the progress in library services for differently-abled. Most of the students are not aware of the assistive technologies available to assist them in accessing information. The overall result of the study was that, though the library services provided in the school are useful for their studies, the respondents cannot make use of them because of barriers. The study comes out with some practical suggestions to improve the library facilities for hearing impaired students with the help of assistive technologies.
Awareness of Social Networking Services Among the Faculty Members of Degree Colleges of Jammu Division J&K India
Authors: Gupta Sangita , Seth Anuradha
Published: May 2017

Participation with technology to handle social, cultural and educational activities has become the mainstream for communication and information sharing method for many people in the past several years. Educational institutions, the first doorstep towards shaping knowledge, have changed radically byadopting such communication and information sharing skills as the paramount way to enhance educational products. Mastering of information technology has promoted an environment of healthy education system world over. Teachers with broad vision, adopting new innovations and skills, can improve the fate of nation by educating millions. In particular, social networking servicessuch as Web 2.0 based participatory technological services that have formed a class of interactive teaching and learning, processing instant information for furthering knowledge. These services are becoming the key to information and communication in the world. Realizing that social networking services may have the ability to promote both, active learning and collaboration, the educationists both tutor and taught are eyeing this potential as better information sharing tools to be utilised in education. This study attempts to find out the level of awareness of social networking sites among a sample of 300 faculty members of Government Degree Colleges of Jammu Division to determine their involvement with the emerging trends and tools to enhance academic performance. The study highlights the problems encountered by the participants and suggests some remedial measures for improving awareness.
Journal of Spacecraft Technology: A Bibliometric Study
Authors: Malathy S. , Kantha P.
Published: May 2017

Journal of Spacecraft and Technology, an in-house publication of ISRO Satellite Centre publishes the research activity of the centre. This paper presents bibliometric study of the journal published during 1991 to 2012, which includes 22 volumes with 330 papers and 2597 citations. The analysis was made on different parameters like year-wise distribution of articles for the period of study (1991-2012), length of articles, authorship pattern of contributions, author productivity, degree of collaboration among co-authors and gender-wise distribution of papers. It also presents Institution-wise contribution, group-wise (only ISAC) contribution, ranked list of prolific/productive authors, number of citations appeared in papers and form-wise distribution of citations. This study provides the insight and development of the journal towards excellence.
From Citation to Keyword Search: How Digitization Transformed the Legal Research
Authors: Yaranal Mahesh A.
Published: May 2017

The Article Seeks to Examine Whether Digitization has made Legal Research Faster whereby it Leads to Greater Availability of Updated Information. it Goes on to Describe some of the Practical Limitations of Digitization. and also Narrates the Advantages of Digitization in the Light of Inter Disciplinary Works. in the Conclusion the Author has Examined the Breadth Versus Depth of Legal Research.
Reading Habits among the Coffee Planters in Karnataka State: A Study
Authors: Madhu K. N.
Published: May 2017

This study reveals coffee planters' reading habits and practice in Karnataka State. The study revealed that reading books are for gaining knowledge. However, some gadgets, such as, mobile, laptop and TV are killing too much time of coffee planters. It is, therefore, suggested that there should be some check on the usage of these resources, so that valuable time of the coffee planters should not get wasted. Instead they may devote more time on reading to enhance their knowledge base in this age of competition. Majority of the coffee planters opined that reading habits can be improved by hearing to the talk of eminent personalities/guest lectures and by the encouragement of family members and through orientation programme conducted by library professionals.
Social Media Research in India: A Scientometric Assessment of Publications Output during 2004-13
Authors: Gupta Ritu , Gupta B. M.
Published: May 2017

Examines 733 Indian publications on social media research, as covered in Scopus database during 2004-13, experiencing an annual average growth rate of 168.31% and citation impact of 1.27. The world social media research output came from several countries, of which the top 15 accounts for 81.95% share of the global output during 2004-13. India's global publication share was 1.97% during 2004-13 and hold 13th rank in global publication output. Only 37.38% of Indian publications on social media were cited one or more times since their publication till March 2015. India's social media research output came from several organizations and authors, of which the top 10 contributed 30.42% and 17.87% share respectively of its total output during 2004-13. India's international collaborative share in social media was 22.10% during 2004-13. The paper stressed the need for the development of a national social media policy by Indian government.
Use of Electronic Information Resources and Search Pattern by the Faculty of Autonomous Engineering Colleges in Karnataka: A Survey
Authors: Kiran Kumar G. , Kumbar Mallinath
Published: May 2017

The present study was carried at autonomous engineering institutions affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka to examine the factors that affect the optimum utilization of electronic information resources and search pattern. The study mainly focused on the use of different types of Electronic Information Resources by the faculty, Source of Awareness, Learn to use, problems faced, purpose of use, preferred search engines and search methods for effective retrieval of Electronic Information Resources. For this purpose the researchers prepared a well structured questionnaire as a tool for data collection and the collected questionnaire has been analyzed and presented with useful percentage analysis and suitable tables for presentation of data. The article concluded with summaries of the results highlighting the major findings and suggestions.
Social Science Research Output in State Universities of India: A Study of Kumaun University
Authors: Kumar Suchetan , Nigam Karnika , Malik Rekha
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze research productivity, thrust area, new trends and most productive guide in Kumaun University during 2000-2010. Bibliographical survey method is adopted for data collection based on certain access points or aspects which are determined with the help of the guide. Bibliographical description of each thesis is according to standard format of AACR-II(R) and for classification DDC-22nd edition is used as tool and key words (subjects) considered by SLSH. The researcher and guide ratio is 1.5:1. It indicates that university research level is very low. The other reason behind that is after completion of Maters degree, young generations are not much interested in doing Ph.D. Hence, Kumaun University should encourage and motivate students for doing Ph.D. and research work. 22.41% and 17.24% of theses were awarded during 2002-03 and 2009-10 respectively. The major research areas that emerge are Political Process, Politics&Governments, and Public Administration. The study also reveals that male researchers are more interested in doing research on Political Process (20.69%), while 10.34% female are interested in Politics and Government. The most important fact that occurs in the investigation is that the male scholar's percentage (62.07%) is higher than female researchers. In addition the medium of Doctoral dissertation is both Hindi and English.
Recent Developments in the Therapeutic Landscape in Renal Cancer
Authors: Vaishampayan Ulka ,   Karmanos Cancer Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, US
Published: May 2017

Ulka Vaishampayan is an endowed Chair and Professor of Oncology and is the Chair of the Solid Tumor Division, Department of Oncology at Wayne State University (WSU), Detroit, Michigan. She is also the Director of Phase I clinical trials at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, Michigan. Her focus of research and clinical experience is early therapeutics, drug development and clinical trials with a focus on genitourinary (GU) malignancies. She is the site Principal Investigator (PI) of the NIH UO-1 grant for clinical trials and the co-PI of the DOD PCCTC research grant at WSU. She is a member of the ASCO education committee and the chair of the GU-non prostate track. With 100+ peer reviewed publications archived in PubMed, she has published widely in esteemed journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer, and Journal of Urology. She has also authored numerous review articles, editorials, and book chapters.
Raising the Bar in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Gill Sharlene ,   University of British Columbia, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada
Published: May 2017

Pancreatic cancer remains one of our greatest clinical challenges. In the last 5 years we have witnessed the introduction of new agents into our armamentarium, which has fortunately translated into incremental improvements in overall survival. We have level 1 evidence for the use of FOLFIRINOX and nab-paclitaxel in the first-line setting; however, the generalizability of randomized studies in the second-line setting has been less compelling. The use of oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) post-gemcitabine progression was shown to improve survival in the CONKO-003 trial but failed to do so in the PANCREOX trial. Nano-liposomal irinotecan in combination with 5FU in pre-treated patients yielded an improved survival in the NAPOLI-1 trial, presenting an option in this setting. However, these trials were largely conducted in an era of first-line gemcitabine monotherapy, which is no longer a standard practice. Better evidence with contemporary first-line regimens is needed in order to define the optimal post-progression strategy in advanced pancreatic cancer.
Targeting Cancer Stem Cells—A Renewed Therapeutic Paradigm
Authors: Amey Catherine L , Karnoub Antoine E ,   Touch Medical Media, Goring-On-Thames, UK,   Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, US; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
Published: May 2017

Metastasis is often accompanied by radio- and chemotherapeutic resistance to anticancer treatments and is the major cause of death in cancer patients. Better understanding of how cancer cells circumvent therapeutic insults and how disseminated cancer clones generate life-threatening metastases would therefore be paramount to the development of effective therapeutic approaches for clinical management of malignant disease. Mounting reports over the past two decades have provided evidence for the existence of a minor population of highly malignant cells within liquid and solid tumors, which are capable of self-renewing and of regenerating secondary growths with the heterogeneity of the primary tumors from which they derive. These cells, called tumor-initiating cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit increased resistance to standard radio- and chemotherapies and appear to have mechanisms that enable them to evade immune surveillance. CSCs are therefore considered to be responsible for systemic residual disease after cancer therapy, as well as for disease relapse. How CSCs develop, the nature of the interactions they establish with their microenvironment, their phenotypic and functional characteristics, as well as their molecular dependencies have all taken center stage in cancer therapy. Indeed, improved understanding of CSC biology is critical to the development of important CSC-based anti-neoplastic approaches that have the potential to radically improve cancer management. Here, we summarize some of the most pertinent elements regarding CSC development and properties, and highlight some of the clinical modalities in current development as anti-CSC therapeutics.
Desacoples entre desigualdades sociales, distribución del ingreso y patrones de urbanización en ciudades latinoamericanas. Reflexiones a partir de la Región Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (RMBA)
Authors: Segura Ramiro
Published: May 2017

Through the analysis of scientific literature on Latin American cities in recent decades, with a special emphasis on the development of the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, this article reflects on a paradoxical scenario: while in the past decade many countries in the region have implemented policies that successfully have reduced (slightly) income inequality, the continued expansion of fragmented metropolitan areas not only increases inequality in access to the city and its goods, services and opportunities, but also consolidates -articulated with the segmentation of the educational system and the labor market- social networks and circuits segregated. Against this background the paper argues the hypothesis that the continuity of exclusive urbanization pattern limits the effects of redistributive policies and land use policy to impact on inequalities in the region becomes necessary.
Transporte público en Cali: aspectos generales de su configuración en el siglo XX
Authors: Vinasco Martinez Diana
Published: May 2017

The following article describes the development of urban public transportation in Cali during the twentieth century from the review of various documentary sources. First, the emergence of urban transport is described in the city and its growth in the first decades of the twentieth century. Then, the role the public transport sector acquired in shaping the city and its surrounding areas, as well as state attempts to control or modify analyzes. Finally, some conclusions about the persistence of a single model of public transportation are offered throughout the twentieth century in Cali and the importance of transporters in shaping the city.
Red Internacional de Investigadores sobre Encerramientos Residenciales (RIIER)
Authors: RIIER Grupo de trabajo
Published: May 2017

Red Internacional de Investigadores sobre Encerramientos Residenciales (RIIER).
Healthy cities — walkability as a component of health-promoting urban planning and design
Authors: Tran Minh-Chau
Published: May 2017

Health impairments due to inactivity are related to the car-oriented urban development of recent decades, along with sedentary lifestyles. A health-maintaining environment must therefore not only reduce direct health risk factors (pathogenic concept), but also contribute to health chances that may indirectly support health (salutogenic concept). Walking has been identified as the most influenceable behavior; it is also the most environmental friendly mode of transport, social and health. From the planning view, the concept of walkability therefore aims at a built environment facilitating physical activity. It is increasingly recognized that walkability has become an important topic in the field of planning, urban design and health, since the built environment affects certain behaviors. From practice, concrete guidance is demanded as to the type of urban design features to be captured or applied to evaluate the walkability or to create active cities. The measurement of features of the built environment plays a special role in this context, but also the question of how research results can reach policies as well as planning and building practice
La incorporación de los fondos de conocimiento e identidad en la Escuela Normal de Texcoco, México: Las creencias de los docentes en formación
Authors: Subero Tomás David , Brito Rivera Luis Fernando , Esteban-Guitart Moisés
Published: May 2017

Existe un consenso acerca del carácter situado y distribuido que tienen hoy los aprendizajes, y con ello la necesidad de establecer continuidades educativas entre el contexto social de los estudiantes de origen culturalmente diverso y la propia escuela. En este sentido, el objetivo de este artículo es hacer emerger las creencias iniciales de los docentes en formación sobre la familia y la escuela a través de tres sesiones de grupos focales. Participan 16 normalistas, hombres y mujeres. Los docentes expresan una falta de relación entre los contextos educativos formales e informales y los contextos socioculturales del alumno, hecho que justifica la participación en el programa educativo “fondos de conocimiento e identidad” para modificar estas creencias. Las conclusiones presentadas forman parte del primer ciclo de una investigación basada en el diseño desarrollado en la formación inicial del profesorado de Escuelas Normales, México.
Análisis comparativo de los centros públicos y privados medido a través del premio extraordinario de la ESO en Galicia
Authors: Ferreiro Seoane Francisco Jesús
Published: May 2017

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar la influencia de la titularidad del centro y del entorno familiar en el rendimiento académico medido a través de las pruebas del premio extraordinario de la ESO. En primer lugar, se hace un repaso de la literatura que permita conocer la aportación a otros autores respecto a la influencia de los centros u otras variables en el rendimiento del alumnado. Posteriormente a partir de las calificaciones en todas las asignaturas (8) de todos los discentes (1.522) presentados al premio extraordinario de la ESO para el período 2008-2013, se han analizado dichos resultados clasificándolos según la titularidad del centro aplicando el Análisis Unifactorial. Además, se analizó en qué medida existe una influencia del entorno familiar en dichos resultados, medidos a través de la formación de los padres y de su poder adquisitivo. Los principales resultados son que no existen diferencias significativas en relación a la titularidad de los centros excepto en “CSGH” y “Lengua Extranjera”. Además, se constata la influencia del entorno familiar en el rendimiento académico, si bien en “Inglés” se mantiene la a favor de titularidad privada cuando se hacen comparaciones del alumnado por centros públicos y privados homogenizando el entorno familiar.