bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of drug and non-drug treatment of tobacco dependence among physicians and nurses
Authors: Захарова Лариса Александровна , Ибатов А. Д.
Published: October 2020

Introduction. The article is devoted to assessing the effectiveness of drug and non-drug treatment of tobacco dependence in health care workers. Material and methods. The study included 621 medical workers (237 men and 384 women) working in hospitals in Moscow, at the average age of 48.3 ± 5.6 years, including 207 doctors and 414 nurses. The medical workers were divided into 2 groups depending on the anti-smoking program used. The first group consisted of 316 medical workers who received non-drug methods of treatment: psychosocial support, using cognitive aspects; psychotherapy; breathing exercises; acupuncture; increase physical activity. The second group consisted of 305 medical workers who, in addition to non-drug methods (described above), received Varenicline treatment (Champix® - tablets) and, if necessary, nicotine replacement therapy. Results. In medical workers from the 2nd group, besides non-pharmacological therapy, received the drug Varenicline, 195 out of 305 (64%) persons completely stopped smoking; In the 1st group of Medical workers receiving non-drug therapy, 177 out of 316 (56% ) cases completely quit smoking (OR= 1.40; 95% CI: 1.01-1.93; p=0.0423). 6 months after the end of the treatment program, in the first group 84 (26.7%) medical workers) in the 2nd group - 31 medical workers (10.2%) restarted smoking, (OR=3.02, 95% CI: 2.05-5.02; p<0.00001). Conclusion. Thus, the antismoking program, including drug Varenicline and, if necessary, nicotine-replacement therapy, as well as non-drug effects, including psycho-social support; psychotherapy; breathing exercises; acupuncture; an increase in physical activity showed higher efficacy compared with the antismoking program without Varenicline, moreover, high efficacy remained even after the treatment carried out for 6 months.
Assessment of the mutagenicity of the technical product
of N-(1-ethylpropyl)-2,6-dinitro -3,4-xylidinen
Authors: Егорова О. В. , Илюшина Наталия Алексеевна , Аверьянова Н. С. , Масальцев Г. В. , Дмитричева О. О.
Published: October 2020

Introduction. Evaluation of genotoxicity of the pesticide technical products is one of the mandatory requirements for their toxicological and hygienic assessment. The data about mutagenic property is ambiguous for some pesticides. This may be due to the use of various active ingredients of technical products of the pesticide for testing, as they may have different profiles of relevant impurities, some of which may be potentially genotoxic. Material and methods. A technical product of N-(1-ethylpropyl)-2,6-dinitro-3,4-xylidine was tested using the bacterial reverse mutation method with Salmonella typhimurium (Ames test) and the in vivo mammalian micronucleus analysis in mouse bone marrow erythrocytes. Results. Statistically significant dose-dependent mutagenic effects of the technical product of N-(1-ethylpropyl)-2,6-dinitro-3,4-xylidine were revealed for TA97 (+S9 / -S9); TA100 (+S9 / -S9); TA102 (+S9 / -S9) and TA98 (+S9 / -S9) strains. In all cases, the fold increase of the revertant numbers mediated by the tested substance compared with the concurrent negative control was > 2 except TA98 in the presence of S9. In the micronucleus test, the technical product did not induce a statistically significant increase in the frequency of the micronucleated polychromatophilic erythrocytes in CD-1 mouse bone marrow up to 2000 mg/kg bw. Conclusion. The data suggest all technical products of pesticides entering the market should be tested for the potential genotoxicity. In such a case it is necessary to use at least two methods on different test systems for obtaining reliable results.
The possibility of using bacteria Bacillus in the production of disinfectants
Authors: Ilyakova Anastasia V. , Shestopalov N. V. , Fedorova L. S. , Belova A. S.
Published: October 2020

Introduction. In recent years, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cause ever greater economic and social damage. Microorganisms circulating in medical institutions the causative agents of HAIs, become resistant to most antibiotics and many disinfectants. There is a need to create alternative mechanisms for controlling microorganisms. The purpose of the work is to determine the antagonistic activity of bacteria strains of the genus Bacillus in relation to test microorganisms, as a potential basis for the development of domestic detergents and disinfectants based on probiotics. Material and methods. The strains of Bacillus subtilis 2/10 VKPM B-2896; Bacillus subtilis VKPM B-1283; Bacillus licheniformis VKPM B-5397; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens VKPM B-5462 werethe main object of study. At the first stage of the studies, the antagonistic activity of the strains was studied by the well method, at the second stage of the studies, the antagonistic activity was studied at the test object, and at the third stage of the studies, the effectiveness of the composition containing B. subtilis VKPM B-1283, B.licheniformis VKPM B-5397 and sulfonol strains was studied. Results. As a result of studies, the antagonistic effect of bacilli against test microorganisms was revealed. When surfaces are contaminated with test microorganisms (S.aureus ATCC 6538-P, E.coli ATCC 10531, C. albicans ATCC 10231) and subsequent application of Bacillus spores, a significant reduction in the seeding rate with test microorganisms is observed after 24 hours by 97.07-100%. The use of B.subtilis VKPM B-1283 and B.licheniformis VKPM B-5397 spores together with a detergent component for treating surfaces contaminated with test microorganisms (S.aureus ATCC 6538-P, E.coli ATCC 10531, C.albicans ATCC 10231) provides a reduction in microbial seeding after 4 hours by 99.97 %. Conclusions. B.subtilis 2/10 VKPM B-2896, B.subtilis VKPM B-1283 and B.licheniformis VKPM B-5397 are promising for the use as probiotics, as the basis of detergents and disinfectants.
Activities of the district sanitary and epidemiological service of Moscow during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)
Authors: Kuchma Vladislav R. , Kuchma N. Yu. , Naryshkina E. V.
Published: October 2020

The analysis of data and publications concerning the activities of the sanitary and epidemiological service (SES) during The World War II has been made in the memory of the 75th anniversary of the historical Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. An expert and analytical study was performed. There was a report of the work of the state sanitary Inspection and Sanitary-epidemiological station of the Kirovsky district of Moscow in 1944. The effort of the sanitary service of the Kirovsky district in 1944 allowed performing the supervision on controlled objects by 162.3% and restored the house water pipes and sewers which were destroyed in the past winter; to improve the housing stock of the district; to renovate and provide equipment of the hostel, to improve the content of dormitories and eliminate lice, to open 4 new kindergartens and nursery toddlers ‘ groups and to improve the sanitary condition and maintenance of children’s institutions, to organize the summer improving children’s company, to repair schools, to improve nutrition in child care, to improve health of workers and the maintenance of industrial and municipal enterprises, to reduce the incidence of injuries at the leading industrial enterprises, to improve the working conditions of Junior enterprises, to reduce the number of occupational diseases and occupational injuries; to reduce the incidence of influenza, dysentery, diphtheria and malaria, to exceed the preventive vaccination plan ahead of time, to achieve almost complete (98.3%) hospitalization of epidemic patients, to organize connections with public health instructors, to exceed the work plans of all SES laboratories, to perform scientific and practical work. Conclusion. The work of the state sanitary Inspection and sanitary inspection Service of the Kirovsky district of Moscow in 1944 provided an appropriate level of sanitary conditions at enterprises, institutions and the territory of the district. Military difficulties and limited human resources did not affect on the use of the main forms of work of the service: preventive and routine sanitary supervision, laboratory and instrumental research methods, vaccination, public health education, and administrative measures.
Justification of the need to improve the legal, regulatory and methodological framework for the spread of parasitic infections in the provision of medical care
Authors: Aslanova M. M. , Gololobova T. V. , Kuznetsova K. Yu. , Maniya Tamari R. , Rakitina D. V. , Sergiev V. P. , Rusakov N. V. , Zagainova A. V.
Published: October 2020

Introduction. The purpose of our work was to justify the need to improve the legislative, regulatory and methodological framework and preventative measures in relation to the spread of parasitic infections in the provision of medical care. There is a wide range of pathogens of parasitic infestations that are transmitted to humans through various medical manipulations and interventions carried out in various medical institutions. Contaminated care items and furnishings, medical instruments and equipment, solutions for infusion therapy, medical personnel’s clothing and hands, reusable medical products, drinking water, bedding, suture and dressing materials can serve as a major factor in the spread of parasitic infections in the provision of medical care. Purpose of research is the study of the structure and SMP of parasitic origin, circulating on the objects of the production environment in multi-profile medical and preventive institutions of stationary type in order to prevent the occurrence of their spread within medical institutions. Material and methods. The material for the study was flushes taken from the production environment in 3 multi-profile treatment and prevention institutions of inpatient type: a multi-specialty hospital, a maternity hospital and a hospital specializing in the treatment of patients with intestinal diseases for the eggs of worms and cysts of pathogenic protozoa. Results. During the 2-year monitoring of medical preventive institutions, a landscape of parasitic contamination was found to be obtained from the flushes taken from the production environment objects in the premises surveyed as part of the research work. Discussions. In the course of research, the risk of developing ISMP of parasitic origin was found to be determined by the degree of epidemiological safety of the hospital environment, the number and invasiveness of treatment and diagnostic manipulations and various medical technologies. Conclusion. It is necessary to conduct an expert assessment of regulatory and methodological documents in the field of epidemiological surveillance and sanitary and hygienic measures for the prevention of medical aid related infections of parasitic origin, to optimize the regulatory and methodological base, to develop a number of preventive measures aimed at stopping the spread of parasitic infections in the medical network.
Cardiovascular risk in petrochemical workers
Authors: Gimaeva Zulfiya F. , Bukhtiyarov I. V. , Bakirov A. B. , Kaptsov V. A. , Karimova L. K.
Published: October 2020

Introduction. The high prevalence of diseases of the circulatory system of workers in various sectors of the economy, the lack of data on the effects of harmful production factors on the formation of cardiovascular diseases in petrochemical industry workers justify the importance of conducting special studies on these petrochemical complex plants with the aim of assessing cardiovascular risk with the subsequent development of preventive measures. Material and methods. The objects of the study were workers in the production of monomers (ethylene, propylene, ethylbenzene, isoprene, divinyl) of petrochemical enterprises. Hygienic studies of the working conditions of workers included an assessment of the factors of the working environment and the labor process using generally accepted methods. Comprehensive clinical examination of workers included periodic examinations (n = 2634) with calculation of total and relative cardiovascular risk using the SCORE system, using questionnaire data, a Reeder L questionnaire and an in-depth clinical diagnostic medical examination (n = 101) with the definition total cardiovascular risk. Results. The most significant occupational factors of the labor process for workers in the main profession - panmen were established to include the combination of a chemical factor with the occupational noise and labor intensity, with an overall assessment of working conditions 3.2. The class of working conditions of workers of the comparison group (locksmith in instrumentation and automation corresponds to the permissible). There were revealed a high prevalence of arterial hypertension and other factors of cardiovascular risk. A higher dependence of the arterial hypertension level on age and length of service in the group of panmen was established when compared to the mechanicians of instrumentation and automation. Using mathematical models of multiple regression, the likely dynamics of the level of arterial hypertension and the left ventricular myocardial mass index were calculated under the influence of increasing age and other risk predictors. Conclusion. The results of a clinical study showed workers with severe arterial hypertension, a high and very high risk of death from cardiovascular disease on the SCORE scale, a high and very high overall cardiovascular risk, signs of dyslipidemia, obesity, high stress levels to require close attention. It is important to timely diagnose lesions of target organs, to conduct rational prevention aimed at reducing risk factors. According to the results of the study, there were developed preventive measures aimed at reducing cardiovascular morbidity and cardiovascular risk, prolonging the longevity of workers in petrochemical industries.
Iron Metabolism in the Human Body and Setting its Hygienic Limits for Drinking Water. Review. Part 2
Authors: Egorova Natalija A. , Kanatnikova N. V.
Published: October 2020

Iron is an assential element for the growth, division, differentiation and functioning of any cell in the body. Iron is virtually important for human and danger at the same time, because with excessive accumulation it causes oxidative stress with formation of highly active oxygen radicals and reactive form of nitrogen that can destroy cell membranes, proteins, nucleic acids, reduce cell viability, with, according to modern concepts, can contribute to the development of many diseases (cardiovascular, rheumatic, gastrointestinal, neurodegenerative, oncological, metabolic and others), and also accelerate the aging process. Part 1 of this review discussed the issues of iron metabolism in human, including its regulation at the cellular and systemic levels, the intake, transport, use, accumulation and export of iron in cells, the role of the labile iron pool in the cytoplasm of cells and plasma non-transferrin bound iron. Data are provided on the causes, frequency and significance of iron overload in the formation of free radicals and the development of oxidative stress. Part 2 of the review provides information on diseases associated with iron overload as well as information on ferroptosis - a new type of iron-dependent regulated cell death. Attention is paid to the works of domestic authors, where it was found that prolonged use of drinking water with a high iron content is unfavorable for the population and leads to an increase in the overall incidence, the development of the diseases of the blood, skin and subcutaneous tissue, musculoskeletal system, digestive system, urogenital system, and allergic diseases. Separate publications are cited on the possibility of a negative effect of iron at concentrations in water of 0.3 mg/l and lower. The material of the review emphasizes the preventive significance of caution attitude to regulating iron in the water in the Russian Federation, where 1/3 of the population uses iron-containing water for drinking, and substantiate the feasibility of establishing a hygienic limit for iron in water not higher than 0.3 mg/l.
High-sensitive separate determination of the group of triazine pesticides in drinking water by the method of high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass-spectrometrical detection
Authors: Kochetkov P. P. , Malysheva Alla G. , Glebov V. V. , Mihajlova R. I.
Published: October 2020

Introduction. The modern highly sensitive methods of controlling substances that affect humans in real environmental conditions are necessary to adequately assess the quality and chemical safety of drinking water, including pesticides used in agriculture for the destruction of weeds and pests. The aim of the work was to improve the sensitivity of existing techniques for the determination of triazine pesticides in their joint presence to control drinking and bottled water. Material and methods. The studies were performed using a chromatography mass-spectrometric system including a liquid chromatography with tandem mass-spectrometric triple quadrupole detector. Results. The influence of various factors on the extraction of triazine pesticides from water has been studied, the chromatographic and detection conditions have been optimized. Linearity in the range of 0.1 - 10 μg / dm3 is proved. The limits of detection and quantitative determination of triazine pesticides in drinking water are established in accordance with hygienic standards. Discussion. The procedure allows separate determination of triazine pesticides when they are co-located in concentrations at and below the corresponding MPC values in drinking and bottled water. The method allows reliably determining the target compounds without the use of hard-to-reach deuterated reference materials. To improve the reliability of the method, as an internal standard it is recommended to use one of the compounds studied, which is not a widely used pesticide, for example, propazine, with mandatory control of the initial matrix for its content. Conclusion. A highly sensitive method for the separate determination of a group of triazine pesticides (simazine, atrazine, propazine, prometrin, metribuzin, metamitron) was developed with their joint presence in drinking water with sensitivity at or below the corresponding hygienic standards.
AN INTERACTION BETWEEN MONETARY POLICY, COMMODITY PRICES AND INFLATION IN NIGERIA, 1980-2015
Authors: Ugwu Ephraim , Obiajulu Emma-Ebere
Published: October 2020

This study evaluates the interaction between monetary policy, commodity prices and inflation in Nigeria using an unrestricted Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model and Cointegration test approaches from1980 to 2015. The study utilizes data on monetary policy rate (MPR), commodity product export (CPE), rate of inflation (INF), industrial production (INDP) and oil price (OILP) for analysis. The descriptive statistics result for the variables under consideration indicates that all the variables have positive mean values with 36 observations. The Unit root test result indicates that all the variables are stationary and are integrated of order one at 5% level of significance. The cointegration test result indicates at most two cointegrating equations. The impulse response function results indicates that the response of the INF to one standard innovation is positive to its own shock in the short run, it fluctuates and became stable with positive trend along the horizon in the long run. The response of the INF to one standard innovation in the CPE indicates a lower response of negative shock in the initial period with fluctuation, then stabilizes in the long run. The response of the INF to one standard innovation in MPR shows a fluctuation in the short run, but steadily continues its positive trend along the horizon in the long run period. The response of INF to one standard innovation in OILP indicates a negative response in both short and long periods. The variance decomposition result shows that the shock of the INF to itself indicates that it accounts for the most of the variability over all periods, it ranges from 92% in the short run to 55% in the long run. The shock of INF to CPE shows a decreasing pattern from the first quarter, ranging from 0.1 % in the short run to 6.5 % in the tenth period. The shock of the INF to MPR indicates a decreasing pattern in the short run from 2.4%, it increases to 24.35% in the medium run and continues increasing to 32% in the long run. The study therefore recommends that the Federal Government’s attention should be focused on non-oil agricultural commodities for future and stable economic growth in Nigeria.
DEVELOPMENT OF MIGRATION POTENTIAL IN HUNGARY FROM 2000 UNTIL TODAY
Authors: Csipkés Margit , Nagy Sándor
Published: October 2020

Hearing the words “international migration”, two things might come to our mind. One of them is the emigration process and the other is the wave of refugees. In our study, we examined the changes of the number of employees emigrating from Hungary from 2000 until today. Nowadays, the examination of the migration potential is an important topic in Hungary, since the rate of Hungarian emigrants started to grow after 2006 and the rate of growth became even faster after 2010. The reason of the acceleration was the opening of the Austrian and German labour market. The actuality of the topic is based on the fact that international emigration merges the labour market’s processes, influences the given country’s employment level, moreover it has an influencing role on the rate of wages. Emigration from a given state has several reasons: natural disasters, war, marginalization, economic reasons, etc. In our study, we examine emigration caused by economic reasons. We have to take into consideration that measuring emigration processes is a difficult task, due to the lack of data. The reason of the deficiency is that those who leave the country, often forget to report their leaving. From 1 March 2013, only the permanent foreign settlement should be reported towards the administration (District Office, Consulate). Earlier, temporary (more than 3 months) settlement was also obligatory to be reported. Many of the leaving Hungarians do not report their leaving, however working abroad for more than 3 months should be reported towards social insurance organizations and tax authorities. I would like to emphasise that my migration potential presentation does not show a direct correlation with the actual migration. However, this study might show the expected movement rates and the composition of emigrants.
FESTIVALS AS CULTURAL ACTIVITIES – COMBINATIONS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS
Authors: Sava Diana , Badulescu Alina
Published: October 2020

In the latest years, academics have talked more and more about the creative economy, as a cause of a different classification and division of the economic activities, including in its area all those activities which are based on the human resource, its talent and intellectual capital. The creativity seems to be a too special feature, having its own ways to flourish and to be exploited, so it has to be treated separately from the sectors of manufacture, industry or services. The Romanian culture is transmitted and exploited in various ways, starting with the commercialisation of handicrafts and ending with the organisation of events with artistic or symbolic expression. We will focus on the performing arts, organized as events for different communities. These events appear as leisure activities and have an important social feature because they have the attribute to develop the sense of identity, belonging to the group and social cohesion. These aspects are crucial for the development of a creative habitat or cultural center. The festivals attract people for different reasons; some of them are looking for an environment where to socialise, others come being interested exactly in enjoying the event or the specific goods and services which are offered there. Another type of the festival consumers is represented by the ones who only look for something new to experiment, exploring the unknown, this segment not representing loyal customers, but whatever the reason are, each participant comes for the emotional stimulation offered by the enjoyment of the festival.
RISK PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES IN THE ROMANIAN ECONOMY
Authors: Draghici Dalis Maria
Published: October 2020

Tackling challenges in order to promote competitiveness in various economic sectors requires understanding and approaching the risk assessment as an essential factor that can anytime determine the availability of the mechanisms and resources needed for a sustainable future. Although a certain amount of risk has to be assumed, losses caused by specific events appear to be broader than gains. In order to ensure economic growth, it is challenging for governments to try to manage the exposure to losses, this being the reason why they play a key role in fundamental prediction and in finding the most suitable evaluation tools. Despite the struggle against global strains and political risks, uncertainty not only persists in association with the external environment, but it reached extremely exalted levels compared to recent history. The instability of the global environment is leading to a lot of economic decisions being put on pause. Uncertainty’s effects about a nation’s economic policies can often spread beyond the country’s borders, this being the reason why a possible deterioration of the macroeconomic equilibrium is expected to have a significant impact on the risk perception, with direct consequences upon the Romanian economy. The aim of this article is to outline not only the existing economic framework in Romania, but also its future development in a macroeconomic context driven by uncertainty.
IS HUMAN CAPITAL ACCUMULATION A GROWTH DRIVER IN NIGERIA? AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION
Authors: Ozekhome Hassan O.
Published: October 2020

Accumulation of human capital is critical to sustained economic growth in the long run, since it facilitates the efficient absorption of new capital developments, improves the speed of adaptation of entrepreneurs and generates innovation necessary for sustained economic growth. It is against this premise this study investigate the human-capital accumulation growth-nexus in Nigeria. Employing a dynamic approach, involving test for unit roots, and cointegration, and finally, the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation techniques on annual time series data, covering the period 1981 to 2016, sourced from the World Bank Development Indicators (WDI) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin, the empirical findings reveal that human and physical capital accumulation significantly induce rapid and sustained economic growth in the long-run. The other variables- infrastructural development (measured by ICT infrastructure) and industrial output (a measure of industrialization) have positive but weak impacts on economic growth, on account of the weak infrastructural development, and low level of industrialization in Nigeria. Inflation rate (a measure of macroeconomic policy environment) on the other hand, is found to have a militating effect on economic growth. We recommend amongst others; sustained investments in human and physical capital accumulation, stable and coherent macroeconomic policies, particularly with respect to taming of domestic inflationary pressures, supportive institutional structures and aggressive industrialization-enhancing policies, in order to enhance sustained economic growth in Nigeria.
Environmental pollutants and marine mammal health: The potential impact of hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons on immune system dysfunction
Authors: Busbee David , Tizard Ian , Sroit Jeffrey , Ferrirc Davide , Orr-reeves Ellen
Published: October 2020

This paper provides a detailed review of the immunotoxicological effects of environmental pollutants on the health of marine mammals, particularly in relation to their impact on the immune system and mechanisms of toxicity. Environmental pollutants are increasingly implicated (both directly and indirectly) with the onset of infectious disease and related mortality incidents in marine mammals,. The release of chemicals into the marine environment and the subsequent bioaccumulation up the food chain may pose a serious threat to marine mammals inhabiting contaminated areas; this has been documented in various studies of pollutant concentrations in tissue samples and large scale mass mortalities. Data correlating pollutant residues with altered reproductive/developmental states, and immune system dysfunction in particular, are reported for terrestrial mammals and suggest a similar association in marine mammals. Immunology is emphasised as a tool for assessing marine mammal health using quantitative and qualitative techniques to establish the effects of chemical pollutants. This has become increasingly important in relation to the subsequent dangers that may be posed to humans through any indirect exposure via the food chain.
Report of the Workshop on Chemical Pollution and Cetaceans
Authors: Reijnders P. J. H. , Donovan G. P. , Aguilar A. , Bjorge A.
Published: October 2020

Report of the Workshop on Chemical Pollution and Cetaceans
Induction of biotransformation enzymes by polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs):potential impact on animal physiology and health
Authors: Brouwer Abraham
Published: October 2020

Biotransformation and its role in the elimination of polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) has been the subject of many studies from the late seventies onwards. The notion of specific, high affinity interactions of phenolic PHAH metabolites with the plasma transport proteins of thyroid hormone and vitamin A, both in vitro and in vivo, stimulated further research into the possible role of biotransformation in the toxicity of certain PHAHs such as PCBs. Currently, phenolic metabolites of PCBs and related compounds have been identified as major metabolites in blood plasma of e.g. grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and humans with background environmental exposure to these chemicals. The concentrations of the hydroxy-PCBs were in the same range as the most persistent parent congeners, such as PCB 153, 138 and 180. These phenolic metabolites were found to possess a specific range of biological activities, which differed from the parent compounds. Another potential adverse effect associated with persistent induction of biotransformation enzymes, like UDP-glucuronyl transferases (UGTs) by PHAHs, is a long-term enhanced elimination of several important endogenous ligands such as vitamin A and thyroid hormones. Reduced levels of vitamin A and thyroid hormones have been reported in most experimental animal and wildlife species exposed to PHAHs. The recent observation of the accumulation of high levels of phenolic PCB metabolites in blood and brain of late gestational rat foetuses, in parallel with reductions in both vitamin A and thyroid hormone levels, suggests that these metabolites may play an important role in the observed developmental toxicity of PHAHs
Biological factors affecting variability of persistent pollutant levels in cetaceans
Authors: Aguilar A. , Borrell A. , Pastor T.
Published: October 2020

The main biological factors responsible for the variability of pollutant concentrations in cetaceans are reviewed. Diet is significant because many pollutants are concentrated through food webs. This explains most interspecific differences in pollutant levels and it may also contribute to variation among populations of the same species or even among different components of the same population when diet is subject to age-related or sex-related variations. The effect of body size is complex. Excretion rate and activity of detoxifying enzymes decrease as body weight increases, processes which would lead to higher pollutant concentrations in large animals. In contrast, a high metabolic rate, which is inversely correlated to body size, is associated with high pollutant concentrations. These opposing effects usually result in higher residue levels in smaller individuals. Body composition affects the contribution of each body compartment to the overall pollutant load. Therefore, the body load of lipophilic pollutants will strongly depend on the relative mass of blubber, a variable that shows a threefold variation among cetacean species or, in seasonal feeders, among individuals. Nutritive condition also affects the dynamics of lipophilic pollutants. Lipid mobilisation results in an increase in residue levels, but this variation is not as large as a purely concentrative model would suggest because of enhancement of detoxification processes following a rise in tissue pollutant concentrations. Disease affects pollutant levels in different ways: impoverishing nutritive condition; altering normal physiological functions; and depressing reproduction therefore reducing reproductive transfer in females. The combined result of these processes is usually an increase in pollutant levels in diseased individuals. The concentration of lipophilic pollutants normally increases with age in males because input exceeds the ability of the organism to excrete pollutants. Variable proportions of the pollutant load are transferred to offspring during gestation and lactation, for which reason tissue concentrations in females decrease or stabilise, thus producing lower residue levels than in males. However, because not all compounds are transferred at the same rate, their relative abundance varies with age and sex.Intensity of reproductive transfer is also associated with the reproductive traits of the species, particularly the length of lactation. With the exception of zinc, concentrations of heavy metals increase with age in both sexes but, by contrast with lipophilic pollutants, concentrations in females are similar or higher than in males. The significance of these factors of variation should be taken into account when designing sampling methodology, comparing sample groups, or evaluating toxicological impact.
An overview of the concentrations and effects of metals in cetacean species
Authors: Bowles David
Published: October 2020

Data are presented on the hiomagnification rates, accumulation and concentrations of metals in cetacean species. Concentrations of metals predominantly occur in the soft tissues, although zinc and lead concentrate in the skin and bones. Rates of uptake are dependent upon metal availability, the species' dietary preference and chemical reactions between contaminants. Differences in concentrations occur according to the sex and age of the animal, with certain metals displaying age-related trends. Mercury is the only metal which shows both biomagnification at all levels of the food chain and a positive correlation with age at all stages during a cetacean's life. Differences in concentrations occur between baleen species and toothed cetaceans. Levels tend to be lower in baleen whales, primarily due to a shorter food chain (resulting in lower bioconcentration factors) and as the principal prey species are taken from lower parts of the food chain. A number of storage and detoxifying mechanisms have been recorded in many species that may alter the effects of high metal concentrations. Data on the effects of metal toxicity in cetacean species are sparse, but tolerance limits have been proposed for mercury and cadmium. These are compared with high concentrations recorded in certain species and possible effects extrapolated. Effects of toxicity may alter depending on the species, age and sex of the animal, but indications of toxic effects have been reported. Finally, the possibility of determining regional hot-spots, where background pollution levels are high, from concentrations of mercury reported in cetacean species, are examined.
Seminario de buenas prácticas. La búsqueda de la competencia, orientación a la calidad. Recinto Emilio Prud'Homme, ISFODOSU
Authors: Valerio Peña Ana Teresa
Published: October 2020

La formación en competencias supone un cambio dementalidad, un trabajar para aprender de forma aplicada ycooperativa. Supone caminar hacia una formación que lleguehasta nuestro quehacer cotidiano. El diseño y desarrollo delcurrículo por competencia implica ser conscientes de la tareadocente a partir de las evidencias de los estudiantes. Trabajar encompetencias supone focalizar el proceso en el aprendizaje delestudiante. El profesor es el protagonista de gestionar la acción,por lo que éstas tienen que convertirse en Buenas Prácticas.El aprendizaje es concebido como modo de conocer, comprender,gestionar y demostrar cada acción profesional. La universidadse convierte en una institución donde se combina la creación,transmisión y gestión del conocimiento; en un centro dondese enseña a pensar y donde se aprende a aprender. Además,aparecen nuevos sistemas de evaluación coherentes con la nuevaplanificación y desarrollo del currículo (Hernández y otros, 2005).El papel del docente como protagonista de la innovación ycreatividad le confiere un alto grado de compromiso con suformación y la formación de los futuros docentes. Evaluarnuestra práctica tanto de manera individual como colectivapotencia el acto enseñante y por ende propicia un proceso deaprendizaje de mayor eficacia y efectividad.En cuanto al seminario, es uno de nuestros diferenciadoresdel ISFODOSU, pues en su Plan estratégico lo incluye comoparte del objetivo que consiste en crear comunidades deaprendizaje que investiguen y promuevan el intercambioentre pares. Además, como parte de la profesionalizaciónde la carrera docente, la sistematización y divulgación de las‘‘Buenas Prácticas’’ se convierten en el compromiso de mejorarla calidad de la educación.La organización del seminario se hace en dos etapas:A. PreseminarioB. Seminario
“Influencia de la instrucción musical en el razonamiento general, numérico y espacial de los estudiantes de nivel medio de Santo Domingo”
Authors: Núñez Javier Koral Melissa
Published: October 2020

La presente investigación tiene como propósito determinar cuál es la relación entre el tiempo de estudio de música y el razonamiento general, razonamiento numérico, y razonamiento espacial de los estudiantes de secundaria de dos Centros de Excelencia de Santo Domingo. Para el diseño de esta investigación se utilizó el método comparativo-cuantitativo de corte exploratorio y descriptivo. La muestra de esta investigación la constituyen 54 estudiantes del nivel secundario de dos centros de Excelencia de Santo Domingo, de los cuales 44 estudiantes que han recibido educación formal musical y 10 estudiantes que no han recibido dicha formación. El instrumento de evaluación fue el “Test de Razonamiento Diferencial Aplicado (TRD-A)”, aplicándose solamente las pruebas de Razonamiento General, Razonamiento Numérico, y Razonamiento Espacial. Los resultados encontrados en esta investigación demuestran que aquellos estudiantes con formación musical tienen un mayor grado de desarrollo de razonamiento numérico, que aquellos estudiantes que no poseen formación musical.
Arte al pensar, arte al sentir: Las artes en el desarrollo del pensamiento abstracto y la afectividad en educación
Authors: Soto Jáquez Mariano Alberto , Amorós Teijeiro María Eugenia
Published: October 2020

La presente investigación se realizó con el objetivo de conocer el impacto que tienen las artes en el desarrollo del pensamiento abstracto y la afectividad en los adolescentes. De manera más específi ca, se pretendía establecer diferencias entre el desarrollo de estas variables en estudiantes con diferentes grados de relación con las artes. Esta investigación es de tipo no experimental, con un enfoque mixto y un alcance descriptivo. En la aproximación cuantitativa se utilizó el Test de Raven para evaluar el pensamiento abstracto. Y en la aproximación cualitativa se utilizó el instrumento Afectividad-Arte, elaborado por los autores de esta investigación. La muestra utilizada fue de 40 estudiantes de diferentes liceos. En los resultados se evidencia como el grupo de mayor relación con las artes obtuvo puntuaciones superiores en el Test de Raven. Además, se encontraron ciertas diferencias en las manifestaciones afectivas de estudiantes con distintos grados de relación con las artes.
El caso de Ignacio: un niño repitente de 3ro de primaria
Authors: Rond´´on Mabel , De Lima Jiménez Dinorah
Published: October 2020

En este artículo se reporta el caso de uno de los niñosrepitentes del 3er grado de primaria que participóen una validación de instrumentos realizada para elestudio La alfabetización inicial desde la perspectiva delniño y la niña de primaria que se encuentra realizandoel Instituto Dominicano de Evaluación e Investigaciónde la Calidad Educativa (IDEICE) de la RepúblicaDominicana. Durante la validación del instrumentose puso en evidencia cómo los fracasos repetidosen lograr pasar de curso pueden haber afectadonegativamente su autoconcepto y autoestima comolector a pesar de que mostró un nivel aceptable decomprensión del contenido de un texto narrativo.Aunque no son resultados concluyentes, la validaciónde los instrumentos ponen en evidencia dos factoresque podrían haber incidido sobre la autovaloracióndel niño: la crítica de sus compañeros, la repeticiónde grado y la aparente ausencia de reconocimientode los logros de comprensión que sí ha alcanzado. Lasautoras hicieron recomendaciones al centro educativoa partir de estos resultados.
Relevancia de la educación inicial para un desarrollo integral
Authors: Ruth Ester Peguero Guerrero
Published: October 2020

La educación inicial es una fase fundamental para el desarrollo integral de los niños y niñas, lo que se refleja en su rendimiento académico durante la escolaridad posterior. Por tanto, esta investigación busca describir la relevancia del nivel inicial en la educación de los infantes. Y, más específicamente, identificar la importancia del desarrollo de las distintas dimensiones, habilidades, aptitudes y destrezas desde la edad preescolar, así como su influencia en el éxito escolar posterior. Asimismo, pretende destacar la valoración que le dan a la educación inicial los padres, madres, tutores y maestro/as del referido nivel. Para enriquecimiento de este trabajo, se extrajo información de fuentes secundarias y primarias, constituidas por cuatro padres, madres o tutores y seis maestras con experiencia y preparación en educación inicial. Las informaciones fueron recogidas por medio de entrevistas semiestructuradas y de libros y artículos científicos recuperados de la web. Los resultados arrojaron que el nivel inicial se constituye en una base fundamental para la configuración de la persona. Y que su incidencia en la vida de los estudiantes tiene efectos positivos, ya que da lugar a la preparación de los discentes para afrontar los retos de la escolaridad posterior, provocando el éxito académico y, por consiguiente, evitando la repetición de curso.
Investigación acción participativa en la República Dominicana a la luz del currículo por competencias
Authors: Paredes Manuel
Published: October 2020

La siguiente investigación trata acerca de la factibilidad de la investigación acción participativa en la República Dominicana a la luz del currículo por competencia, por otro lado abordaremos, la investigación acción participativa, enfoques metodológicos de la investigación acción participativa, elementos del nuevo currículo que permiten la investigación acción participativa, así como aportes que brinda la investigación acción participativa al nuevo currículo por competencias.

El diseño de la investigación, es documental, la cual consiste en la selección, recopilación y revisión exhaustiva de información, por medio de la lectura crítica de documentos y materiales bibliográficos, para su posterior interpretación y análisis.

La investigación acción participativa es un tema que necesita ponerse en agenda de revisión para su ejecución inmediata, ya que el momento histórico que vive la República Dominicana, con la implementación de un currículo por competencias, orientadado al quehacer investigativo, amerita de profesionales conocedores de la materia y que puedan brindar estar herramientas a sus docentes.
Pt/Ga-SBA-15 composites synthesis and characterization
Authors: Hernández-Morales Romeo , Pacheco Sosa José G. , Escobar Aguilar José , Torres Torres J. G. , Pérez Vidal H. , Lunagómez Rocha M. A. , De la Cruz Romero D. , Barrera María C.
Published: October 2020

Pt (0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt%) was impregnated by incipient wetness on SBA-15 and corresponding  Ga-modified (3, 5, 10 and 20 wt%) composites. Gallium nitrate was incorporated directly during the mesoporous siliceous network synthesis. Materials were characterized by N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. SBA-15 had surface area greater than 800 m²/g that decreased by Ga incorporation in binary materials. It seemed that tetrahedral gallium was well-incorporated into mesoporous silica walls. Pt dispersion slightly diminished (as to that on SBA-15) by augmenting Ga concentration in composites. Corresponding pore size maxima shifted to lower diameters (as to that of non-impregnated supports) after platinum loading suggesting Pt crystals inside pores of SBA-15 and Ga-modified carriers. Large cubic platinum crystals were observed over all prepared materials probably due to sintering (during calcining at 500 °C) of metallic particles weakly interacting with the carriers surface. After materials annealing (500 °C under static air) metallic platinum was evidenced (by XRD) pointing out to noble metal reduction that could be facilitated by decomposition of organic remains from Si alkoxide used during supports synthesis which presence was ascertained by FTIR.
Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Matematika Mandiri Berbasis Macromedia Flash Materi Koordinat Cartesius
Authors: Arsid Irfan
Published: October 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengembangkan media pembelajaran matematika berbasis macromedia flash.Proses Pengembangan ini mengikuti model pengembangan Plomp, yaitu: (1) Fase Investigasi Awal (Preliminary Investigation Phase), mencakup kajian teori pendukung, analisis masalah pembelajaran, analisis kurikulum, analisis karakteristik siswa, dan analisis konsep,(2) FasePerancangan (Design Phase), pada fase ini dirancang media pembelajaran macromedia ,(3) Fase Realisasi/Konstruksi (Realization/Construction Phase), pada fase ini dilakukan penyusunan media berdasarkan rancangan pada fase perancangan, dan (4) Fase Tes, Evaluasi, dan Revisi (Test, Evaluation and Revision Phase), pada fase ini dilakukan dua kegiatan utama, yaitu: (a) Validasi media pembelajaran dan (b) Uji Coba.Hasil pengembangan media pembelajaran yang diperoleh yaitu (1) media pembelajaran telah memenuhi kriteria kevalidan (valid: 2,5 M<3,5) berdasarkan nilai rata-rata total validasi oleh dua orang validator terhadap media sebesar 3,42, (2) media pembelajaran yang dikembangkan sudah memenuhi kriteriake praktisan(terlaksana seluruhnya: 1,5 ≤ M ≤  2,0) berdasarkan nilai rata-rata total  aspek keterlaksanaan pembelajaran dari dua orang pengamat sebesar 1,54, (3) media pembelajaran yang dikembangkan dapat dikatakan efektif karena ketuntasan belajar siswa secara klasikal sebesar 87% telah memenuhi kriteria yang ditetapkan yaitu minimal 86% siswa, sebanyak 31 atau 86% siswa memiliki nilai di atas nilai minimal 75, aktivitas siswa dapat dikatakan ideal karena setiap kegiatan berada pada interval toleransi waktu yang diberikan, serta sebanyak 75% siswa memberikan respons positif terhadap media dan pelaksanaan pembelajaran.