bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toxicological effects of raw jack beans, bambara groundnuts and benne seeds on organs of cockerel
Authors: Akanji AM , Fasina OE , Ogungbesan AM
Published: September 2016

The study was carried out to determine and compare the toxicological effects  of  raw jack  beans (RJB), bambara groundnuts (RBG) and benne seeds (RBS) on organs of cockerels (Goldmine strain).Full fat soya was replaced with RJB, RBG and RBS at 25% and 50% levels, respectively. One hundred and forty (140) cockerels were randomly distributed into seven dietary groups in an eight week feeding trial. Antinutritional factors such as canavanine, haemagglutinin, trypsin inhibitor, tannin and phytate contents were analyzed in the plant seeds. At  the end of eighth week, the birds were killed by cervical dislocation while  the internal organs were quickly dissected out. The liver, kidney, pancreas and testis were thereafter preserved in 10% formalin solution. The tissues of the organs were trimmed, fixed in Bouins fixative for 24h, embedded in wax, sectioned at 6µm with microtome and finally stained with haematoxylin and eosin for histopathological examination. The livers of the birds fed 25% RJB and 50% RJB showed extensive multifocal and lymphocytic infiltration with necrosis of hepatocytes. Moreover, the pancreas of birds fed  RBG and RJB based diets  showed  necrosis of glandular cells, lymphoid aggregates, thickening of the supporting stroma and multifocal interstitial lymphocytic infiltration. In the testes of birds fed 25% RJB and 50% RJB, there was extensive degeneration of the seminiferous tubular  epithelia cells with widespread  interstitial lymphocytic  infiltrations of the stroma. The liver, pancreas, kidney and testes of birds fed RBS showed moderate lesions. It is concluded in this study that RJB showed more toxicity than RBG and RBS  with respect to lesions in the organs, thus depicting a severe negative effect when fed  to cockerels. There is therefore the need to detoxify the raw  plant  seeds with a view to enhancing their  nutritive value in diets of  cockerels.Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2016. 45 (2): 18-23
Effects of feeding garlic powder on growth performance and meat quality of broiler
Authors: Ali MS , Kamruzzaman M , Khandaker ZH
Published: September 2016

An experiment was conducted with 60 day old Cobb-500 broiler chicks for a period of 28 days with the aims of investigating the effects of different level of garlic powder on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of broilers to produce safe broiler meat. The experimental broiler chicks were divided randomly into four different groups with three replications having 5 chicks in each. Maize-soybean based diet was used as basal diet for group 1. Basal diet was supplemented with 1%, 2% and 3% garlic powder on fresh basis for group 2, 3, and 4 respectively. The broiler of groups 2, 3, and 4 were showed significantly (p>0.05) higher body weight than control group at 4 weeks of age. Feed conversion ratio of group 2, 3, and 4 were significantly (p>0.05) lower than group 1. Group 2 was given significantly lower fat percentage than other groups. Group 3 and 4 showed more or less similar fat content but lower than control groups. Thus, it may be concluded that garlic powder may be used in chicken diet.Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2016. 45 (2): 79-83
Preparing SOP for Microbiology Laboratory: A Short Guideline
Authors: Jilani Md. Shariful Alam , Chowdhury Md. Moniruzzaman , Murshed Md. , Hasan Zahidul
Published: September 2016

No AbstractBangladesh  J Med Microbiol  2007;01(01):25-32
Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Coagulase Typing of MRSA Strains at Mymensingh Medical College
Authors: Khan Abul Hossain , Shamsuzzaman AKM , Paul Shyamal Kumar , Alam Md. Murshed , Mahmud Md. Chand
Published: September 2016

Antimicrobial susceptibility and coagulase typing of Staphylococcus aureus isolates, with particular emphasis to Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA), were studied among strains isolated from various types of specimens collected at Mymensingh. A newly developed panel of anti-sera against different coagulase enzymes was used for coagulase typing. The study included 79 strains of S. aureus and of those, 40 were identified as MRSA on the basis of resistance to oxacillin (1 gm) discs. The rate of resistance of S. aureus to different antibiotics observed: penicillin (88.61%), oxacillin (48.10%), cephradine (44.30%), gentamicin (27.85%), erythromycin (34.18%), fusidic acid (25.0%) and rifampicin (20.0%). None of the isolates showed vancomycin resistance. Both MRSA and non-MRSA strains were found belonging to Coagulase type VI. Drug resistance pattern and coagulase type of MRSA strains indicated a homogenous epidemiologic origin that needs further exploration including strains from different geographic locations.Bangladesh J Med Microbiol 2007; 01 (02): 56-60
Evaluation of the Effect of Contraceptives on Prevalence of Candida Species on Vaginal Candidiasis in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Yusuf Md. Abdullah , Chowdhury Md. Abul Quashem , Sattar Abu Naser Ibne , Rahman Md. Mostaqimur
Published: September 2016

This study was designed to find out the relationship between uses of different contraceptives and the prevalence of vaginal candidiasis. High vaginal swabs were obtained from 350 women in the age group of 15-45 years with vaginal discharge attending at Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, which comprised of 247 contraceptive users & 103 non-contraceptive users. A detailed clinical history and a thorough examination of all the cases were done. After making the clinical diagnosis, appropriate tests for diagnosing Candidiasis were done by using standard procedures. Of the 247 women of contraceptive users, Candida species was isolated in 140 (56.7%) cases compared to 32 (31.1%) from 103 non-contraceptive users (p value <0.001). Different species of Candida were isolated from 172 (49.1%) cases among 350 women of which C. albicans was found in 125 (72.7%) cases, C. glabrata in 29 (16.9%) cases, C. tropicalis in 13 (7.5%), and C. krusei in 5 (2.9%) cases. Among 173 oral contraceptive users, the isolation rate of Candida species was 120 (69.4%). This was followed by injectables (17, 12.2%) and IUCD (03, 2.1%) cases (p value <0.05). The study revealed a strong association between use of contraceptives and the prevalence of vaginal infection by Candida species of which C. albicans was the most common species (72.7%). Among all contraceptives, use of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) was found as the most common cause of vaginitis, next to which were injectables and IUCDs.Bangladesh J Med Microbiol 2007; 01 (02): 61-64
Phenotypic Detection of AmpC B-Lactamases in Gram Negative Bacteria
Authors: Karim Fazlul , Rashid Haxunur , Sattar Abu  Naser Ibne , Aluned Sharmeen , Saleh Ahmed Abu , Sattar Huma]un , Miah Md.  Ruhul Amin
Published: September 2016

This study  was  carried  out to  detect  AmpC  f}-lactamase  producing Gram-negative  bacteria.  A total  of 374 bacterialisolates  from  primary  cultures  of wound  swab  (n:196)  and  urine (n:178)  specimens  collected  from  BSMMU  andDMCH  were investigated.  Among  the  total  374  isolates,  344 (91.98o/o) were Gram-negative  and 30  (8.027o) wereGram-positive bacteria. Majority of the  Gram-negative  bacterial  isolates  were Escherichia  coli isolated  from  160(46.520/0)  of  the  cases  followed  by  Pseudomonas  species  (74,19.79o ), Klebsiella  species (4i2,l1.23oh),  Enterobacterspecies  (28,7.49o/o)  and  Enterococcus species  (20, 5.35yo).  All  isolates  were subjected  to antimicrobial  susceptibilitytest  by Kirby-Bauer  disc diffusion  method  and  Gram-negative  lst  line-drug-resistant  isolates  were tested  for  AmpCf3-lactamase  production by disc approximation test.  Amon g 344  Gram-nrcgative  bacteria  isolated,  183(53.2%)  were1st-line-drug-resistant  of  which AmpC fJ-lactamase  was detected  in  51 (27.8  7o/o) isolates..  The highest  rate  of AmpC Blactamase  production  was observed  among  Enterobacter  spp.  (5/10, 50o/o),  followed  by  E. coli  (23174,31o/o),  Klebsiellaspp.  (7127,25.92oh),  Pseudomonas  spp.  (11145,24.44o/o),  Acinetobacter spp. (3/15,  20r/o) and  Proteus  spp. (2112,16.670 ). Among  individual  samples,AmpC  positive  strains  were  found  as  the  highest  in  isolates  from  urine  (22/69,31.8870),  closely  followed  by  in  burn  wounds (30.88%)  and surgical  wounds (17.39oh).  AmpC  f3-lactamase producingE. coli  was  found  as the  highest in burn  wounds (50o/o),  Klebsiella  spp.  in urine samples  (30.770 ), Pseudomonas  spp.in  burn.  and  surgical wounds  (25oh),  Enterobacter spp.  in  burn  wounds  (507o),  and  Acinetobacter spp.  in urine(28.57oh).  Proteus spp.  was  found  only  in burn  wounds (22.22o/o).  All AmpC f3-lactamase  producers  were sensitive  toImipenem  (100%).  Considerable  numbers of  AmpC producing  bacteria  were detected  from  wound  infection  andurinary  tract  infection  cases  which  indicate  that  AmpC is  a major threat  for  antibiotic therapy.Bangladesh  J Med  Microbiol2008;02(01):28-32DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmm.v2i1.21930
Comparison of Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay as a Confirmatory Test to Detect Antibody to Human Immunodeficiency Virus with Line Imuune Assay and Western Blot Methods
Authors: Alam Ahmed Nawsher , Siddiqua Mahmuda , Tabassum Shahina , Islam Md Nazrul
Published: September 2016

In low prevalent countries of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) like Bangladesh, it is recommended that all HIVpositive sera tested by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and/or rapid tests should be confirmed by Line Immune Assay (LIA) or Western Blot (WB) method. As these two tests are quite expensive, Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) was evaluated as a confirmatory test and as an alternative to these two methods in the present study. A total of 92 subjects consisting of 46 HIV-antibody-positive patients and 46 controls were included in the study. All samples of sera were tested by ELISA and IFA methods, and some 34 of 46 HIV-antibody-positive samples were tested by LIA. One ELISA positive serum was found negative by both IFA and LIA. This result indicates that ELISA was 100% sensitive and 98.7% specific for detection of HIV antibody. Comparison between LIA with IFA on 34 samples, and WB with IFA on 26 samples showed 100% correlation between these methods. The study concluded that the IFA method is equal in performance as LIA and WB methods for the detection of antibody to HIV and can be used as a confirmatory test.
Diagnostic Role ofAnti-Lectin Antibodies for the Detection ofAmoebic Liver Abscess
Authors: Munshi Saif
Published: September 2016

In this prospective study, among 47 clinically suspected cases of Liver abscess, 46 were diagnosed as of Amoebic origin. Confirmation of Amoebic Liver abscess (ALA) was done by ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene detection from Liver abscess pus using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). In addition, microscopy for detection of the parasite in Liver abscess pus, and Lectin antigen as well as anti-Lectin antibody were detected by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) from both abscess pus and sera samples. Microscopically, 05 (10.89%) samples were found positive for motile Entamoeba histolytica and E. histolytica rRNA gene were detected in 46 (97.8%) cases by real-time PCR. Among the 47 Liver abscess pus, 12 (25.54%) were E. histolytica Lectin antigen positive and 4/47 (8.51%) of the sera samples were positive for E. histolytica Lectin antigen by ELISA. AntiLectin IgG was found positive in 91% (43/47) of the sera investigated. Reviewing the test results, it appears that detection of anti-Lectin IgG by ELISA may be considered as a useful, rapid and convenient immunological tool for the diagnosis ofALA cases.Bangladesh J Med Microbiol 2008; 02 (02): 27-30
Antibiotic sensitivity Pattern of Salmonella Species I1o-laJed by Btood culture in BangabandhuSheikhMujibMedicalUniversity
Authors: Saleh Ahmed Abu , Sattar Naser Ibne , Ahmed Sharmeen , Miah Md. Ruhul Amin
Published: September 2016

Typhoid fever occurs in all parts of the world where water supplies and sanitation are sub-standard. Despite the availability of newer antibiotics, emerging antimicrobial resistance has become an increasing problem in the management of Typhoid fever cases. The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Salmonella species isolated by blood culture. This was a retrospective study considering the period of January to December 2007  at Bangahandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbag, Dhaka. Blood samples for culture were collected by venepuncture, immediately inoculated into Brain Heart infusion broth and incubated at 370 C. After 24 hours incubation, subcultures were done twice on Blood agar and MacConkeys agar plates. Any growth on the sulrcultured plates were identified by standard microbiological techniques. All of the isolates were then subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test performed by disk diffusion method. A total 2424 specimens of blood collected from patients suspecting of fever, were cultured, out of which 218 (8.99%) were found positive for Salmonella species. In vitro sensitivity test showed that cefixime was highly sensitive (99.41%) followed by  ceftriaxote (97.03%), Azithromycin (83.58%), Ciprofloxacin (67.47%), cefuroxime (73.3%), chloramphenicol (72.62%), co-trimoxazole (69.59%), Amoxicillin (64.33%) and Nalidixic acid (19.26%).  The results call for nationwide surveillance programme to monitor microbial trends and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of salmonella species in Bangladesh.Bangladesh J Med Microbiol 2008; 02 (02):22-26
The Role of PET/CT Molecular Imaging in the Diagnosis of Recurrence and Surveillance of Patients Treated for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Jiménez-Bonilla Julio , Quirce Remedios , Martínez-Rodríguez I. , De Arcocha-Torres María , Carril José , Banzo Ignacio
Published: September 2016

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide and its prognosis remains poor. Molecular imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT can metabolically characterize the nature of lesions as benign or malignant, allowing a better staging at the diagnosis of this kind of patient. This advantage can also be applied in the re-staging due to the suspicion of recurrent disease. Many patients have a recurrence of the disease, including surgically treated patients. In the current context, with new personalized oncological treatments, the surveillance for recurrence and its accurate diagnosis are crucial to improve their survival. In this paper, we revise the current knowledge about the clinical and molecular factors related to the recurrent disease. In the context of new, promising, available personalized treatments, the role of molecular imaging with PET/CT and 18F-FDG and non-18F-FDG radiotracers in the follow-up of NSCLC-treated patients is especially attractive and interesting.
Real-Time Estimation of Satellite-Derived PM2.5 Based on a Semi-Physical Geographically Weighted Regression Model
Authors: Zhang Tianhao , Liu Gang , Zhu Zhongmin , Gong Wei , Ji Yuxi , Huang Yusi
Published: September 2016

The real-time estimation of ambient particulate matter with diameter no greater than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is currently quite limited in China. A semi-physical geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was adopted to estimate PM2.5 mass concentrations at national scale using the Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aerosol Optical Depth product fused by the Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB) algorithms, combined with meteorological parameters. The fitting results could explain over 80% of the variability in the corresponding PM2.5 mass concentrations, and the estimation tends to overestimate when measurement is low and tends to underestimate when measurement is high. Based on World Health Organization standards, results indicate that most regions in China suffered severe PM2.5 pollution during winter. Seasonal average mass concentrations of PM2.5 predicted by the model indicate that residential regions, namely Jing-Jin-Ji Region and Central China, were faced with challenge from fine particles. Moreover, estimation deviation caused primarily by the spatially uneven distribution of monitoring sites and the changes of elevation in a relatively small region has been discussed. In summary, real-time PM2.5 was estimated effectively by the satellite-based semi-physical GWR model, and the results could provide reasonable references for assessing health impacts and offer guidance on air quality management in China.
Factors Influencing Health Knowledge and Behaviors among the Elderly in Rural China
Authors: He Zhifei , Cheng Zhaohui , Shao Tian , Liu Chunyan , Shao Piaopiao , Bishwajit Ghose , Feng Da , Feng Zhanchun
Published: September 2016

Objectives: Health knowledge and behaviors are the key elements that ensure high quality of health for the elderly. This study explored and determined the conditions and factors of health knowledge and behaviors that affect the elderly in rural China. Methods: A cross-sectional research approach and random stratified sampling method were used in 12 towns and 48 villages in the Chongqing Municipality, Henan, and Zhejiang Provinces in China from June to September 2013. The collected data included: (1) socio-demographic characteristics of 1593 elderly people; (2) accuracy rate on health knowledge of the elderly, which was analyzed and compared among the three sample areas by using Chi-square test; and (3) mean scores on the health behaviors of the elderly, which were analyzed and compared by using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The multiple-linear regression method was used to analyze the factors affecting the health knowledge and behaviors of the elderly. Results: Significant differences were observed among the nine items in the health knowledge questionnaire (p = 0.000 < 0.001). The average accuracy rate of the nine items was 57.43%. Significant differences were observed among the eleven items on the health behaviors of the elderly in the sample rural areas (p = 0.000 < 0.001). Age, economic level, degree of education, distance from home to medical institutions and disposable personal income (DPI) can affect the scores of the health knowledge and behaviors of the elderly (p = 0.000 < 0.001). Conclusions: Lack of health knowledge and poor health behaviors are common among the elderly in the sample areas of rural China. This deficiency poses a serious threat on the promotion of health conditions and the improvement of the level of health quality among the elderly. Different types of access to sources of health knowledge should be used to increase health knowledge scores of the elderly. Various potential intervening measures should also be adopted to improve their health behaviors of elderly people.
Community Theories of Change: Linking Environmental Justice to Sustainability through Stakeholder Perceptions in Milwaukee (WI, USA)
Authors: Hornik Kaitlyn , Cutts Bethany , Greenlee Andrew
Published: September 2016

Environmental justice and sustainability are compatible lenses, yet action toward equity is often missing from urban sustainability initiatives. This study aims to assess the cohesion of these frameworks in practice. To do this, we parse individuals’ theories of change, or how they identify and propose to resolve environmental injustices in the pursuit of sustainability. We posit that these theories of change are comprised of three main components: (1) perceived environmental benefits and burdens; (2) the causal pathways of environmental and social injustice; and (3) visions for positive change. Drawing from 35 stakeholder interviews in Milwaukee (WI, USA) we examine individual and institutional perspectives on environmental and social change and their links to the production of injustice. Our findings reveal that participants do not distinguish between environmental and social injustices. Instead, both social and environmental factors are implicated in injustice. Furthermore, we identify two mental maps for how social and economic change reproduce injustice. These findings suggest the need to reorient how urban injustice is considered and make efforts to acknowledge how a diversity of operational theories of change could either be divisive or could bring environmental justice and sustainability initiatives together.
Optimization of Sample Points for Monitoring Arable Land Quality by Simulated Annealing while Considering Spatial Variations
Authors: Wang Junxiao , Wang Xiaorui , Zhou Shenglu , Wu Shaohua , Zhu Yan , Lu Chunfeng
Published: September 2016

With China’s rapid economic development, the reduction in arable land has emerged as one of the most prominent problems in the nation. The long-term dynamic monitoring of arable land quality is important for protecting arable land resources. An efficient practice is to select optimal sample points while obtaining accurate predictions. To this end, the selection of effective points from a dense set of soil sample points is an urgent problem. In this study, data were collected from Donghai County, Jiangsu Province, China. The number and layout of soil sample points are optimized by considering the spatial variations in soil properties and by using an improved simulated annealing (SA) algorithm. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Optimization results in the retention of more sample points in the moderate- and high-variation partitions of the study area; (2) The number of optimal sample points obtained with the improved SA algorithm is markedly reduced, while the accuracy of the predicted soil properties is improved by approximately 5% compared with the raw data; (3) With regard to the monitoring of arable land quality, a dense distribution of sample points is needed to monitor the granularity.
An Integrated Software Framework to Support Semantic Modeling and Reasoning of Spatiotemporal Change of Geographical Objects: A Use Case of Land Use and Land Cover Change Study
Authors: Li Wenwen , Zhou Xiran , Wu Sheng
Published: September 2016

Evolving Earth observation and change detection techniques enable the automatic identification of Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) over a large extent from massive amounts of remote sensing data. It at the same time poses a major challenge in effective organization, representation and modeling of such information. This study proposes and implements an integrated computational framework to support the modeling, semantic and spatial reasoning of change information with regard to space, time and topology. We first proposed a conceptual model to formally represent the spatiotemporal variation of change data, which is essential knowledge to support various environmental and social studies, such as deforestation and urbanization studies. Then, a spatial ontology was created to encode these semantic spatiotemporal data in a machine-understandable format. Based on the knowledge defined in the ontology and related reasoning rules, a semantic platform was developed to support the semantic query and change trajectory reasoning of areas with LULCC. This semantic platform is innovative, as it integrates semantic and spatial reasoning into a coherent computational and operational software framework to support automated semantic analysis of time series data that can go beyond LULC datasets. In addition, this system scales well as the amount of data increases, validated by a number of experimental results. This work contributes significantly to both the geospatial Semantic Web and GIScience communities in terms of the establishment of the (web-based) semantic platform for collaborative question answering and decision-making.
Dimerization of the Vacuolar Receptors AtRMR1 and -2 from Arabidopsis thaliana Contributes to Their Localization in the trans-Golgi Network
Authors: Occhialini Alessandro , Gouzerh Guillaume , Di Sansebastiano Gian-Pietro , Neuhaus Jean-Marc
Published: September 2016

In Arabidopsis thaliana, different types of vacuolar receptors were discovered. The AtVSR (Vacuolar Sorting Receptor) receptors are well known to be involved in the traffic to lytic vacuole (LV), while few evidences demonstrate the involvement of the receptors from AtRMR family (Receptor Membrane RING-H2) in the traffic to the protein storage vacuole (PSV). In this study we focused on the localization of two members of AtRMR family, AtRMR1 and -2, and on the possible interaction between these two receptors in the plant secretory pathway. Our experiments with agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaves demonstrated that AtRMR1 was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), while AtRMR2 was targeted to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) due to the presence of a cytosolic 23-amino acid sequence linker. The fusion of this linker to an equivalent position in AtRMR1 targeted this receptor to the TGN, instead of the ER. By using a Bimolecular Fluorescent Complementation (BiFC) technique and experiments of co-localization, we demonstrated that AtRMR2 can make homodimers, and can also interact with AtRMR1 forming heterodimers that locate to the TGN. Such interaction studies strongly suggest that the transmembrane domain and the few amino acids surrounding it, including the sequence linker, are essential for dimerization. These results suggest a new model of AtRMR trafficking and dimerization in the plant secretory pathway.
InGaAs-OI Substrate Fabrication on a 300 mm Wafer
Authors: Sollier Sebastien , Widiez Julie , Gaudin Gweltaz , Mazen Frederic , Baron Thierry , Martin Mickail , Roure Marie-Christine , Besson Pascal , Morales Christophe , Beche Elodie , Fournel Frank , Favier Sylvie , Salaun Amelie , Gergaud Patrice , Cordeau Maryline , Veytizou Christellle , Ecarnot Ludovic , Delprat Daniel , Radu Ionut , Signamarcheix Thomas
Published: September 2016

In this work, we demonstrate for the first time a 300-mm indium–gallium–arsenic (InGaAs) wafer on insulator (InGaAs-OI) substrates by splitting in an InP sacrificial layer. A 30-nm-thick InGaAs layer was successfully transferred using low temperature direct wafer bonding (DWB) and Smart CutTM technology. Three key process steps of the integration were therefore specifically developed and optimized. The first one was the epitaxial growing process, designed to reduce the surface roughness of the InGaAs film. Second, direct wafer bonding conditions were investigated and optimized to achieve non-defective bonding up to 600 °C. Finally, we adapted the splitting condition to detach the InGaAs layer according to epitaxial stack specifications. The paper presents the overall process flow that achieved InGaAs-OI, the required optimization, and the associated characterizations, namely atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM), and HR-XRD, to insure the crystalline quality of the post transferred layer.
5-[(3-Fluorophenyl)(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl)methyl]-6-hydroxy-1,3-dimethylpyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione
Authors: Barakat Assem , Ghabbour Hazem , Atef Saleh , Al-Majid Abdullah , Shahidul Islam Mohammad , Ali M.
Published: September 2016

5-[(3-Fluorophenyl)(2-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-methyl]-6-hydroxy-1,3-di-methylpyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione 3 was synthesized via a multicomponent reaction. The Aldol–Michael addition reactions of N,N-dimethylbarbituric acid, cyclohexane-1,3-dione, and 3-fluorobenzaldehyde in aqueous solution gave the product in high yield. The molecular structure of the compound was confirmed by spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. The title compound (C19H19FN2O5·H2O) crystallizes in the Monoclinic form, P21/c, a = 7.8630 (5) Å, b = 20.0308 (13) Å, c = 11.3987 (8) Å, β = 104.274 (3)°, V = 1739.9 (2)° Å3, Z = 4, Rint = 0.117, wR(F2) = 0.124, T = 100 K.
Controlling Properties and Cytotoxicity of Chitosan Nanocapsules by Chemical Grafting
Authors: De Matteis Laura , Alleva Maria , Serrano-Sevilla Inés , García-Embid Sonia , Stepien Grazyna , Moros María , De la Fuente Jesús
Published: September 2016

The tunability of the properties of chitosan-based carriers opens new ways for the application of drugs with low water-stability or high adverse effects. In this work, the combination of a nanoemulsion with a chitosan hydrogel coating and the following poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafting is proven to be a promising strategy to obtain a flexible and versatile nanocarrier with an improved stability. Thanks to chitosan amino groups, a new easy and reproducible method to obtain nanocapsule grafting with PEG has been developed in this work, allowing a very good control and tunability of the properties of nanocapsule surface. Two different PEG densities of coverage are studied and the nanocapsule systems obtained are characterized at all steps of the optimization in terms of diameter, Z potential and surface charge (amino group analysis). Results obtained are compatible with a conformation of PEG molecules laying adsorbed on nanoparticle surface after covalent linking through their amino terminal moiety. An improvement in nanocapsule stability in physiological medium is observed with the highest PEG coverage density obtained. Cytotoxicity tests also demonstrate that grafting with PEG is an effective strategy to modulate the cytotoxicity of developed nanocapsules. Such results indicate the suitability of chitosan as protective coating for future studies oriented toward drug delivery.
SimCP3—An Advanced Homologue of SimCP2 as a Solution-Processed Small Molecular Host Material for Blue Phosphorescence Organic Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Lee Yi-Ting , Chang Yung-Ting , Wu Cheng-Lung , Golder Jan , Chen Chin-Ti , Chen Chao-Tsen
Published: September 2016

We have overcome the synthetic difficulty of 9,9′,9′′,9′′′,9′′′′,9′′′′′-((phenylsilanetriyl)tris(benzene-5,3,1-triyl))hexakis(9H-carbazole) (SimCP3) an advanced homologue of previously known SimCP2 as a solution-processed, high triplet gap energy host material for a blue phosphorescence dopant. A series of organic light-emitting diodes based on blue phosphorescence dopant iridium (III) bis(4,6-difluorophenylpyridinato)picolate, FIrpic, were fabricated and tested to demonstrate the validity of solution-processed SimCP3 in the device fabrication.
The Internal Consistency Reliability of the Katz-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Judaism among Australian Jews
Authors: Lumbroso Patrick , Fayn Kirill , Tiliopoulos Niko , Francis Leslie
Published: September 2016

The Katz-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Judaism was developed initially to extend among the Hebrew-speaking Jewish community in Israel a growing body of international research concerned to map the correlates, antecedents and consequences of individual differences in attitude toward religion as assessed by the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity. The present paper explored the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the English translation of the Katz-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Judaism among 101 Australian Jews. On the basis of these data, this instrument is commended for application in further research.
Assessment of Data Fusion Algorithms for Earth Observation Change Detection Processes
Authors: Molina Iñigo , Martinez Estibaliz , Morillo Carmen , Velasco Jesus , Jara Alvaro
Published: September 2016

In this work a parametric multi-sensor Bayesian data fusion approach and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) are used for a Change Detection problem. For this purpose two sets of SPOT5-PAN images have been used, which are in turn used for Change Detection Indices (CDIs) calculation. For minimizing radiometric differences, a methodology based on zonal “invariant features” is suggested. The choice of one or the other CDI for a change detection process is a subjective task as each CDI is probably more or less sensitive to certain types of changes. Likewise, this idea might be employed to create and improve a “change map”, which can be accomplished by means of the CDI’s informational content. For this purpose, information metrics such as the Shannon Entropy and “Specific Information” have been used to weight the changes and no-changes categories contained in a certain CDI and thus introduced in the Bayesian information fusion algorithm. Furthermore, the parameters of the probability density functions (pdf’s) that best fit the involved categories have also been estimated. Conversely, these considerations are not necessary for mapping procedures based on the discriminant functions of a SVM. This work has confirmed the capabilities of probabilistic information fusion procedure under these circumstances.
The Attitudes of Agricultural Extension Workers towards the Use of E-Extension for Ensuring Sustainability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Afzal Adeel , Al-Subaiee Faisal , Mirza Abdulrahman
Published: September 2016

E-extension as a modern mode of communication can be used to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of extension services for agricultural sustainability. E-extension is the delivery of extension services using the Internet and the latest information communication technologies (ICTs), which allow networking, online sharing, and collaboration. Extension workers are a key factor in conducting an effective agricultural extension work plan; therefore, understanding extension workers’ attitudes towards the use of E-extension is important. It has been noted in some studies that, before implementing ICTs, positive attitudes from extension workers is required. This study analyzed the attitudes of extension workers towards the use of E-extension in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A survey questionnaire was developed comprising statements regarding E-extension and then distributed through the post to all 230 extension workers in the Kingdom with the help of the Ministry of Agriculture. The findings show that extension workers generally had a positive attitude towards the use of E-extension. Significant relationships were found between the overall means of extension workers’ attitudes towards E-extension and their age, years of service, and computer experience. In the light of the results, recommendations drawn are as follows: encouraging extension workers, especially those who are older, to use the E-extension system through exclusive training programs and refresher courses; and incorporating combined workshops for extension workers with few and more years of service to eliminate the generation gap and instigating a better understanding of the E-extension system.
A Search Complexity Improvement of Vector Quantization to Immittance Spectral Frequency Coefficients in AMR-WB Speech Codec
Authors: Yao Bing-Jhih , Yeh Cheng-Yu , Hwang Shaw-Hwa
Published: September 2016

An adaptive multi-rate wideband (AMR-WB) code is a speech codec developed on the basis of an algebraic code-excited linear-prediction (ACELP) coding technique, and has a double advantage of low bit rates and high speech quality. This coding technique is widely used in modern mobile communication systems for a high speech quality in handheld devices. However, a major disadvantage is that a vector quantization (VQ) of immittance spectral frequency (ISF) coefficients occupies a significant computational load in the AMR-WB encoder. Hence, this paper presents a triangular inequality elimination (TIE) algorithm combined with a dynamic mechanism and an intersection mechanism, abbreviated as the DI-TIE algorithm, to remarkably improve the complexity of ISF coefficient quantization in the AMR-WB speech codec. Both mechanisms are designed in a way that recursively enhances the performance of the TIE algorithm. At the end of this work, this proposal is experimentally validated as a superior search algorithm relative to a conventional TIE, a multiple TIE (MTIE), and an equal-average equal-variance equal-norm nearest neighbor search (EEENNS) approach. With a full search algorithm as a benchmark for search load comparison, this work provides a search load reduction above 77%, a figure far beyond 36% in the TIE, 49% in the MTIE, and 68% in the EEENNS approach.
Archaisch-kyprische Kouroi mit Hosen
Authors: Hurschmann Rolf
Published: September 2016

Cette étude porte sur un groupe de statues chypriotes du VIe s. av. J.-C., vêtues d'une sorte de caleçon et portant souvent un diadème à rosettes. Les œuvres de ce type proviennent de différents sanctuaires de Chypre ; quelques-unes ont été trouvées hors de l'île. La fonction de ces œuvres très particulières n'est pas encore élucidée, mais l'analyse présentée ici montre qu'il s'agit de statues votives de sacrificateurs, plutôt que de l'image de princes chypriotes comme on l'a proposé.
Le territoire de Potamia aux époques médiévale et moderne : acquis récents
Authors: Lécuyer Nolwenn
Published: September 2016

The completion of the research project on the Potamia-Agios Sozomenos area, launched in 2000 by the École française d'Athènes in collaboration with the Laboratoire d'Archéologie Médiévale Méditerranéenne (UMR 6572-CNRS) and, for three successive years, the University of Cyprus, prompted the organization of this conference. This article deals mainly with the preliminary results of the archaeological enquiry, based on an intensive survey and several soundings. The initial aim was to collect the rich informations concerning the Medieval and Modern periods, but the survey led to the discovery of many Hellenistic and Roman artefacts. This conference gave me the opportunity to present all those sites, identified by survey and excavation. I thus hope to contribute to the reflection on territories, by using complementary approaches and informations from Antiquity until modern times.
Apports philologiques sur l'administration du royaume d'Idalion
Authors: Egetmeyer Markus
Published: September 2016

The presentation of the Idalion Bronze in ICS 217, which is generally used by archaeologists and historians, has to be modified in some points. The most important one : the text does not offer a choice to the family of doctors, because the sequences e-tu-wa-no-i-nu and e-to-ko-i-nu in the decisive passages must be aorists followed by particles (eduwan oi(n)nu and ed ok' oi(n)nu) and not present optatives. Further is argumented that ka-te-wo-ro-ko-ne/ kateworgon/, "they besieged", might be an imperfect instead of an aorist ; the adjectives pa-no-ni-o-ne/ panonion/ and pa-no-ni-o-se/ panoniosl concern most probably the right to "use" and not the right to "sell" ; the verbal form e-xe I o-ru-xe/ exoruxë/ must belong to όρυσσω, "to dig", and not to όρίζω, "to divide" ; there might be a scribal error i-/ i/, "and", instead of it it, "or" ; the expression pe-re-ta-li-o-ne/ per' Edalion/, "around Idalion", might present a trace of an archaic formula better attested in Vedic Indian.
«Chypre à la turque » : frontières et territoires d'une province ottomane au XIXe siècle
Authors: Aymes Marc
Published: September 2016

The aim of this article is to examine the major dynamics at work in central Cyprus during the 19th century. It appears, from the joint study of Ottoman and consular sources, that the borders defined by Istanbul officials were superseded by a vast and complex area, structured along the rich domains of some "European Cypriote", and organized around localities among which Idalion/Dali figures.
Potters, weavers and sanctuary dedications. Possible evidence from the Hill of Agios Georgios in the quest for Territorial Boundaries
Authors: Pilides Despo
Published: September 2016

Grâce aux données des fouilles menées sur le site de la colline d'Agios Georgios, à Nicosie, cette communication essaiera de mieux faire connaître l'extension et la nature de l'établissement et de contribuer à la topographie générale de la partie centrale de l'île, principalement à la période hellénistique. Même si les conditions d'urgence de la fouille n'ont pas encore permis une approche analytique détaillée du matériel découvert à ce jour, on espère que les études à venir contribueront à nous informer sur l'occupation du centre de l'île, les relations avec des sites contemporains, et peut-être sur ses limites ou sa sphère d'influence. L'examen des données actuellement disponibles, combinées avec les données du sanctuaire de Kafizin situé à quelques kilomètres au sud-est, peut apporter dans une certaine mesure sa contribution au thème du colloque sur les territoires.
La coroplastie d'Idalion à l'époque archaïque. Ateliers et diffusion
Authors: Fourrier Sabine
Published: September 2016

Due to extensive digging in the Dali area at the end of the 19th century A.D., many terracotta statues of the 'Idalion School' were acquired by European museums and prompted a strong interest for the coroplastic art of this ancient region.

Those exquisite moulded masterpieces are not the sole expression of the coroplasts' capability, which is exemplified by the use of various techniques and the production of a large array of types. Their works demonstrate close stylistic links with those of the neighbouring kingdoms, as Amathous or Salamis, which reflects the geographical location of Idalion inland, on the roads leading from the copper deposits of the Troodos to the coastal sites.

Besides, the originality of the coroplastic art of ancient Idalion enables one to study the diffusion of the terracottas in the island and thus to determine the cultural and political influence of the kingdom. The material retrieved from rural sanctuaries gives interesting clues concerning the probable extension of the kingdom's chora, which seems to have included a large part of the central area of Cyprus, from Meniko to the West to Athienou to the East, from the neighbourhood of Nicosia to the North to Pyrga to the South. It strongly suggests that Tamassos and Golgoi were not indépendant cities in the Archaic period, but secondary urban centers of the Idalion kingdom.
Topographie du centre de Chypre au cours de l'Antiquité tardive
Authors: Hadjichristophi Frini
Published: September 2016

The aim of this article is to survey the area around Potamia, delimited on its three sides by episcopal centers : Ledra to the north, Tamassos to the west and Tremithus to the east. It encompasses the region defined by the Pediaios and Gialias rivers. In order to draw a topographical map of the area, we use the results of excavations as well as mentions from archaeological surveys. Those documents are completed by rare informations supplied by the lives of saints.
Cérémonies autour du thème de la navigation à Amathonte
Authors: Carbillet Aurélie
Published: September 2016

A terracotta model boat of the Archaic period, found in the sea off Amathus, was published in 1999 by L. Basch who gave a detailed commentary from the perspective of its naval architecture. The fact that the vessel was in this particular instance occupied by seven people justifies making an iconograhic study so as to determine the significance of this kind of offering which was particularly common at the site of Amathus. The probable presence of a king-like figure amongst the persons on board allows new hypotheses to be put forward on the cults connected with sailing and the role played by the ruler.
"Hippocrate sceptique " : une nouvelle découverte de la philologie moderne (Diogène Laërce 9, 73)
Authors: Jouanna Jacques
Published: September 2016

Le témoignage sur Hippocrate dans le catalogue des sceptiques antérieurs à Pyrrhon est réinterprété à partir d’une discussion sur la syntaxe de la phrase replacée dans le contexte de l’ensemble du catalogue. Il est inutile de modifier le texte des manuscrits, comme l’a fait la dernière édition (Marcovich), mais il suffit de changer la ponctuation. Pour Hippocrate, comme pour les autres auteurs du catalogue, une citation est donnée pour justifier son appartenance aux sceptiques. C’est une citation du Prorrhétique II. Ce traité sur le pronostic dans les maladies chroniques, jugé pourtant remarquable par É. Littré, était resté dans l’ombre parce que Galien considérait qu’il n’était pas d’Hippocrate. Ce nouveau témoignage apporte une réhabilitation de ce traité hippocratique que la lignée des penseurs à la fois philosophes sceptiques et médecins empiriques considérait comme étant une oeuvre d’Hippocrate.
Andocide et ses amis dans le discours Sur les Mystères
Authors: Schubert Paul
Published: September 2016

This article aims at shedding new light on a fundamental aspect of Andocides’ argument in the speech On the Mysteries, namely the concept of philia (i. e., here, friendship, but also reciprocal obligation). The orator makes a precise choice of the wording he uses in order to describe his social relationship with others ; although this choice is not made explicit by the orator, it constitutes a central point of his defense strategy. The hypothesis that this is indeed a choice of the orator and not a series of fortuitous phenomena relies mainly on the multiplicity of cases where such choices occur ; also, Andocides displays a striking consistency in his use of words in all passages taken into consideration here. The article starts with a summary of the case ; then the concept of philia is described and put into context ; finally, we shall examine more specifically those passages where the orator depicts – in a positive or negative fashion – his relationship with both friends and those who are excluded from his friendship.
Anexelekto (AXL) Increases Resistance to EGFR-TKI and Activation of AKT and ERK1/2 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Tian Yaqiong , Zhang Zengli , Miao Liyun , Yang Zhimin , Yang Jie , Wang Yinhua , Qian Danwen , Cai Hourong , Wang Yongsheng
Published: September 2016

Recently, epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have revolutionized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. However, resistance remains a major obstacle. Anexelekto (AXL) is a member of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and shares the same downstream
signaling pathways with EGFR, such as PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK. AXL overexpression in resistant tumors has been implicated in many previous studies in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we further examined whether expression of AXL and its downstream targets increased in gefitinib-resistant PC9
cells (PC9GR). In addition, we hypothesize that knocking down AXL in PC9GR and overexpressing AXL in PC9 using genetic tools can restore and decrease the sensitivity to gefitinib, respectively. We found that silencing AXL could sensitize the resistance to gefitinib, and the downstream pathways
were significantly inhibited. Interestingly, we also discovered that increased AXL expression did promote the resistance, and its downstream targets were activated accordingly. Then 69 NSCLC patients who harbored EGFR mutation were recruited to analyze the expression of AXL and the association
between AXL expression and clinical characteristics. We found that 5 of the 69 patients were AXL positive (about 7%), and AXL was related to tumor differentiation and tumor size. In this study, we concluded that the molecular mechanisms of AXL mediated resistance involved in the increased
activity of the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK1/2 pathways, and AXL overexpression could promote resistance, but it can be weakened when AXL expression is silenced.
TIPE2 Overexpression Suppresses the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Prostate Cancer Cells by Inhibiting PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Lu Qiang , Liu Zhe , Li Zhuo , Chen Jia , Liao Zhi , Wu Wan-rui , Li Yuan-wei
Published: September 2016

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced protein 8-like 2 (TNFAIP8L2, TIPE2) is involved in the invasion and metastasis of human tumors. However, the functional role of TIPE2 in prostate cancer remains unclear. In the present study, we explored the role of TIPE2 in prostate
cancer and cancer progression including the molecular mechanism that drives TIPE2-mediated oncogenesis. Our results showed that TIPE2 was lowly expressed in human prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. In addition, restored TIPE2 obviously inhibits proliferation in prostate cancer cells.
TIPE2 overexpression also suppresses the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and migration/invasion in prostate cancer cells. Mechanistically, TIPE2 overexpression obviously inhibits the phosphorylation levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt in prostate cancer
cells. In conclusion, for the first time we demonstrated that TIPE2 overexpression may suppress proliferation, migration, and invasion in prostate cancer cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, TIPE2 might serve as a potential therapeutic target for human prostate cancer.