bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical Capacity Building of Official Statisticians in Practice: Case of the Consumer Price Index
Authors: Deutsch Tomi
Published: November 2016

This article focuses on the issue of statistical capacity building of official statisticians using the case of the consumer price index (CPI) as an illustrative example. Although used for indexation of salaries, pensions, and social welfare benefits, but also as an approximation of the general inflation rate, there are several unresolved methodological issues associated with CPI’s calculation. Apart from the choice among two alternative concepts, the challenge of how to include owner-occupied housing (OOH) in CPI has also not been adequately resolved yet. Analysis in the article is based on Slovenian data. The results show that accuracy of the CPI significantly improves if it is calculated using one of the superlative and symmetric formulas, and that it makes sense to include OOH in CPI using the total acquisitions approach. The analysis further indicates that the choice of the index formula for calculating CPI has a much greater impact on the CPI value than inclusion of OOH. Academic research findings such as these should not remain unknown to the wide professional community of official statisticians. Formal channels for knowledge transfer from academia to official statistics providers should be established to facilitate continuous statistical capacity building of official statisticians.
From Quality to Information Quality in Official Statistics
Authors: Kenett Ron S. , Shmueli Galit
Published: November 2016

The term quality of statistical data, developed and used in official statistics and international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), refers to the usefulness of summary statistics generated by producers of official statistics. Similarly, in the context of survey quality, official agencies such as Eurostat, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), and Statistics Canada have created dimensions for evaluating the quality of a survey and its ability to report ‘accurate survey data’.

The concept of Information Quality, or InfoQ provides a general framework applicable to data analysis in a broader sense than summary statistics: InfoQ is defined as “the potential of a data set to achieve a specific (scientific or practical) goal by using a given empirical analysis method.” It relies on identifying and examining the relationships between four components: the analysis goal, the data, the data analysis, and the utility. The InfoQ framework relies on deconstructing the InfoQ concept into eight dimensions used for InfoQ assessment.

In this article, we compare and contrast the InfoQ framework and dimensions with those typically used by statistical agencies. We discuss how the InfoQ approach can support the use of official statistics not only by governments for policy decision making, but also by other stakeholders, such as industry, by integrating official and organizational data.
The Use of Official Statistics in Self-Selection Bias Modeling
Authors: Dalla Valle Luciana
Published: November 2016

Official statistics are a fundamental source of publicly available information that periodically provides a great amount of data on all major areas of citizens’ lives, such as economics, social development, education, and the environment. However, these extraordinary sources of information are often neglected, especially by business and industrial statisticians. In particular, data collected from small businesses, like small and medium-sized enterprizes (SMEs), are rarely integrated with official statistics data.

In official statistics data integration, the quality of data is essential to guarantee reliable results. Considering the analysis of surveys on SMEs, one of the most common issues related to data quality is the high proportion of nonresponses that leads to self-selection bias.

This work illustrates a flexible methodology to deal with self-selection bias, based on the generalization of Heckman’s two-step method with the introduction of copulas. This approach allows us to assume different distributions for the marginals and to express various dependence structures. The methodology is illustrated through a real data application, where the parameters are estimated according to the Bayesian approach and official statistics data are incorporated into the model via informative priors.
The BRIC Nations and the Anatomy of Economic Development: The Core Tenets of Rule of Law
Authors: Ramanujam Nandini , Caivano Nicholas
Published: November 2016

The past decade has witnessed a revival in interest in the relationship between rule of law and economic development. Disenchantment with the universal model that emerged from the Washington Consensus era led to a shift in focus to a more pluralist approach in which policy prescriptions became tailored to each country’s socio-political context. The authors suggest that the pendulum may have swung to the other extreme, and that the newly ascendant pluralist approach may overemphasize pluralism at the expense of core rule of law principles. This paper examines the rule of law building efforts pursued by the BRIC countries to shed light on their strikingly different processes of economic transition. The authors argue that formal, informal, and transitional institutions have played distinct roles in these divergent economic development narratives. While informal and transitional institutions have facilitated growth during initial and intermediate phases of development, a degree of formalization across some institutions is critical to support the long-term development of a market economy. The authors set out the core tenets approach, an exploratory concept that emphasizes a malleable set of fundamental rule of law principles which exist alongside transition institutions to build trust in formal institutions as an economy advances.
Retrospective Analysis of the Bluetongue Outbreak in Serbia
Authors: Djurić Spomenka , Simeunović Predrag , Mirilović Milorad , Stevanović Jevrosima , Glavinić Uroš , Vejnović Branislav , Stanimirović Zoran
Published: November 2016

Bluetongue, a vector-born disease caused by the Bluetongue virus (BTV) and transmitted by Culicoides biting midges, is considered to be one of the most important diseases of domestic ruminants. The first outbreak of bluetongue in Serbia was reported in 2001, when BTV serotype 9 was identified in sampled materials. In 2014, outbreak of BTV-4 in Serbia caused considerable economic losses affecting sheep, cattle and goats. During this outbreak, BTV-4 was recorded in 644 outbreaks within 49 municipalities, part of 17 administrative regions. From the total number of sheep kept in areas affected by bluetongue (n=1 748 110), 2 083 cases (0.2%) were proven to be BTV-4 infected. Total of 206 infected cattle and 24 infected goats were reported during this investigation period, which represents 0.06% and 0.03% of the total number of cattle and goats kept in affected areas, respectively. The highest incidence of infected sheep, cattle and goats was recorded on the territory covered by veterinary institute of Nis. Recorded lethality in cattle, sheep and goats was 18.45% (n=38), 48.10% (n=1002) and 54.17% (n=13), respectively. The peak of the outbreak was in September and October when 94.43% of the confirmed positive cases, regardless of the species, was recorded. Monitoring of bluetongue disease in Serbia relies on active surveillance programmes aimed at: (i) identification and tracing of susceptible and potentially infected animals and (ii) detection, distribution and prevalence of insect vectors. Vaccination of sheep is planned to be implemented as a control measure against bluetongue in Serbia.
Between Fact and Fiction: Semantic fields and Image Content in Crime Infotainment programs
Authors: Ferré Gaëlle
Published: November 2016

Crime infotainment is a hybrid type of television program in which each episode is based on a real criminal case and presented to the audience under the form of a reconstructed narrative. Research has shown that although violent crime is ubiquitous in other types of media, leading to an over-representation of violent content, crime infotainment is the most fear-inducing type of media as compared with newspaper coverage and television crime drama. This leads people to believe their lives are at risk and they consequently support cultural conservative politics of anti-crime measures which are excessive considering the risk. It is therefore important to understand how crime infotainment content is built to induce fear. Adopting the framework of Ideological Discourse Analysis developed by van Dijk (
Association of Single-Nucleotide Polymorhism C3435T in the ABCB1 Gene with Opioid Sensitivity in Treatment of Postoperative Pain
Authors: Dzambazovska-Trajkovska Vanja , Nojkov Jordan , Kartalov Andrijan , Kuzmanovska Biljana , Spiroska Tatjana , Seljmani Redzep , Trajkovski Gjorgji , Matevska-Geshkovska Nadica , Dimovski Aleksandar
Published: November 2016

Background: The minimal effective analgesic concentration of opioids required for satisfactory analgesia may differ significantly among the patients. Genetic factors may contribute to the variable response to opioids by affecting their pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics.

Methods: Ninety nine patients undergoing abdominal surgery with colorectal anastomosis because of colorectal carcinoma were enrolled in the present study. C34535T was genotyped in all subjects and the patients were divided into three groups according to their genotype: CC-wild type homozygous, CT-mutant heterozygous and TT-mutant homozygous. Intravenous fentanyl, patient controlled analgesia was provided postoperatively for pain control in the first 24 hour after surgery. Opioid consumption, pain scores and the adverse side effects were evaluated.

Results: Our main result is that the patients in the CC genotype group consumed significantly more fentanyl (375.0 μg ± 43.1) than the patients in the TT group (295.0 μg ± 49.1) and the CT (356.4 μg ± 41.8) group in the treatment of postoperative pain. The patients in the TT group had lower VAS scores at 6h, 12h, 18 h and 24h postoperatively. There were no significant differences in the side effects among the three groups regarding the vomiting and the sedation score. The patients in the TT group had more frequently nausea score 1, than the patients in the other two groups.

Conclusion: Our study indicates that the C3435T SNPs of the ABCB1 gene is associated with differences in the opioid sensitivity. The ABCB1 polymorphism may serve as an important genetic predictor to guide the acute pain therapy in postoperative patients.
Molecular Biology and Genetic Mechanisms in the Progression of the Malignant Skin Melanoma
Authors: Pejkova Sofija , Dzokic Gjorgje , Tudzarova-Gjorgova Smilja , Panov Sasho
Published: November 2016

Malignant skin melanoma is a tumor deriving from transformed skin melanocytes as a result of complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. This melanoma has a potential to metastasize early and very often it is resistant to the existing modalities of the systemic therapy. As in any other neoplasms, certain types of melanoma may skip certain stages of progression.

The progression from one stage to another is accompanied by specific biological changes. Several key changes in the melanoma tumorogenesis influence the regulation of the cell proliferation and vitality, including the RAS-RAF-ERK, PI3K-AKT, and p16INK4/CDK4/RB pathways. A key role in the dissreguarity of the RAS-RAF-ERK (MAPK) pathway in the malignant melanoma development have been demonstrated by many studies. To date, the molecular genetic alterations during melanoma development have been partially known. In the pathogenesis of the malignant melanoma, there are mutations of various genes such as NRAS, BRAF, and PTEN and mutations and deletions of CDKN2A.

In the past years, great advance has been made in the insights of the molecular aspects of the melanoma pathogenesis. However, this field yet poses a challenge to discover new details about the melanoma molecular characteristics. The research results are focused towards the improvement of the melanoma patients prognosis by introducing personalized targeted therapy.
Umweltgerechtigkeit und gesundheitsfördernde Stadtentwicklung
Authors: Böhme Christa , Bunge Christiane
Published: November 2016

In Deutschland konzentrieren sich umweltbedingte Gesundheitsrisiken häufig in sozial benachteiligten Stadtquartieren. Auf Bundes-, Landes- und kommunaler Ebene gewinnt das Thema Umweltgerechtigkeit zunehmend an Aufmerksamkeit. Das Deutsche Institut für Urbanistik (Difu) hat Empfehlungen zur integrierten Betrachtung von Umwelt, Gesundheit und Sozialem im kommunalen Handeln abgeleitet. Deren Umsetzung kann einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Entwicklung gesundheitsfördernder Städte leisten.
Partizipation stärkt integrierte kommunale Strategien für Gesundheitsförderung
Authors: Bär Gesine , Schaefer Ina
Published: November 2016

Die gesundheitliche Chancengleichheit im Praxisfeld der Gesundheitsförderung ist gleichermaßen zentrales Ziel wie stetige Herausforderung. In kommunalen Settings gelten integrierte Konzepte und Vernetzung sowie Partizipation als wichtige Qualitätskriterien bei der Zielerreichung. Es wird argumentiert, dass bei den unterschiedlichen Herangehensweisen der kommunalen Gesundheitsförderung v.a. moderierende Verfahren die besten Voraussetzungen für die genannten Qualitätskriterien bieten.
Mobility and health: European cities networking for sustainable mobility and healthier cities
Authors: Boschetti Florinda
Published: November 2016

A sedentary lifestyle is a primary risk factor of non–communicable diseases in Western Countries causing major health problems for individuals and great economic costs for the society as a whole. Getting more active can be easily achieved by introducing active travel into everyday life. Unattractive built environments, poor connections and car-dominated spaces are too often discouraging people from being more active. However, we are witnessing the rise of a new urban mobility culture in cities.
Making the better choice easy – Examples of how to manage mobility in commuting
Authors: Tommola Marja
Published: November 2016

Approximately 11% from of Finland’s carbon dioxide emissions traffic emissions comes from private cars. Half of the rides ranging from 1 to 3 km are driven by car. At the same time the health of working adults is at risk due to the lack of exercise. Millions of people commute every day. Workplaces have a significant role to play in making people move healthier and more sustainable ways.
Potenziale der räumlichen Epidemiologie in der Metropole Ruhr
Authors: Orban Ester , Sutcliffe Robynne , Ahmed Salman , Moebus Susanne
Published: November 2016

Urbane Ballungsgebiete wie die Metropole Ruhr beinhalten Chancen und Risiken für die Gesundheit. Die Erforschung der komplexen Zusammenhänge von Stadt und Gesundheit erfordert interdisziplinäre Ansätze. Die räumliche Epidemiologie verbindet Ansätze und Methoden unter anderem aus Public Health, Statistik und Geografie. Beispiele geografisch-epidemiologischer Methoden zur Darstellung und (räumlichen) Analyse von Gesundheits-, Sozial- und Umweltfaktoren werden skizziert.
Quartiersbezogene Gesundheitsförderung – Erkenntnisse aus der Evaluation
Authors: Süß Waldemar
Published: November 2016

Quartiersbezogene Gesundheitsförderung ist Bestandteil der kommunalen Gesundheitsförderung. Sie gehört zum Typus der komplexen Interventionen und ist kontextabhängig. Das führt zu komplexen schwierigen Evaluationsaufgaben unter Anwendung vielfältiger Methoden. Das Hamburger Präventionsprogramm „Lenzgesund“ in einem benachteiligten Quartier ist ein Beispiel für einen integrierten Handlungsansatz. In der Begleitforschung wurde ein Evaluationsinstrumentarium mit der Bezeichnung „Kapazitätsentwicklung im Quartier (KEQ)“ entwickelt, dass die Möglichkeit bietet, die gesamten Programmprozesse zu evaluieren. Methodische Schwierigkeiten bleiben aber nach wie vor.
Effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) on aqueous organisms and its treatment problem: a review
Authors: Nazari Emad , Suja Fatihah
Published: November 2016

Natural estrogens, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3) are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that are discharged consistently and directly into surface waters with wastewater treatment plants (WWPTs) effluents, disposal sludges and in storm-water runoff. The most common and highest potential natural estrogen that causes estrogen activity in wastewater influent is E2. This review describes and attempts to summarize the main problems involved in the removal of E2 from WWTP by traditional processes, which fundamentally rely on activated sludge and provide an insufficient treatment for E2, as well as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that are applied in tertiary section treatment works. Biological processes affect and play an important role in the degradation of E2. However, some investigations have reported that operations that rely on high retention times have low efficiencies. Although advanced treatment technologies are available, their cost and operational considerations do not make them sustainable solutions. Therefore, E2 is still being released into aqueous areas, as shown in this study that investigates results from different countries. E2 is present on the watch list of substances in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) of the European Union since 2013 and the minimum acceptable concentration of it is 0.4 ng/L.
About acquiring and processing light transport matrices for transparent object inspection
Authors: Meyer Johannes , Längle Thomas , Beyerer Jürgen
Published: November 2016

Transparent materials are employed for creating different kinds of products and have to meet high quality
requirements. First of all, transparent materials have to be free from scattering defects, e.g., enclosed air
bubbles. Visual inspection systems based on dark field setups are principally capable of imaging these kinds of defects,
however, it usually requires much effort to adapt them to the test object on hand. This article shows how light transport
matrices can be calculated for an optical system consisting of a programmable area light source and a telecentric
camera. Two features are proposed that can be extracted out of these matrices and that allow to image scattering defects
present in a transparent object without the need of adapting the system to the actual test object. The results of
synthetic experiments obtained using a physically based and adequately extended rendering framework approved the proposed
approach and showed that it even outperforms classical inspection systems in some situations.
Warum die Mathematik keine ontologische Grundlegung braucht
Authors: Friederich Simon
Published: November 2016

Einer weit verbreiteten Auffassung zufolge ist es eine zentrale Aufgabe der Philosophie der Mathematik, eine ontologische Grundlegung der Mathematik zu formulieren: eine philosophische Theorie darüber, ob mathematische Sätze wirklich wahr sind und ob mathematischen Gegenstände wirklich existieren. Der vorliegende Text entwickelt eine Sichtweise, der zufolge diese Auffassung auf einem Missverständnis beruht. Hierzu wird zunächst der Grundgedanke der Hilbert’schen axiomatischen Methode vorgestellt, die Axiome als implizite Definitionen der in ihnen enthaltenen Begriffe zu behandeln. Anschließend wird in Anlehnung an einen Wittgenstein’schen Gedanken zur normativen Rolle mathematischer Sprache argumentiert, dass im Kontext der Hilbert’schen Axiomatik mathematische Sätze als Standards für die Verwendung der in ihnen enthaltenen Begriffe dienen und dass dies die Idee einer ontologischen Grundlegung für die Mathematik untergräbt.
Wittgenstein über vollständige Induktion
Authors: Ramharter Esther
Published: November 2016

In seiner mittleren Phase, insbesondere in Philosophischen Bemerkungen und Philosophische Grammatik, widmet Wittgenstein längere Passagen der vollständigen Induktion. Nach einer groben Skizze (1) einiger grundsätzlicher Einstellungen und Erwägungen Wittgensteins wird im vorliegenden Beitrag zunächst (2) versucht, seine Kommentare aus jener Perspektive, die Mathematiker auf die Induktion und die Arithmetik haben, einzuordnen und möglichst kompatibel damit zu interpretieren. Nach einem kurzen Einschub (3) zur Bedeutung des Mathematikers Albert Thoralf Skolem für Wittgenstein, soll (4) herausgearbeitet werden, inwiefern Wittgenstein zur Induktion eine eigene, von der üblichen abweichende Auffassung vertritt. In diesem vierten Abschnitt wird versucht, Induktion und Arithmetik aus der Perspektive Wittgensteins zu beschreiben. Dabei wird sich zeigen, dass sich eine Robinson-Arithmetik als formale Entsprechung für Wittgensteins Standpunkt anbietet. Daran schließt (5) eine Erörterung der Frage an, inwiefern er daher eine revisionistische Position vertritt.
Architectural Grammars and Their Changes
Authors: Vossenkuhl Wilhelm
Published: November 2016

Wittgenstein believed in the resemblance of language and architecture. His idea turns out to be indeed rewarding. The descriptive notion of ‘grammar’ as exposed in his Philosophical Investigations is prolific in a detailed comparison between language and architecture. The essay proposes self-expression as being an end in itself in language use and architecture respectively and uses it as a common denominator in the comparative study. Wittgenstein’s notions of rule-following and grammar turn out to be applicable to a number of outstanding architectural examples from Renaissance till nowadays. It even offers a clue to both the change of linguistic meaning and of architectural styles over the discussed time span.
Wittgenstein’s Shakespeare
Authors: Perloff Marjorie
Published: November 2016

Wittgenstein’s oddly negative assessment of Shakespeare has caused consternation among literary critics. From F. R. Leavis to the present, English critics have often assumed that Wittgenstein was simply a bad judge of poetry and that he knew little about the literature of his adopted country. Or again,Wittgenstein stands accused, by critics like George Steiner, of demanding clear ethical values from literature - values Shakespeare, who never quite took sides with particular characters, did not proclaim. This essay argues that such criticisms fail to understand Wittgenstein’s own context as an Austrian writer, brought up on the German classics of the 18th and 19th centuries. It s true that this “classical” literature, coming two centuries later than Shakespeare, was much more subjective, more personal than Elizabethan literature, and that Wittgenstein was accustomed to a psychology not characteristic of Shakespeare. It is the demand for realism, for characters with whom the reader can identify that makes Shakespeare unsatisfactory to Wittgenstein. Nevertheless, Wittgenstein’s fugitive remarks about Shakespeare show great acumen and insight; he understood the Tragedies - for example, King Lear, much better than one might conclude from some of his strictures. Despite the gulf between the two writers, Shakespeare’s “dreamwork,” as Wittgenstein calls it, became a model for the philosopher’s own writing
Johannes Climacus reads the Tractatus
Authors: Verschuren Sebastiaan A.
Published: November 2016

James Conant’s farthest point of resolute navigation into the Tractatus has up to now received very little attention: a division of Tractarian matters among two separate lists. In this paper, I argue that this division is deeply mistaken as it fails to see the unity of logic in the Tractatus. This unity is anyway a much neglected topic in the literature on Wittgenstein’s early philosophy. Conant’s resolute reading of the Tractatus provides a good opportunity to bring it to the fore and to illustrate its pivotal importance.
On the unit cell volume expansion in homogeneous series of isotypic structures of “ionic” inorganic compounds
Authors: Keller Egbert
Published: November 2016

Within a “homogeneous” series of (crystal-chemically) isotypic structures one and only one chemical element E of the sum formula is replaced successively by heavier elements of the same group of the periodic table. For corresponding series of “ionic” compounds, a (coarse) “expectation value” ΔV
th for the unit cell volume expansion following the replacement of E(i) by E(j) (with i<j=row numbers in the periodic table) can be calculated by using the empirical formula ΔV
th=56.5 (zE
ΔρE

(
i
)
E
(
j
)) – 0.80 (zE
ΔρE

(
i
)
E
(
j
))2, where zE
is the number of atoms E per unit cell and ΔρE

(
i
)
E
(
j
) is the linear statistical size (= radius) difference for the two elements E(i) and E(j). Two hundred and twenty-eight different series have contributed to the statistical evaluation of this formula. Series for which E are elements of low valence have been excluded a priori from the calculations if the residual atoms of higher valence by themselves form an infinite framework, as it was suspected, that in structures of this kind the “natural” volume expansion caused by the E(i) → E(j) size increase is hampered by the rigidity of this framework. Application of the above formula to structures of this kind clearly supports this suspicion only, if the framework is of dimensionality three. The results derived from all other investigated structures are qualitatively compatible with the “volume increments rule” published in the 1930s. This suggests that they should be applicable also to isotypic series of crystal structures defined in a less restricted manner.
Invariom modeling of disordered structures: case studies on a dipeptide, an amino acid, and cefaclor, a cephalosporin antibiotic
Authors: Dittrich Birger , Schürmann Christian , Hübschle Christian B.
Published: November 2016

Routines to facilitate the treatment of disorder in invariom modeling have been implemented in the open-source program MolecoolQt, a visualization program for charge-density work, and InvariomTool, a pre-processor program. Two published structures of an amino acid and a dipeptide and the new structure of cefaclor, a cephalosporin antibiotic, provide examples with increasing amounts of disorder, which can now be successfully modeled with invarioms. Like for ordered structures, these non-spherical scattering factors predicted by density functional theory significantly improve the structural model (figures of merit and standard deviations) also in these cases. Furthermore, they allow rapid calculation and comparison of the electrostatic potential and the molecular dipole moment for the different conformers present in the crystal structures.
First-Person Perspective Action Observation Training in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease: A Consideration-of-Concept Controlled Pilot Trial
Authors: Giorgi Giovanni , Ferrarello Francesco , Merlo Francesca , Fumagalli Stefano , Marchionni Niccolò , Di Bari Mauro
Published: November 2016

Background and Purpose:

Action observation training (AOT) consists of the observing of actions performed by others, followed by imitation. Physical therapy techniques based on action observation may influence motor performance in individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD).

Objectives:

The aim of this pilot study was to provide a preliminary approach to assess AOT in anatomical first-person perspective (FPP) as a rehabilitation technique to improve body function and activity in individuals with disability due to IPD.

Methods:

Videos showing in FPP movements of the upper and lower limbs were produced. A research protocol was designed and tested for feasibility. After baseline assessment, 16 participants with mild to moderate disability due to IPD, all receiving conventional physical therapy group treatment, were nonrandomly assigned to either 1 extra hour of individualized FPP AOT per session or comparison group. Upper and lower limb functioning, independence in activity of daily living, and mobility were assessed before and after training. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics; statistical comparisons were conducted as part of the feasibility assessment of the data management plan by means of nonparametric tests.

Results:

A set of 22 videos was created and administered. Groups were comparable at baseline assessment. All participants completed the study and had complete data. Compared with baseline, both groups improved significantly. The experimental group had a better response based on change scores, and the differences were large for 3 of the outcome measures. No significant between-group differences were observed.

Discussion:

The equipment needed for the production of the videos was easily available. The study protocol was successfully implemented. Adherence rates to study procedures were excellent, and no adverse events occurred. Differences in methods and participant populations prevented comparison in our experimental approach. The number and content of videos, and the length of the sessions proposed, was close to that of other studies providing an FPP AOT program in individuals with cerebral palsy and stroke. Both groups improved and the effect was greater for the experimental one. However, no significant difference between the groups was observed.

Conclusions:

This pilot study suggests that FPP AOT is a feasible intervention and the research protocol designed would be suitable, with minor modifications, for the conduction of a subsequent stage 2 trial designed to verify the hypothesis that the adjunct of FPP AOT might improve motor performance in individuals with IPD.
Effects of Sprint Training With and Without Weighted Vest on Speed and Repeated Sprint Ability in Male Soccer Players
Authors: Rey Ezequiel , Padrón-Cabo Alexis , Fernández-Penedo Diego
Published: November 2016

Rey, E, Padrón-Cabo, A, and Fernández-Penedo, D. Effects of sprint training with and without weighted vest on speed and repeated sprint ability in male soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 31(10): 2659–2666, 2017—The purpose of this study was to assess the effect resisted sprint training using weighted vests (WVs) compared with unresisted sprint (US) training on physical fitness (countermovement jump, 10-m sprint, 30-m sprint, and repeated sprint ability [RSA]) in amateur male soccer players. Nineteen soccer players (age: 23.7 ± 4.5 years; height: 178.3 ± 5.8 cm; body mass: 72.9 ± 5.2 kg) were randomly assigned to a WV (n = 10) or a US (n = 9) group. The intervention program had to be performed 2 times a week over 6 weeks. The only difference between the 2 interventions was that the WV group performed all the sprints with an additional weight of 18.9% ± 2.1% of body mass. Within-group analysis showed significant improvements (p < 0.001) in 10-m and 30-m sprint performances from pretest to posttest in WV (+9.42% and +6.04%) and US (+10.87% and +5.10%). Players in both WV and US also showed significant enhancements in RSA average time (AT), fastest time, and total time from pretest to posttest. Percentage changes in 30-m sprint performance, for both groups combined, had a very large correlation with percentage changes in AT of RSA. In the between-groups analysis, there were no differences between the sprint training groups (WV vs. US) in any variable. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that both sprint training methods used seem to be effective to improve soccer-related performance measures, and could be beneficial to players and coaches in field settings.
Dosage of estradiol, bone and body composition in Turner syndrome: a 5-year randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Cleemann Line , Holm Kirsten , Kobbernagel Hanne , Kristensen Bent , Skouby Sven Oluf , Jensen Andreas Kryger , Gravholt Claus H
Published: November 2016

Objective

Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is seen in Turner syndrome (TS) with an increased risk of fractures, and body composition is characterized by increased body fat and decreased lean body mass. To evaluate the effect of two different doses of oral 17B-estradiol in young TS women on bone mineral density (BMD), biochemical markers of bone turnover and body composition with the hypothesis of a positive effect of the higher dose.

Design

A double-blind 5-year randomized controlled clinical trial. 20 young TS women participated. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of TS, age 15–25 years and current treatment with 2 mg oral estradiol daily.

Methods

The low-dose (LD) group was administered 2 mg 17B-estradiol/day orally and placebo, the high-dose (HD) group was administered 2 + 2 mg 17B-estradiol/day orally. Main outcome measures were whole body and regional bone mineral density (BMD), lean body mass (LBM), fat mass (FM) measured yearly by DXA scan and resorptive and formative bone markers in serum.

Results

BMD, whole body and regional, increased over time with an attenuation toward the end of the study, and bone turnover markers decreased over time, both with no differences between the treatment groups (P = 0.2–0.9). LBM increased significantly more in the HD group (P = 0.02). FM remained stable in both groups.

Conclusions

A steady increase in BMD over time in TS was found similar to healthy young women. The higher estrogen dose did not differentially affect BMD or bone markers. The positive effect on body composition may have long-ranging health benefits in TS.
17β-estradiol improves hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and function through PGC1B
Authors: Galmés-Pascual Bel M , Nadal-Casellas Antonia , Bauza-Thorbrügge Marco , Sbert-Roig Miquel , García-Palmer Francisco J , Proenza Ana M , Gianotti Magdalena , Lladó Isabel
Published: November 2016

Sexual dimorphism in mitochondrial biogenesis and function has been described in many rat tissues, with females showing larger and more functional mitochondria. The family of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 (PGC1) plays a central role in the regulatory network governing mitochondrial biogenesis and function, but little is known about the different contribution of hepatic PGC1A and PGC1B in these processes. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of 17β-estradiol (E2) in mitochondrial biogenesis and function in liver and assess the contribution of both hepatic PGC1A and PGC1B as mediators of these effects. In ovariectomized (OVX) rats (half of which were treated with E2) estrogen deficiency led to impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and function, increased oxidative stress, and defective lipid metabolism, but was counteracted by E2 treatment. In HepG2 hepatocytes, the role of E2 in enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and function was confirmed. These effects were unaffected by the knockdown of PGC1A, but were impaired when PGC1B expression was knocked down by specific siRNA. Our results reveal a widespread protective role of E2 in hepatocytes, which is explained by enhanced mitochondrial content and oxidative capacity, lower hepatic lipid accumulation, and a reduction of oxidative stress. We also suggest a novel hepatic protective role of PGC1B as a modulator of E2 effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and function supporting activation of PGC1B as a therapeutic target for hepatic mitochondrial disorders.
Impact of uteroplacental insufficiency on postnatal rat male gonad
Authors: Pampanini Valentina , Germani Daniela , Puglianiello Antonella , Stukenborg Jan-Bernd , Reda Ahmed , Savchuk Iuliia , Kjartansdóttir Kristín Rós , Cianfarani Stefano , Söder Olle
Published: November 2016

Prenatal events such as intrauterine growth restriction can affect gonadal development of the offspring and have an impact on reproductive health. To investigate the effects of intrauterine growth restriction induced by uterine artery ligation on the postnatal rat testis. Pregnant rats underwent uterine artery ligation at day 19 of gestation. Offspring were killed at 5, 20 and 40 days post-partum (dpp). At killing, one gonad was snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and processed for RNA and steroid extraction. The other gonad was formalin-fixed for histology. Gene expression was analyzed by TaqMan Low-Density Array. Intratesticular testosterone, estradiol and serum gonadotrophins were measured. Thirty genes were dysregulated in intrauterine growth-restricted rats compared to controls, among which markers of Sertoli cell and Leydig cell function, cell metabolism and growth factors. Testis weights were significantly reduced at 5 and 20 dpp in intrauterine growth-restricted rats and caught-up by 40 dpp. Accordingly, Sertoli cell number was significantly lower in 5 dpp intrauterine growth-restricted rats. At 20 dpp, intratesticular testosterone was significantly increased in intrauterine growth-restricted rats, whereas serum gonadotrophins were unchanged. IUGR altered the gene expression in the rat testes up to peripubertal age and reduced testis size and Sertoli cell number in neonatal age. Multiple mechanisms encompassing genetic changes and steroid production by the testis may be involved in the catch-up growth phase that restored testis size by 40 dpp. Permanent consequences on organ function and gamete integrity cannot be excluded and deserve further investigations.
Compreensão da prescrição de medicamentos em uma unidade básica de saúde: autorrelato do usuário e aferição pelo pesquisador
Authors: Coradi Cristiane Olinda , Cardoso Jussara Dos Santos , Groia Ronara Camila de Souza , Silva Karina Cristina Lima , Ceccato Maria das Graças Braga , Guimarães Lima Marina
Published: November 2016

Aims: To evaluate the understanding of drug prescriptions by patients, comparing the user self-report with the researcher assessment.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2013 to February 2014 at a Basic Health Unit in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Users 18 years of age or older who sought medicines in the unit's pharmacy, for themselves or for minors under their care, were interviewed. The selection of the sample was non-probabilistic, for convenience. During the interview, the users informed if they had understood the following data of the prescriptions: drug name, dose and frequency of administration. Participants then repeated the data for researchers, being allowed to check the prescriptions at the same time. After the interviews, the answers to the questions were interpreted by the researchers, who evaluated the agreement between the information provided by the users and the actual instructions of the recipes, using the Kappa test.Results: Data were collected from 69 users of the unit's pharmacy (corresponding to 69 delivered prescriptions). Fifty-nine (85.5%) users reported having understood all the prescriptions data (self-report), while according to the measurement of the researchers, 23 (33.3%) were the respondents who simultaneously understood all data, relating to the name of the drug, number of daily doses and schedule. Kappa test indicated a degree of agreement between self-report and measurement of researchers of 0.138 (slight) considering all items of the prescription, and specifically on the number of doses the agreement was -0.055 (poor).Conclusions: Self-reported rate of patient's understanding of drug prescriptions was higher than the assessed by the researchers. This result suggests that self-report of patients with respect to the understanding of prescriptions has limitations and should be interpreted with caution both in research and in clinical practice. It is recommended to enhance the means of providing information to patients, in order to contribute to the proper understanding of drug prescriptions.
Cabo Verde e as quatro décadas de independência: dissonâncias, múltiplos discursos, reverberações e lutas por imposições de sentido à sua história recente
Authors: Furtado Cláudio Alves
Published: November 2016

Os quarenta anos da independência de Cabo Verde, assinalados a 5 de Julho de 2015, mereceram comemorações oficiais dissonantes, com alguma tensão entre o Governo e a Presidência da República. Esta tensão nada mais é do que a expressão, num momento preciso e com protagonistas especiais, de um processo sinuoso e tenso, vivido e interpretado de diversas formas, seja em função de contextos e conjunturas históricopolíticas em concreto, seja da presença dos atores particulares (institucionais ou não) produtores, reprodutores ou meros veiculadores das narrativas que buscam inscrever, na memória histórica nacional, os sentidos e os significados do ato (independência) e do processo (construção do Estado) que se seguiu. Se o presente texto busca, por um lado, fazer emergir os atores, as narrativas, as disputas e os silêncios que marcaram essas curtas e rápidas quatro décadas de independência, por outro, intenta descortinar as tensões, as vicissitudes e os recuos que têm marcado os olhares e os discursos sobre a independência e seus eventuais ganhos e, bem assim, as visões de mundo que sustentam tais olhares e discursos. Pretende-se sustentar que as contradições entre os projetos político-sociais presentes na sociedade cabo-verdiana entre Maio de 1974 e Junho de 1975, de forma recorrente e sinuosa, vão marcar toda a história recente de Cabo Verde, potenciadas, contextualmente, pelas injunções decorrentes de inserções diversas, nuancées e, até, contrastantes, no domínio da integração internacional do país.
Bacterial diseases of wheat caused by Xanthomonas sp. in the Southern Ural: Identification issues
Authors: Glinushkin A. P. , Beloshapkina O. O. , Solovykh A. A. , Lukyantsev V. S. , Batmanova A. A. , Sudarenkov G. V. , Molnár J.
Published: November 2016

The identification of pathogenic agents isolated from infected wheat seeds and plants, collected in the Southern Ural and characterized by an atypical manifestation of bacterial infection (yellow leaf tips), has been carried out by direct microbiological and molecular methods. In addition, an indirect identification by the hypersensitive reaction (HR) approach has been performed simultaneously with the pathogenicity assessment of isolates using an indicator plant Plectranthus australis R. Br. Isolated samples have been microbiologically identified as Xanthomonas sp. According to the results of the PCR identification with species-specific primers, isolated samples represent Xanthomonas translucens; the reliability of the obtained results is corroborated by the hypersensitive reaction approach used also to assess the pathogenicity of isolates. Winter wheat, especially cv. Pionerskaya 23, where both X. translucens and Pantoea agglomerans were found, suffered more severe symptoms than spring wheat that was only affected by strains of X. translucens. To improve the reliability of the primary diagnostics of a bacterial character of seed infection, the provoking of the pathogen development by temperature or pH stress is proposed.
First record of Sclerocarpus africanus Jacq. (Asteraceae, Heliantheae) for South America
Authors: Alves Maria , Roque Nádia
Published: November 2016

Sclerocarpus, a genus belonging to subtribe Helianthinae (Asteraceae, Heliantheae), is recognized by the pales surrounding its ovary and sometimes part of the corolla and becoming thickened and hardened at maturity, usually developing tubercles on the surface. The genus comprises eight species from which seven are American mainly distributed in Mexico and Central America. This work provides the first register of the genus for South America, by recording Sclerocarpus africanus in the Bahia state, northeast of Brazil. The results include description and illustration for the species.
TEKNIK PEMELIHARAAN CALON INDUK IKAN NILA STRAIN NIFI PADA KEPADATAN BERBERDA
Authors: Abdul Haris Agus Basyar Abdul Haris , Supramono Aris
Published: November 2016

Abstrak lengkap dapat dilihat pada Fullteks. PDFIkan nila merupakan komoditas andalan terutama pada program industrialisasi perikanan budidaya. Peran komoditas ini sangat besar dalam meningkatkan produktivitas lahan khususnya pada lahan tambak yang hingga kini banyak terlantar karena adanya berbagai permasalahan, yaitu permasalahan penyakit udang dan genangan air laut (air rob)
FERMENTED BLOOD MEAL USE FOR TIGER GROUPER, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus GROW-OUT DIET
Authors: Usman Usman , Kamaruddin Kamaruddin , Palinggi Neltje Nobertine , Ahmad Taufik
Published: November 2016

The experiment aimed to evaluate the optimal level of fermented blood meal used in grow-out diets for tiger grouper, as an alternative protein source to fish meal. Juvenile tiger grouper, initial weight 31.1 ± 2.1 g, were stocked into 1 m x 1 m x 2 m floating net cages at 20 fish cage-1. The treatment applied was isoprotein and isocaloric diets formulated to contain fermented blood meal (FBM) of 0%, 7.5%, 15.0%, 22.5%, and 30.0% replacement of fish meal protein. The diets were fed to the fish twice a day to satiation for 20 weeks. Based on the Tukey test, the fish fed 0%–15.0% FBM demonstrated similar performance (P>0.05) to those fed the control diet (FBM0) in terms of specific growth rate, weight gain, and feed and protein efficiency. Specific growth rate, weight gain, feed efficiency and protein efficiency of the fish fed 22.5%–30.5% FBM were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of the fish fed control diet (FBM0). However, there was a significant culvilinier decliner in overall fish performance with increasing inclusion of FPM and most notable for weight gain, feed efficiency and feed consumption. Based on regression analysis, the asymptote where fish growth deteriorates as a function of FBM inclusion was determined to be 8.9%. Tiger grouper diets incorporating up to 9% FBM as fish meal replacement had no adverse affects on fish growth and survival.
KAJIAN EFEKTIVITAS KALSIUM UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN TEKNOLOGI INTENSIF PADA BUDIDAYA LOBSTER AIR TAWAR (Cherax quadricarinatus)
Authors: Hadie Lies Emmawati , Hadie Wartono , Kusmini Irin Iriana
Published: November 2016

Dalam proses pertumbuhan lobster dibutuhkan mineral kalsium (Ca) yang dapat dicukupi dari makanan dan lingkungan. Pada fase pengerasan kulit diperlukan kalsium yang cukup tinggi. Kebutuhan akan kalsium tidak dapat dipenuhi dari dalam tubuhnya yang tersimpan di dalam hemolimf. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan kajian tentang efektivitas mineral kalsium di dalam air pada budidaya lobster. Penelitian dilakukan secara in door pada bak semen yang dilengkapi dengan sistem resirkulasi. Rancangan penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap dengan 4 perlakuan konsentrasi penambahan calcium hydroxyde ke dalam media yaitu 0 mg/L, 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L, dan 15 mg/L. Masing-masing perlakuan mendapat 3 ulangan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa efek pemberian kalsium (CaOH2) pada lobster tawar terlihat secara signifikan memberikan efek yang positif dan jauh lebih baik dibandingkan dengan kontrol (P<0,05). Konsentrasi kalsium 5,0–10,0 mg/L memberikan hasil yang baik dalam mempengaruhi pertumbuhan lobster. Hasil yang diperoleh dari penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa manajemen dalam konsentrasi kalsium yang seimbang pada media pemeliharaan lobster dapat diaplikasikan sehingga budidaya lobster dapat dilaksanakan secara intensif.Calcium mineral was need to support of lobster growth it’s sufficient from feed and environment. Phase of harden carapace was need a high calcium. The calcium need did not fulfilled by hemolymphe body. And then the assessment of calcium effect was conducted to lobster culture. Complete randomized design was used for this research with different level of calcium hydroxide to the media namely 0.0 mg/L, 5.0 mg/L, 10.0 mg/L, and 15.0 mg/L. The experiment was conducted in the completely randomized design with three replications. Result of this experiment showed that there were significant different positively compared than control (P<0.05). Calcium level of 5.0-10.0 mg/L indicated positively affect to the growth of lobster. Result of this experiment to prove that management of calcium in the media rearing can be used to intensive culture of lobster.