bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of hematological alterations after therapeutic use of dipyrone in healthy adults: a prospective study
Authors: de Souza Ernane C. , Matos Dalyara M. , Viana Milainy R. , Alvim Marcela C.O. , Bonfante Herval L. , Pinto Alexandre F. , Nascimento Jorge W.L.
Published: February 2018

Background

Dipyrone is a non-narcotic analgesic/antipyretic widely used in some countries but prohibited in others due to suspected risk of agranulocytosis. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate hematological alterations in healthy adult volunteers after treatment with dipyrone.

Methods

The study enrolled 30 healthy volunteers of both genders, aged 19–37 years. They received tablets containing 500 mg of dipyrone sodium to be used four times daily for 7 consecutive days. Before the first administration, arterial pressure was measured and blood was collected in order to evaluate hematological baseline parameters. On the 8th day after the beginning of treatment, the volunteers had their blood pressure assessed once more and underwent a second blood draw. Total and specific leukocyte counts, creatinine, urea, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), erythrocytes, and platelets were quantitatively determined.

Results

No statistically significant difference was observed among total or specific leukocyte counts. Number of platelets, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit decreased after treatment. Diastolic pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and urea concentration declined, while creatinine, AST, and ALT showed no significant alterations. It is noteworthy that, even for parameters that showed statistically significant changes, the highest and lowest values remained within the normal ranges.

Conclusions

Although dipyrone has historically been associated with agranulocytosis, leukocyte counts remained practically unchanged after oral administration of dipyrone. On the other hand, the present study adds evidence that dipyrone is able to produce statistically relevant decrease in number of platelets, erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and hematocrit in healthy adults, even after short-term treatment.
Oppositional Gravitational Search Algorithm and Artificial Neural Network-based Classification of Kidney Images
Authors: Chaitanya S.M.K. , Rajesh Kumar P.
Published: February 2018

Ultrasound (US) imaging has been broadly utilized as part of kidney diagnosis because of its ability to show structural abnormalities like cysts, stones, and infections as well as information about kidney function. The main aim of this research is to effectively classify normal and abnormal kidney images through US based on the selection of relevant features. In this study, abnormal kidney images were classified through gray-scale conversion, region-of-interest generation, multi-scale wavelet-based Gabor feature extraction, probabilistic principal component analysis-based feature selection and adaptive artificial neural network technique. The anticipated method is executed in the working platform of MATLAB, and the results were analyzed and contrasted. Results show that the proposed approach had 94% accuracy and 100% specificity. In addition, its false-acceptance rate is 0%, whereas that of existing methods is not <27%. This shows the precise prediction level of the proposed approach, compared with that of existing methods.
Living Among the Dead – Settlement Structures in the North-Western Pontic Region in the 4th Millennium BC
Authors: Uhl Regina A.
Published: February 2018

The function of the plan-schematic settlements of the so called Cucuteni-Tripolye-Complex in the north-western pontic region remains enigmatic and yet, these structures haven´t been approached holistically. The article aims to address basic aspects as the construction plan and the chronology at one of these sites, the settlement Petreni in the Republic of Moldova. Beyond that, it shall be outlined, in how far the settlements served as mnemonic places.

Deliberately burnt houses in these settlements represent a characteristic feature, which do not only resemble the end of a settling stage - they rather mark performative acts and may be associated with the death of a household or a community member. As the burnt house debris has not been removed or levelled, it reflects a visible marker for preceding generations among the living - such structures constitute distinctive mechanisms of commemoration and mirror communities which share a common set of experiences and knowledge.
Into the Darkness: Deep Caves in the Ancient Near East
Authors: Freikman Michael
Published: February 2018

In this paper I will present the assemblage of pottery vessels and objects of luxury dated to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods discovered in the Zarda Cave in Western Samaria, Israel. The context in which this assemblage was found is strongly reminiscent of other proto-historic depositions found in Israel. As determent of objects of value found in the deep and dark caves cannot be explained by means of burial offerings or regular hoards one most provide this remarkable phenomenon by a different theory. In this paper, I claim that these depositions were ritual in nature. They bear physical evidence for rituals performed by specially chosen members of the society, which we call today shamans. These caves were chosen due to their physical properties to become scenes for rituals of rites of passage in the course of which they experienced altered states of consciousness. In the course of time these caves have accumulated considerable social power becoming liminal monuments on the fringes of social landscapes in the local cultures. We may understand deep and dark caves as an element of pre-urban cosmology embedded into the local landscape, traces of which can be detected in much later traditions.
The Paleo-Anthropocene and the Genesis of the Current Landscape of Israel
Authors: Ackermann Oren , Maeir Aren M. , Frumin Suembikya Sue , Svoray Tal , Weiss Ehud , Zhevelev Helena M. , Horwitz Liora Kolska
Published: February 2018

Worldwide, human impact on natural landscapes has intensified since prehistoric times, and this is well documented in the global archaeological record. The period between the earliest hominids and the Industrial Revolution of the late 18-19thcenturies is known as the Paleo-Anthropocene. The current study reviews key geoarchaeological, floral and faunal factors of the Paleo-Anthropocene in Israel, an area that has undergone human activities in various intensities since prehistoric times. It discusses significant human imprints on these three features in the Israeli landscape, demonstrating that its current form is almost entirely anthropogenic. Moreover, some of the past physical changes still dynamically shape Israel’s zoological, archaeological and geomorphic landscape today. It is hoped that insights from this article might aid in guiding present-day management strategies of undeveloped areas through renewal of human activity guided by traditional knowledge.
The Agricultural Landscape of Tel Burna: Ecology and Economy of a Bronze Age/Iron Age Settlement in the Southern Levant
Authors: Orendi Andrea , Smejda Ladislav , McKinny Chris , Cassuto Deborah , Sharp Casey , Shai Itzick
Published: February 2018

The Shephelah, known as the breadbasket of the southern Levant, is one of the more extensively investigated regions of the southern Levant in terms of archaeobotanical research. However, studies dealing with agriculture are scarce in comparison to the archaeobotanical data available. The analysis of the archaeobotanical assemblage in combination with the archaeological remains from Tel Burna will contribute to the investigation of the agriculture of the Shephelah. Several seasons of excavation revealed a cultic complex dating to the Late Bronze Age and an Iron Age II settlement with various agricultural installations such as silos and wine or olive presses. In this paper, we present the agricultural features in conjunction with the systematical archaeobotanical sampling, which enables us to reconstruct the types of crop plants cultivated at the site. Grass pea seeds dominate the assemblage collected from the Late Bronze Age complex, which may point to a connection to the Aegean. The Iron Age assemblage is distinguished by a significantly broad range of crop plants which were cultivated in vicinity of the tell. The archaeological Iron Age remains indicate that the processing of secondary products such as olive oil, wine, or textiles took place within the Iron Age settlement of Tel Burna. This first comprehensive overview describes the character of agricultural production in the Late Bronze Age to Iron Age environmental and geopolitical transformations.
Reconstructing Socio-Political Urban-Rural Interactions Using Viewshed Analysis: The Late Bronze Age at Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel.
Authors: Paz Yitzhak , Birkenfeld Michal
Published: February 2018

The archaeological research conducted during the last two decades at the Judean Shephelah testifies for one of the most turbulent regions in the land of Israel during the Late Bronze Age. This stands in contrast to the scarce historical record that relates to it. The geographic region of Ramat Bet Shemesh encompasses important information about socio-political relations between the small rural settlements and hamlets and the city-states that dominated the area from the west. Advanced GIS modelling is one of the main research tools that enables us to reconstruct various aspects of these interactions. In this paper, the results of viewshed analyses are presented, suggesting that these interactions are defined, among other things, by a solidarity between small rural occupations that resist territorial rigid inner division of the landscape.
On the shoulders of giants: Reginald Innes Pocock and integrative mammal research in museums and zoos
Authors: Gippoliti Spartaco , De Francesco Tommaso , Robovský Jan
Published: February 2018

Seventy years after his death, Reginald Innes Pocock’s prominence in mammalogy is demonstrated by the continuing amount of citations in recent works and the final acceptance of some of his systematic proposals at generic and suprageneric levels. Pocock’s ability to synthesize and integrate classical taxonomy with the then dominant polytypic species concept, utilizing both skull and external characters, of zoo and museum animals as unique opportunities for the advancement of mammal comparative biology – including the study of several extinct taxa – are an enduring legacy for mammalogy that deserves to be better appreciated especially among European zoologists.
Stable isotope analysis as a minimal-invasive method for dietary studies on the highly endangered Common hamster (Cricetus cricetus)
Authors: Roswag Anna , Becker Nina I. , Millesi Eva , Otto Matthias S. , Ruoss Sara , Sander Marco , Siutz Carina , Weinhold Ulrich , Encarnação Jorge A.
Published: February 2018

This study applied the analysis of stable isotope ratios as a minimally-invasive tool to estimate the diet of Cricetus cricetus for the first time. We took hair and food samples of three different populations of C. cricetus and analyzed stable carbon and nitrogen ratios. The stable isotope ratios in hamster hairs differed significantly within and between populations according to different sampling seasons and animal ages. Additionally, the isotopic signatures of potential food samples differed between sampling sites and food categories. The isotopic mixing models illustrated that diet composition varied with season and food availability. During the summer season hamsters living in agricultural areas mainly fed on green and ripe crop. In contrast to this, during the winter season ripe crop was the main food component for hamsters in agricultural areas while hamsters living in urban areas fed almost exclusively on nuts. These are, despite a wide variety of available food sources, most suitable for hoarding in the burrow. We conclude that stable isotope analysis of hamster hairs is an appropriate minimal-invasive method to investigate correlations between available and consumed food sources throughout the overall distribution of this species.
On a generalized concept of order relations on B(H)
Authors: Dolinar Gregor , Marovt Janko
Published: February 2018

Let H be a Hilbert space and B(H) the set of all bounded linear operators on H. In the paper we consider the generalized concept of order relations on B(H) which was proposed by Šemrl and which covers the star partial order, the left-star partial order, the right-star partial order, and the minus partial order. We also connect this concept with the sharp partial order.
Examples of random fields that can be represented as space-domain scaled stationary Ornstein-Uhlenbeck fields
Authors: Barczy Mátyás
Published: February 2018

We give some examples of random fields that can be represented as space-domain scaled stationary Ornstein-Uhlenbeck fields defined on the plane. Namely, we study a tied-down Wiener bridge, tied-down scaled Wiener bridges, a Kiefer process and so called (F, G)-Wiener bridges.
Bohdan Wodiczko’s Programming Policies at Warsaw Philharmonic (1955-1958). Toward the Warsaw Autumn.
Authors: Klubiński Michał
Published: February 2018

As the managing and artistic director of Warsaw Philharmonic in 1955-58, Bohdan Wodiczko introduced an innovative programming policy which re-oriented the Philharmonic’s repertoire toward 20th-century classics and focused on the links between new music and that of other historical periods. The aim was to create a vast sonosphere of a “musical inter-age” (S. Kisielewski after M. Wańkowicz) encompassing radically different styles and genres and significantly transforming the axiology of the musical art. Wodiczko’s novel programming, though largely concentrating on the already waning neo-Classicism, laid the foundations for the phenomenon of the Warsaw Autumn and was a harbinger of the political-cultural thaw that would come after October 1956. This paper examines Wodiczko’s programming revolution in its political context, as well as the critical reception of Warsaw Philharmonic concerts, with particular emphasis on the aesthetic disputes arising around those composers whose works provoked the greatest controversies: Igor Stravinsky and Carl Orff.
From Restrictions to Freedom The Perilous Path to the First Warsaw Autumn Festival
Authors: Bylander Cindy
Published: February 2018

The genesis of the Warsaw Autumn Festival was fraught with both potential and real complications. Musical life in Poland at the end of the first postwar decade was in a state of flux, if not turmoil, as ideological disagreements and material complications contributed to an atmosphere of dismay and distrust among musicians and authorities. This paper provides insight into the context in which the Festival’s organizers were operating, particularly the shortcomings of musical life in mid-decade that threatened to derail the Festival before it even began.
How Foreign of a Country is the Past? Colonial Archives, Customary Law and Land Transactions in Ghana
Authors: Perneş Raluca
Published: February 2018

This paper looks at a set of documents produced in the early 1950s in the Gold Coast to establish land boundaries in a region and to contribute to the crystallization of customary law for future reference and use. The material is placed in a longer historical flow and seen as one of the results of transformations in the metropole, in the colony, and in their relationship over the first decades of the century, and as a significant landmark collection that has been used in land transactions ever since. The analysis pleads for treating the archives in an ethnographic and not just in an extractive manner (Stoler, 2002, 2009), suggesting that the making, the form, the authors’ stances and the use of the documents can be useful supplementary tools in making sense of the already heavily edited representations of the past that we have access to. The focus on this particular archival material contributes to the discussions about the pitfalls of basing land management on, as Sally Falk Moore would put it, “customary” law.
Football and Romanian Masculinity. How it is constructed by the Sport Media?
Authors: Péter László
Published: February 2018

The present article is focusing on hegemonic masculinity represented and expressed by the professional footballers. Based on the empirical study using text analysis of leading articles published in central Romanian sport newspapers I draw the ideal-typical picture of the normative model of Romanian hegemonic masculinity in which the domestic coaches play a determinant role. Their personal-individual and collective-professional features like determination, steadiness, honesty, pride, mutual respect, knowledge, tenaciousness, sense of vocation, solidarity, spirit of fighting are the corner points of the constructed Romanian manhood, or hegemonic masculinity during social change. The manliness is traced along the inner characteristic of the coaches but in strong contradiction with the foreign trainers. In this respect I can state that football is connected not only with masculinity but in some respect also with the national characteristics embodied by the Romanian coaches especially those working home.
Design of a rotational iron loss measurement system
Authors: Kitzberger Martin , Bramerdorfer Gerd , Andessner Dietmar , Goldbeck Gereon , Amrhein Wolfgang
Published: February 2018

This article is about the design of a measurement system for measuring iron losses in soft magnetic composites under controlled circular flux density patterns. With conventional measurement setups for iron loss determination, material samples are usually magnetized along a single spatial direction. However, in some parts of electrical machines magnetization loci over time substantially divert from the patterns used during conventional alternating loss measurements. Based on previous findings, iron losses strongly depend on the actual two dimensional magnetization locus over time. Therefore, the measurement with alternating magnetization cannot fully reflect the magnetizing conditions and iron losses present during machine operation. Available data especially for soft magnetic composites (SMC) regarding rotational losses is very limited. Hence, in this article a new measurement setup for the investigation of iron losses under controlled circular flux density loci was designed. It turns out, that iron losses show a significant deviation when comparing alternating and rotational losses with regard to the flux density magnitude and frequency.
Transcriptome profiling reveals an IAA-regulated response to adventitious root formation in lotus seedling
Authors: Libao Cheng , Runzhi Jiang , Jianjun Yang , Xiaoyong Xu , Haitao Zeng , Shuyan Li
Published: February 2018

Adventitious roots (ARs) of lotus (Nelumbonucifera Gaertn.) play a critical role in water and nutrient uptake. We found that exogenously applied 10-μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) promoted the formation of ARs, while 150-μM IAA significantly inhibited the emergence of ARs. However, little is known about these different responses to various concentrations of IAA at the molecular level. This study, therefore, examined the gene expression profiling in four libraries treated with 10- and 150-μM IAA based on the high-throughout tag sequencing technique. Approximately 2.4×107 clean tags were obtained after the removal of low-quality tags from each library respectively, among which about 10% clean tags were unambiguous tag-mapped genes to the reference genes. We found that some genes involved in auxin metabolism showed a similar tendency for expression in the A/CK and C/CK libraries, while three genes were enhanced their expression only in the A/CK libraries. Two transcription factors including B3 domain-containing protein At2g36080-like and trihelix transcription factor were up-regulated for transcriptional level in the A/C libraries. The expressions of six important genes related to AR formation were significantly different in the A/CK and C/CK libraries. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of gene expression regulated by IAA involved in AR formation in lotus.
GUCY2D Cone–Rod Dystrophy-6 Is a “Phototransduction Disease” Triggered by Abnormal Calcium Feedback on Retinal Membrane Guanylyl Cyclase 1
Authors: Sato Shinya , Peshenko Igor V. , Olshevskaya Elena V. , Kefalov Vladimir J. , Dizhoor Alexander M.
Published: February 2018

The Arg838Ser mutation in retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC1) has been linked to autosomal dominant cone–rod dystrophy type 6 (CORD6). It is believed that photoreceptor degeneration is caused by the altered sensitivity of RetGC1 to calcium regulation via guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs). To determine the mechanism by which this mutation leads to degeneration, we investigated the structure and function of rod photoreceptors in two transgenic mouse lines, 362 and 379, expressing R838S RetGC1. In both lines, rod outer segments became shorter than in their nontransgenic siblings by 3–4 weeks of age, before the eventual photoreceptor degeneration. Despite the shortening of their outer segments, the dark current of transgenic rods was 1.5–2.2-fold higher than in nontransgenic controls. Similarly, the dim flash response amplitude inR838S+rods was larger, time to peak was delayed, and flash sensitivity was increased, all suggesting elevated dark-adapted free cGMP in transgenic rods. In rods expressing R838S RetGC1, dark-current noise increased and the exchange current, detected after a saturating flash, became more pronounced. These results suggest disrupted Ca2+phototransduction feedback and abnormally high free-Ca2+concentration in the outer segments. Notably, photoreceptor degeneration, which typically occurred after 3 months of age in R838S RetGC1 transgenic mice inGCAP1,2+/+orGCAP1,2+/−backgrounds, was prevented inGCAP1,2−/−mice lacking Ca2+feedback to guanylyl cyclase. In summary, the dysregulation of guanylyl cyclase in RetGC1-linked CORD6 is a “phototransduction disease,” which means it is associated with increased free-cGMP and Ca2+levels in photoreceptors.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTIn a mouse model expressing human membrane guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC1,GUCY2D), a mutation associated with early progressing congenital blindness, cone–rod dystrophy type 6 (CORD6), deregulates calcium-sensitive feedback of phototransduction to the cyclase mediated by guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs), which are calcium-sensor proteins. The abnormal calcium sensitivity of the cyclase increases cGMP-gated dark current in the rod outer segments, reshapes rod photoresponses, and triggers photoreceptor death. This work is the first to demonstrate a direct physiological effect ofGUCY2DCORD6-linked mutation on photoreceptor physiologyin vivo. It also identifies the abnormal regulation of the cyclase by calcium-sensor proteins as the main trigger for the photoreceptor death.
Sniffle: a step forward to measure in situ CO2 fluxes with the floating chamber technique
Authors: Ribas-Ribas M. , Kilcher L. F. , Wurl O.
Published: February 2018

Understanding how the ocean absorbs anthropogenic CO2 is critical for predicting climate change. We designed Sniffle, a new autonomous drifting buoy with a floating chamber, to measure gas transfer velocities and air–sea CO2 fluxes with high spatiotemporal resolution. Currently, insufficient in situ data exist to verify gas transfer parameterizations at low wind speeds (<4 m s–1), which leads to underestimation of gas transfer velocities and, therefore, of air–sea CO2 fluxes. The Sniffle is equipped with a sensor to consecutively measure aqueous and atmospheric pCO2 and to monitor increases or decreases of CO2 inside the chamber. During autonomous operation, a complete cycle lasts 40 minutes, with a new cycle initiated after flushing the chamber. The Sniffle can be deployed for up to 15 hours at wind speeds up to 10 m s–1. Floating chambers often overestimate fluxes because they create additional turbulence at the water surface. We correct fluxes by measuring turbulence with two acoustic Doppler velocimeters, one positioned directly under the floating chamber and the other positioned sideways, to compare artificial disturbance caused by the chamber and natural turbulence. The first results of deployment in the North Sea during the summer of 2016 demonstrate that the new drifting buoy is a useful tool that can improve our understanding of gas transfer velocity with in situ measurements. At low and moderate wind speeds and different conditions, the results obtained indicate that the observed tidal basin was acting as a source of atmospheric CO2. Wind speed and turbulence alone could not fully explain the variance in gas transfer velocity. We suggest that other factors like surfactants, rain or tidal current will have an impact on gas transfer parameterizations.
Rekonstrukcija recentnih morfoloških promjena žala uz pomoć metode ponovljene fotografije – primjer žala Zogon na otoku Hvaru (Srednji Jadran)
Authors: Faivre Sanja , Mićunović Marin
Published: February 2018

U radu je analiziran geomorfološki sustav koji čine jaruga i žalo Zogon na otoku Hvaru s ciljem diferenciranja prirodnih i antropogenih procesa koji utječu na promjene žala. Primjenom metoda ponovljene fotografije, orto-foto snimaka i terenskog kartiranja ustanovljeno je da se u razdoblju od 60-ih godina 20. stoljeća do danas površina žala Zogon smanjila za oko 50 %. Smanjenje žala može se povezati s recentnim antropogenim djelatnostima na širem području istraživanja, osobito višestrukim nasipavanjem korita jaruge prilikom gradnje te manjim promjenama u korištenju zemljišta i prirodnom regeneracijom vegetacije što uzrokuje smanjenje dohrane žala. S druge strane, preokret u evoluciji žala u promatranom razdoblju, koje je po definiciji akumulacijski reljefni oblik, iz akumulacijskog ili stanja ravnoteže u stanje dominantne erozije možemo povezati s recentnim klimatskim promjenama i izdizanjem relativne morske razine.
Role of upstream stimulatory factor 2 in glutamate dehydrogenase gene transcription
Authors: Gaspar Carlos , Silva-Marrero Jonás I , Salgado María C , Baanante Isabel V , Metón Isidoro
Published: February 2018

Glutamate dehydrogenase (Gdh) plays a central role in ammonia detoxification by catalysing reversible oxidative deamination ofl-glutamate into α-ketoglutarate using NAD+or NADP+as cofactor. To gain insight into transcriptional regulation ofglud, the gene that codes for Gdh, we isolated and characterised the 5′ flanking region ofgludfrom gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). In addition, tissue distribution, the effect of starvation as well as short- and long-term refeeding on Gdh mRNA levels in the liver ofS. auratawere also addressed. 5′-Deletion analysis ofgludpromoter in transiently transfected HepG2 cells, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and site-directed mutagenesis allowed us to identify upstream stimulatory factor 2 (Usf2) as a novel factor involved in the transcriptional regulation ofglud. Analysis of tissue distribution of Gdh and Usf2 mRNA levels by reverse transcriptase-coupled quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that Gdh is mainly expressed in the liver ofS. aurata, while Usf2 displayed ubiquitous distribution. RT-qPCR and ChIP assays revealed that long-term starvation down-regulated the hepatic expression of Gdh and Usf2 to similar levels and reduced Usf2 binding togludpromoter, while refeeding resulted in a slow but gradual restoration of both Gdh and Usf2 mRNA abundance. Herein, we demonstrate that Usf2 transactivatesS. aurata gludby binding to an E-box located in the proximal region ofgludpromoter. In addition, our findings provide evidence for a new regulatory mechanism involving Usf2 as a key factor in the nutritional regulation ofgludtranscription in the fish liver.
Metabolic effects of short-term caloric restriction in mice with reduced insulin gene dosage
Authors: Dommerholt Marleen B , Dionne Derek A , Hutchinson Daria F , Kruit Janine K , Johnson James D
Published: February 2018

Caloric restriction (CR) is the only environmental intervention with robust evidence that it extends lifespan and delays the symptoms of aging, but its mechanisms are incompletely understood. Based on the prolonged longevity of knockout models, it was hypothesized that the insulin-IGF pathway could be a target for developing a CR mimic. This study aimed to test whether CR has additive effects on glucose homeostasis and beta-cell function in mice with reduced insulin gene dosage. To study models with a range of basal insulin levels, wild-type C57BL/6J and mice on an Ins2

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background, were put on 8 weeks of 40% CR at various ages. Both male and female mice rapidly lost weight due to a reduced WAT mass. Glucose tolerance was improved and fasting glucose levels were reduced by CR in both wild type and 45- and 70-week-old Ins2

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mice. The effects of CR and reduced insulin on glucose tolerance were non-additive in 20-week-old mice. Interestingly, mice on CR generally exhibited an inability to further depress blood glucose after insulin injection, pointing to possible alterations in insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that CR can cause weight loss in the context of reduced insulin production, but that CR-improved glucose homeostasis does not occur near the ‘insulin floor’ in young mice. Collectively, these data shed further light on the relationships between CR, insulin and glucose homeostasis.
Enfoque de la responsabilidad social empresarial en las pymes vinculadas al sector salud de la zona suroccidente de Bogotá
Authors: Camacho Kurmen Juany Amparo , Camacho Kurmen Vilma Esperanza
Published: February 2018

Este trabajo explora el enfoque de la responsabilidad social en las pymes vinculadas al sector salud de la zona suroccidente de Bogotá, como base para definir un instrumento que fortalezca la gestión de prácticas socialmente responsables. La metodología utilizada considera la aplicación de un cuestionario a 105 pymes, cuyos resultados fueron consolidados y analizados a través de una matriz en la que se contrastan enfoques teóricos de responsabilidad social a la luz de cuatro teorías: actuación social de la empresa, valor para el accionista, grupos implicados y ciudadanía empresarial y enfoques prácticos. Se consideraron las siguientes materias fundamentales de responsabilidad social: gobernanza, derechos humanos, prácticas laborales, medio ambiente, prácticas justas de operación, asuntos de consumidores y participación activa de la comunidad. Como resultados en lo referente a enfoques teóricos, la gestión socialmente responsable de las pymes encuestadas muestra una clara tendencia hacia el desarrollo de prácticas que se limitan al cumplimiento de lineamientos normativos. En lo que respecta a la evaluación de los aspectos prácticos se identificó un mayor nivel de desempeño en materia de participación activa y desarrollo de la comunidad, seguido por la adopción de elementos de gobernanza.
Lineamientos de un sistema integrado de gestión bajo los requisitos de NTC-ISO 9001:2015 y NTC-ISO 14001:2015 en instituciones de educación superior
Authors: Losada Rodríguez Sandra Jastri , Zambrano Pineda Sonia Angélica
Published: February 2018

Con el propósito de realizar una propuesta de lineamientos para integrar los sistemas de gestión según las normas técnicas NTC-ISO 9001:2015 y NTC-ISO 14001:2015 en instituciones de educación superior (IES), se tomó una muestra de seis universidades certificadas por Icontec con la norma técnica NTC-ISO 9001, en las cuales se realizó un análisis de sus documentos maestros para identificar ejes y componentes misionales que puedan facilitar la articulación de un sistema integrado de gestión. Posteriormente se realizó un diagnóstico para identificar el estado actual frente a la gestión ambiental y a la integración de dichas normas. Los resultados muestran que el sistema de calidad está implícito desde la planeación estratégica, hace parte de su cultura organizacional y es una herramienta que contribuye al cumplimiento de la misión. Con la gestión ambiental no se refleja esta misma apropiación al evidenciarse ausencia de elementos como políticas o lineamientos que contribuyan a identificar, disminuir o controlar los aspectos ambientales. Finalmente se propusieron unos lineamientos que pueden servir para que las IES integren sus sistemas de gestión de calidad y ambiental, de manera que aporten a la toma de decisiones por parte de la alta dirección.
Impacto de la toma de conciencia en las organizaciones
Authors: Contreras Sanabria Shirley Katherine , Cruz Ramírez Lethy Patricia , Cruz Ramírez Mónica Julieth
Published: February 2018

El objetivo del presente artículo es determinar los impactos económicos, ambientales y de seguridad y salud en el trabajo, ocasionados por la ausencia de toma de conciencia en las organizaciones. Este artículo es el inicio de una serie de escritos que profundizarán sobre la toma de conciencia, su impacto en las organizaciones, cómo se evalúa, qué acciones preventivas y correctivas debe tomar la organización en busca de la mejora continua, entre otros. La limitación en la realización de este artículo consistió en la escasa bibliografía en el tema propuesto. Las consecuencias de los accidentes de trabajo afectan no solo al trabajador sino también una pérdida económica importante para la comunidad,por esta causa es necesario determinar cuáles son los factores que influyen para que estos se presenten. Casos de estudio y experiencias prácticas han demostrado que la frecuencia y la gravedad de los accidentes dependen de los peligros inherentes al trabajo y a factores físicos, fisiológicos y psicológicos propios del trabajador, lo que lleva a concluir que en gran medida las lesiones son producidas por falta de conciencia de los mismos trabajadores (OIT, 2015). Debido al panorama anterior se evidencia la importancia de la toma de conciencia para el desarrollo económico y social del país; desde el punto de vista ambiental, calidad y de seguridad y salud en el trabajo, las acciones de las organizaciones pueden ocasionar riesgos al trabajador, su familia, la sociedad y el medio ambiente, aumentando la susceptibilidad a la ocurrencia de fenómenos naturales peligrosos, pérdidas económicas o situaciones de riesgo que posteriormente se materialicen en desastres. Dada la importancia de la toma de conciencia las normas técnicas NTC-ISO 9001:2008 Sistemas de gestión de la calidad: Requisitos, NTC-ISO 14001:2004 Sistemas de gestión ambiental: Requisitos y NTCOHSAS 18001:2007Sistemas de gestión de la seguridad y la salud ocupacional: Requisitos, la incluyeron como el requisito de: Competencia, formación y toma de conciencia.
Drought Sensitivity of Norway Spruce at the Species’ Warmest Fringe: Quantitative and Molecular Analysis Reveals High Genetic Variation Among and Within Provenances
Authors: Trujillo-Moya Carlos , George Jan-Peter , Fluch Silvia , Geburek Thomas , Grabner Michael , Karanitsch-Ackerl Sandra , Konrad Heino , Mayer Konrad , Sehr Eva Maria , Wischnitzki Elisabeth , Schueler Silvio
Published: February 2018

Norway spruce (Picea abies) is by far the most important timber species in Europe, but its outstanding role in future forests is jeopardized by its high sensitivity to drought. We analyzed drought response of Norway spruce at the warmest fringe of its natural range. Based on a 35-year old provenance experiment we tested for genetic variation among and within seed provenances across consecutively occurring strong drought events using dendroclimatic time series. Moreover, we tested for associations between ≈1,700 variable SNPs and traits related to drought response, wood characteristics and climate-growth relationships. We found significant adaptive genetic variation among provenances originating from the species’ Alpine, Central and Southeastern European range. Genetic variation between individuals varied significantly among provenances explaining up to 44% of the phenotypic variation in drought response. Varying phenotypic correlations between drought response and wood traits confirmed differences in selection intensity among seed provenances. Significant associations were found between 29 SNPs and traits related to drought, climate-growth relationships and wood properties which explained between 11 and 43% of trait variation, though 12 of them were due to single individuals having extreme phenotypes of the respective trait. The majority of these SNPs are located within exons of genes and the most important ones are preferentially expressed in cambium and xylem expansion layers. Phenotype-genotype associations were stronger if only provenances with significant quantitative genetic variation in drought response were considered. The present study confirms the high adaptive variation of Norway spruce in Central and Southeastern Europe and demonstrates how quantitative genetic, dendroclimatic and genomic data can be linked to understand the genetic basis of adaptation to climate extremes in trees.
Genomic Context Analysis of de Novo STXBP1 Mutations Identifies Evidence of Splice Site DNA-Motif Associated Hotspots
Authors: Uddin Mohammed , Woodbury-Smith Marc , Chan Ada J S , Albanna Ammar , Minassian Berge , Boelman Cyrus , Scherer Stephen W
Published: February 2018

Mutations within STXBP1 have been associated with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders implicating the pleotropic impact of this gene. Although the frequency of de novo mutations within STXBP1 for selective cohorts with early onset epileptic encephalopathy is more than 1%, there is no evidence for a hotspot within the gene. In this study, we analyzed the genomic context of de novo STXBP1 mutations to examine whether certain motifs indicated a greater risk of mutation. Through a comprehensive context analysis of 136 de novo/rare mutation (SNV/Indels) sites in this gene, strikingly 26.92% of all SNV mutations occurred within 5bp upstream or downstream of a ‘GTA’ motif (P < 0.0005). This implies a genomic context modulated mutagenesis. Moreover, 51.85% (14 out of 27) of the ‘GTA’ mutations are splicing compared to 14.70% (20 out of 136) of all reported mutations within STXBP1. We also noted that 11 of these 14 ‘GTA’ associated mutations are de novo in origin. Our analysis provides strong evidence of DNA motif modulated mutagenesis for STXBP1 de novo splicing mutations.
THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORMS IN POST-COMMUNIST COUNTRIES
Authors: Nakrošis Vitalis
Published: February 2018

In this article we describe the adoption and execution of public administration reforms in Central and Eastern Europe between 2008 and 2013, as well as examine whether post-communist countries differ from other groups of European countries in terms of the substance of reforms and their implementation process. Instead of following popular Western administrative theoretical frames, we adopt the policy process approach. We focus on the role of policy actors during reform policymaking and implementation at the level of policy subsystems. More specifically, we employ the rational-comprehensive and garbage can perspectives to understand the reform processes in the post-communist region. Our research is based on the statistical analysis of survey data and two case studies of reforms initiated by the 2008-2012 Lithuanian government. The article concludes that countries in Central and Eastern Europe share some common characteristics: they focused on the issues of civil service and public or administrative services, their reform policy was often formulated on a top-down basis, and its execution often lacked adequate capacities. Despite a rational reform façade in these countries, the implementation of governance change appears to be quite erratic, as anticipated in the garbage can perspective. This can have negative consequences on the effectiveness of public policy, continuing to generate public distrust in post-communist state institutions.
DECLINING SYSTEMIC TRUST IN THE POLITICAL ELITE IN THE EU’S NEW MEMBER STATES: THE DIVERGENCE BETWEEN EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE AND THE BALTIC STATES
Authors: Ágh Attila
Published: February 2018

In the last decade there has been a process of rolling-back Europeanization efforts in the EU’s new member states (NMS), a process intensified by the global crisis. This de-Europeanization and de-democratization process in the NMS has become a significant part of a more general polycrisis in the EU. The backslide of democracy in the NMS as a topical issue has usually been analysed in terms of macro-politics, formal-legal state institutions, party systems, and macroeconomics. The most significant decline of democratization, however, is evident in the public’s decreasing participation in politics and in the eroding trust. This decline in systemic trust in political elites in the NMS has been largely neglected by analysts. Therefore, this paper concentrates on this relatively overlooked dimension of declining trust and social capital in the NMS. This analysis employs the concepts of governance, trust, and social capital to balance the usual formalistic top-down approach with a bottom-up approach that better illustrates the divergence between East-Central Europe and the Baltic states’ sub-regional development.
Multiplicative dependence of cubic algebraic numbers
Authors: Drungilas Paulius , Klimavičius Linas
Published: February 2018

We provide an infinite family of cubic algebraic integers α such that the set {α + x | x ∈ Z} is multiplicatively dependent.
Ultimate boundary estimations and topological horseshoe analysis of a new 4D hyper-chaotic system
Authors: Zhou Leilei , Chen Zengqiang , Wang Jiezhi , Zhang Qing
Published: February 2018

In this paper, we first estimate the boundedness of a new proposed 4-dimensional (4D) hyper-chaotic system with complex dynamical behaviors. For this system, the ultimate bound set Ω1 and globally exponentially attractive set Ω2 are derived based on the optimization method, Lyapunov stability theory and comparison principle. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the method and the boundary regions. Then, to prove the existence of hyper-chaos, the hyper-chaotic dynamics of the 4D nonlinear system is investigated by means of topological horseshoe theory and numerical computation. Based on the algorithm for finding horseshoes in three-dimensional hyper-chaotic maps, we finally find a horseshoe with two-directional expansions in the 4D hyper-chaotic system, which can rigorously prove the existence of the hyper-chaos in theory.
Existence of solutions of multi-term fractional differential equations with impulse effects on a half line
Authors: Liu Yuji
Published: February 2018

A class of boundary value problem for impulsive fractional differential equation on a half line is proposed. Some results on existence of solutions of this kind of boundary value problem for impulsive multi-term fractional differential equation on a half line are established by constructing a weighted Banach space, a completely continuous operator and using a fixed point theorem in the Banach space. Some unsuitable lemmas in recent published papers are pointed out. An example is given to illustrate the efficiency of the main theorems.
Controllability of nonlinear stochastic neutral fractional dynamical systems
Authors: Rajendran Mabel Lizzy Lizzy , Balachandran Krishnan , Trujillo Juan J. J.
Published: February 2018

In this paper, we obtain an equivalent nonlinear integral equation to the stochastic neutral fractional system with bounded operator. Using the integral equation, the sufficient conditions for ensuring the complete controllability of the stochastic fractional neutral systems with Wiener and Lévy noise are obtained. Banach's fixed point theorem is used to obtain the results. Examples are provided to illustrate the theory.
Some notes on a second-order random boundary value problem
Authors: Tchier Fairouz , Vetro Calogero
Published: February 2018

We consider a two-point boundary value problem of second-order random differential equation. Using a variant of the α-ψ-contractive type mapping theorem in metric spaces, we show the existence of at least one solution.
Impulsive mean square exponential synchronization of stochastic dynamical networks with hybrid time-varying delays
Authors: Wang Fei , Yang Yongqing
Published: February 2018

This paper investigates the mean square exponential synchronization problem for complex dynamical networks with stochastic disturbances and hybrid time-varying delays, both internal delay and coupling delay are considered in the model. At the same time, the coupled time-delay is also probabilistic in two time interval. Impulsive control method is applied to force all nodes synchronize to a chaotic orbit, and impulsive input delay is also taken into account. Based on the theory of stochastic differential equation, an impulsive differential inequality and some analysis techniques, several simple and useful criteria are derived to ensure mean square exponential synchronization of the stochastic dynamical networks. Furthermore, pinning impulsive strategy is studied. An effective method is introduced to select the controlled nodes at each impulsive constants. Numerical simulations are exploited to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theory results in this paper.
Species composition of Dothideomycetes in the anthropogenically transformed ecosystems of the steppe zone of Ukraine
Authors: V. Korolyova O.
Published: February 2018

The article considers the species composition of the Dothideomycetes and its structural characteristics in conditions of anthropogenically transformed ecosystems of the steppe zone of Ukraine. The materials of the work were the original mycological collection carried out as part of the mycological survey of this territory during 2008–2016, as well as the materials of the herbarium of the Institute of Botany named after M. Kholodny of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Herbarium collection and identification of the samples were performed in accordance with the generally accepted methods of cameral processing of xylotrophic, herbotrophic and coprothrophic micromycetes. To establish the taxonomic affiliation of species, the method of light microscopy was applied. As a result of our research, the species diversity of ascolocular fungi (Dothideomycetes) has been established in the anthropogenically transformed ecosystems of the steppe zone of Ukraine, which includes 156 species from 43 genera 19 families 5 orders and groups of taxa of Incertae sedis of the subclasses Dothideomycetidae and Pleosporomycetidae. The characteristic features of the taxonomic structure of the investigated mycobiota are the predominance of representatives of the order of Pleosporales, the families Cucurbitariaceae and Mycosphaerellaceae, the genera Cucurbitaria and Mycosphaerella. In the ecological structure of mycobiota in anthropogenically transformed ecosystems saprotrophic and xylotrophic species dominated. The ascolocular fungi species are form consortium connections with 178 species of vascular plants from 112 genera of 51 families, with the largest number of micromycetes (65 species) noted on plants of the Rosaceae. An analysis of the abundance of species in anthropogenically transformed ecosystems of the investigated area showed that 47% of the species are randomly distributed. Widespread species are Dothidea sorbi (Wahlenb.) Sacc., Cucurbitaria caraganae P. Karst., C. amorphae (Wallr.) Fuckel, Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug.) Ces. & De Not., Otthia spiraeae (Fuckel) Fuckel. In the anthropogenically transformed ecosystems of the steppe zone of Ukraine, in comparison with natural ecosystems, the proportion of species from the genera Cucurbitaria and Mycosphaerella increases quantitatively, and the proportion of Leptosphaeria and Pleospora species decreases. An increase in the proportion of hemibiotrophic species in the ecological structure can be considered a characteristic feature of anthropogenic influence on mycobiota . Comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the mycobiota structure combined with spatial and temporal changes of these indicators can serve as an instrument for indicating its anthropogenic transformation. It would be promising to conduct further research on changes in the species structure of micromycetes exposed to various types of anthropogenic impact in terrestrial ecosystems of the steppe zone of Ukraine.