bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IL-1β-Mediated Up-Regulation of WT1D via miR-144-3p and Their Synergistic Effect with NF-κB/COX-2/HIF-1α Pathway on Cell Proliferation in LUAD
Authors: Wu Chen , Li Xiaodong , Zhang Dachuan , Xu Bin , Hu Wenwei , Zheng Xiao , Zhu Danxia , Zhou Qi , Jiang Jingting , Wu Changping
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: IL-1β is an important mediator of “inflammation-cancer" transformation through IL-1β/NF-κB/COX-2/HIF-1α signaling pathway, whereas certain portion of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) still suffer from rapid tumor progression in clinical practice, indicating the occurrence of potential bypass. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to examine the expressions of mir-144-3p, WT1, NF-κB, COX2 and HIF-1α at the mRNA level in 127 LUAD samples and corresponding adjacent tissues. miR-144-3p mimic and antagormiR were used to trigger activation and suppression of miR-144-3p in A549 cells, respectively. MTT assay and Western blotting analysis were carried out to evaluate the cell proliferation. Stable clones with over-expression or knockdown of WT1 were generated with plasmid or shRNA by lentiviral vector technology in H1568 and H1650 NSCLC cell lines, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the effect of miR-144-3p on WT1D. Xenograft model was established for in vivo experiment, and TCGA data were extracted for validation. Results: miR-144-3p could suppress the WT1D expression at the post-transcriptional level, hence regulating cell proliferation in LUAD. WT1 and COX-2 were independent prognostic factors of LUAD patients. In addition, inhibition of IL-1β/miR-144-3p/WT1D and IL-1β/NF-κB/COX-2/HIF-1α pathways using miR-144-3p mimic and Celecoxib, respectively, displayed synergistic suppressive effect on cell proliferation in LUAD. Conclusion: A de novo IL-1β/miR-144-3p/WT1D axis was involved in proliferative regulation of LUAD. Moreover, simultaneous blockade of both IL-1β/miR-144-3p/WT1D and IL-1β/NF-κB/COX-2/ HIF-1α pathways might have synergistic suppressive effect on cell proliferation in LUAD.
The Importance of a Properly Represented Stratosphere for Northern Hemisphere Surface Variability in the Atmosphere and the Ocean
Authors: Haase Sabine , Matthes Katja , Latif Mojib , Omrani Nour-Eddine
Published: August 2018

Major sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are extreme events during boreal winter, which not only impact tropospheric weather up to three months but also can influence oceanic variability through wind stress and heat flux anomalies. In the North Atlantic region, SSWs have the potential to modulate deep convection in the Labrador Sea and thereby the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. The impact of SSWs on the Northern Hemisphere surface climate is investigated in two coupled climate models: a stratosphere-resolving (high top) and a non-stratosphere-resolving (low top) model. In both configurations, a robust link between SSWs and a negative NAO is detected, which leads to shallower-than-normal North Atlantic mixed layer depth. The frequency of SSWs and the persistence of this link is better captured in the high-top model. Significant differences occur over the Pacific region, where an unrealistically persistent Aleutian low is observed in the low-top configuration. An overrepresentation of SSWs during El Niño conditions in the low-top model is the main cause for this artifact. Our results underline the importance of a proper representation of the stratosphere in a coupled climate model for a consistent surface response in both the atmosphere and the ocean, which, among others, may have implications for oceanic deep convection in the subpolar North Atlantic.
Pacific Decadal Oscillation: Tropical Pacific Forcing versus Internal Variability
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xie Shang-Ping , Kosaka Yu , Yang Jun-Chao
Published: August 2018

The Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) is the leading mode of sea surface temperature (SST) variability over the North Pacific (north of 20°N). Its South Pacific counterpart (south of 20°S) is the South Pacific decadal oscillation (SPDO). The effects of tropical eastern Pacific (TEP) SST forcing and internal atmospheric variability are investigated for both the PDO and SPDO using a 10-member ensemble tropical Pacific pacemaker experiment. Each member is forced by the historical radiative forcing and observed SST anomalies in the TEP region. Outside the TEP region, the ocean and atmosphere are fully coupled and freely evolve. The TEP-forced PDO (54% variance) and SPDO (46% variance) are correlated in time and exhibit a symmetric structure about the equator, driven by the Pacific–North American (PNA) and Pacific–South American teleconnections, respectively. The internal PDO resembles the TEP-forced component but is related to internal Aleutian low (AL) variability associated with the Northern Hemisphere annular mode and PNA pattern. The internal variability is locally enhanced by barotropic energy conversion in the westerly jet exit region around the Aleutians. By contrast, barotropic energy conversion is weak associated with the internal SPDO, resulting in weak geographical preference of sea level pressure variability. Therefore, the internal SPDO differs from the TEP-forced component, featuring SST anomalies along ~60°S in association with the Southern Hemisphere annular mode. The limitations on isolating the internal component from observations are discussed. Specifically, internal PDO variability appears to contribute significantly to the North Pacific regime shift in the 1940s.
Coronary Artery Disease Severity Is Associated With Abdominal Aortic Intima–Media Thickness in Patients With Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Icen Yahya Kemal , Koc Ayse Selcan , Sumbul Hilmi Erdem
Published: August 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between aortic intima–media thickness (aIMT) and coronary artery disease (CAD) severity in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). SYNTAX score (SS) was calculated. Patients were categorized into 2 main groups according to the SS: patient with high risk (SS ≥ 13) and low risk (SS < 13). Common carotid artery IMT (cIMT), common femoral artery IMT, and aIMT were measured with a high-resolution ultrasound Doppler system. We had 147 (52.9%) patients in the high-risk group and 132 patients in the low-risk group. Both cIMT and aIMT were significantly increased, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly lower in the high-risk group; aIMT (odds ratio [OR]: 1.272, P < .001), cIMT (OR: 1.239, P = .009), and LVEF (OR: 0.931, P = .002) were determined as independent predictors for the high-risk group. When the cutoff value was accepted as 1.25 mm for the aIMT, patients with high SS identification had 74.1% sensitivity and 89.4% specificity (area under the curve: 0.764, P < .001). In conclusion, aIMT detected by abdominal B-mode ultrasonography is closely associated with CAD severity in patients with NSTEMI.
Total Factor Productivity Growth of Manufacturing Sector in Punjab
Authors: Verma Satish , Kaur Gurinder
Published: August 2018

The present article is an attempt to analyse the performance of Punjab’s manufacturing sector. For this, data used is of 12 two-digit industrial groups from 1980–81 to 2007–08. Dividing the entire data into pre-reform and post-reform period, the results of total factor productivity (TFP) of Punjab’s manufacturing sector revealed that it experienced meagre improvement (1.6 per cent per annum) during the last 28 years. Technical efficiency change (TEC) contributed more than technical change (TC) to TFPG. Paper and paper products (28), followed by non-metallic mineral products (32) and cotton, wool, silk and jute products (23 + 24 + 25) are most productive industrial groups. Wood and wood products (27) and leather and leather products (29) are least productive industrial groups. Among all the industrial groups, chemical and chemical products (30) acted as an innovator for maximum number of years, that is, 13 years. Panel data results highlighted that output, labour skills, size of factory and good emoluments to employees have a positive significant influence on TFP of Punjab’s manufacturing sector. The study concludes by giving policy implications.
Do Trade Openness, Structure of the Economy and FDI Affect Energy Intensity in India? A Case for Including Energy Intensity as a Policy Parameter
Authors: Rajneesh
Published: August 2018

This article examines the existence of a long-run relationship between energy intensity, trade openness, structure of the economy and FDI inflows in India from 1973 to 2013 using auto regressive distributive lag (ARDL) bounds test methodology. The results indicate that (a) there is a long-run cointegration among the analysed variables and (b) an increase in trade openness, share of services in gross domestic product (GDP) and share of FDI in domestic investments results in lowering energy intensity. The study also finds that the magnitude of impact of the share of industry in increasing energy intensity in India outweighs the combined energy intensity lowering impact of trade openness, share of services and share of FDI. The study validates tenets of the theory of heterogeneity of firms in international trade and pitches for including ‘energy intensity’ as a policy parameter in promoting ‘energy-frugal’ technologies via Make-in-India initiative, trade and FDI policies.
Environmentally friendly polymer latex
Authors: Shukla Sweta , Rai JSP
Published: August 2018

Research in the area of coatings focuses primarily on the mechanism for the formation of film on different substrates. Because of environmental hazards related to solvent evaporation and its cost, the ambient cured waterborne systems are emerging as one of the better option for achieving superior properties in high performance applications. The properties like adhesion, gloss, hardness, water resistance, and so on may also get affected by incorporating higher acrylate in the formation of copolymers based on methyl methacrylate (MMA). The swelling behavior of any polymer network depends upon the nature of the polymer, polymer solvent compatibility, and degree of cross-linking. The swelling kinetics of emulsion polymerization of monomers MMA/butyl acrylate was studied to investigate the effect of cross-linkable monomer polypropylene glycol diacrylate (PPGDA). The prepared latex was coated on glass panels and cured at appropriate temperature. According to diffusion-controlled mechanism, the diffusion coefficient for these films varied with degree of cross-linking of the films. From the above discussed swelling behavior of different polymer films, it has been observed that PPGDA content improved the water resistivity of films. This may be due to the cross-linking nature of PPGDA molecule, which increased the cross-link density of the films.
Compensation Appraisals and Labor Union Membership
Authors: Reynolds Megan M.
Published: August 2018

Given the beneficial effects of labor unions on “bread and butter issues,” union members should appraise their economic circumstances more favorably than nonunion members do. Yet, research on the anomaly of the dissatisfied union worker challenges this expectation. Using the General Social Survey’s Quality of Work Life module, this article examines whether union members appraise their economic circumstances less favorably than nonunion members. Results suggest that union membership is associated with more favorable appraisal of benefits but not wages. These findings may help to provide at least a partial explanation for the anomaly of the dissatisfied union worker. Because income constitutes a vital component of job satisfaction, this study contributes more broadly to our understanding of employee well-being. It also connects the study of occupational health to that on institutions, contributes to the growing literature on the political economy of health, and highlights latent effects of union security agreements.
Bystander Intervention to Abusive Behavior on Social Networking Websites
Authors: Hayes Brittany E.
Published: August 2018

The current study assessed which bystander intervention behaviors individuals reported they would engage in when exposed to abuse in their online network and the correlates of these behaviors. Data were drawn from college students’ responses ( N = 600) to three vignettes, ranging in severity, where the respondent’s male friend commented about his ex-girlfriend on a social network. Although it was hypothesized respondents would intervene on the website when exposed to abuse, results suggested this was not the case. Respondents were more likely to offer support to the victim, report the behavior, and recommend programming for the most severe scenario. Implications are discussed.
Will I lose my license for that? A closer look at Canadian disciplinary hearings and what it means for pharmacists’ practice to full scope
Authors: Foong E. Ai-Leng , Grindrod Kelly A. , Houle Sherilyn K. D.
Published: August 2018

Objective:

Concerns about liability from clinical errors have been cited as a barrier preventing greater adoption of practice change. Our objective was to determine the most common actions or omissions that result in disciplinary action for pharmacists and the restrictive actions imposed.

Methods:

Canadian disciplinary reports were reviewed. Cases were coded as charges of professional misconduct, unskilled practice or dishonest business practices.

Results:

There were 558 disciplinary cases from 10 provinces that occurred between January 2010 and July 2017. Professional misconduct charges commonly involved stealing/diverting or inappropriately dispensing narcotic drugs, pharmacy supervision/premises charges and refusing to cooperate with the college. Charges of unskilled practice included dispensing the wrong drug, failing to assess the appropriateness of a drug order, providing the wrong dose and failing to counsel. Fraudulent billing practices and accepting rebates from generic drug companies were the most common dishonest business practices. Professional misconduct, unskilled practice and dishonest business practice charges were involved in 342 (61%), 169 (30%) and 191 (34%) cases, respectively. Most cases occurred in community pharmacies and were not caused by an isolated clinical error. Fines were the most common penalty, followed by temporary license suspensions, professional development and reprimands. License revocations were the least common (4%), often involving professional misconduct.

Conclusion:

This review suggests that disciplinary action against a pharmacist for an isolated, unintentional clinical error is uncommon and that losing a license is rare. Fear of disciplinary action should not be a barrier to practice change or the provision of full-scope patient care services.
Clinical impact of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists treatment after acute coronary syndrome in the real world: A propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Agra-Bermejo Rosa , Cordero Alberto , Rodríguez-Mañero Moisés , García Acuña Jose M , Álvarez Álvarez Belén , Martínez Álvaro , Álvarez Rodríguez Leyre , Abou-Jokh Charigan , Cid Álvarez Belén , González-Juanatey Jose Ramón
Published: August 2018

Background:

Recent studies suggest that the benefit of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in the acute coronary syndrome setting is controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the current long-term prognostic benefit of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Material and methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 8318 consecutive acute coronary syndrome patients. Baseline patient characteristics were examined and a follow-up period was established for registry of death, major cardiovascular adverse events and heart failure re-hospitalization. We performed a propensity-matching analysis to draw up two groups of patients paired according to whether or not they had been treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. The prognostic value of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists to predict events during follow-up was analysed using Cox regression.

Results:

Among the study participants, only 524 patients (6.3%) were discharged on mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Patients on mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists had a different clinical and pharmacological profile. These differences disappeared after the propensity score analysis. The median follow-up was 40.7 months. After the propensity score analysis, the cardiovascular mortality and heart failure readmission rates were similar between patients who were discharged on mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and those whose not. The use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists was only associated with a reduction in major cardiovascular adverse events (hazard ratio=0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.69–0.97, p=0.001).

Conclusions:

Our results do not corroborate the long-term benefit of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists to improve survival after acute coronary syndrome in a large cohort of patients with heart failure or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and diabetes. Their prescription was associated with a significantly lower incidence of major cardiovascular adverse events during the long-term follow-up without effect on heart failure development.
In the transition from fibrinolysis to primary PCI, the HERO trials help refine STEMI ECG interpretation and Q wave analysis potentially alters future management
Authors: Wong Cheuk-Kit , White Harvey D
Published: August 2018

Electrocardiogram sub-studies from the Hirulog Early Reperfusion/Occlusion 1 and 2 trials, which tested bivalirudin as an adjunctive anticoagulant to fibrinolysis in ST-elevation myocardial infarction, have contributed to the literature. The concept of using the presence of infarct lead Q waves to determine reperfusion benefit has subsequently been explored in multiple primary percutaneous coronary intervention studies. The angiographic findings before percutaneous coronary intervention combine with the baseline electrocardiogram to accurately diagnose ST-elevation myocardial infarction and evaluate its potential territory. This review discusses the relative merits of the presence of infarct lead Q waves versus time duration from symptom onset using observational data from cohorts of patients from multiple clinical trials. The presence of infarct lead Q waves at presentation has been repeatedly shown to be superior to time duration from symptom onset in determining prognosis, despite that continuous variable (time duration) statistically should be more powerful than dichotomous variable (Q wave). If quantitative or semi-quantitative measurement of Q waves correlates well with irreversible myocardial injury in vivo (a research goal of many cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studies), Q waves measurements by mirroring ST-elevation myocardial infarction evolution better than the current metric of time duration of symptoms will impact future ST-elevation myocardial infarction reperfusion management. Newer methodology will more quickly capture and transmit electrocardiogram information including infarct lead Q waves potentially before first medical contact, and help differentiate new evolving Q waves of the ongoing ST-elevation myocardial infarction from old changes. Q waves as the new metric in ST-elevation myocardial infarction reperfusion should be tested in upcoming trials.
Transformation of the company system and birth of the “white-collar” miner: the case of progressive company Taiheiyo Coalmine during the period of economic growth in Japan
Authors: Shimazaki Naoko
Published: August 2018

Following the postwar reconstruction period, Japan enjoyed rapid economic growth from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. During those years, Japanese companies, mainly manufacturers, established the Japanese-style production system. However, the coal industry was left behind by the economic growth. One reason for this was the “energy revolution” that occurred in the mid-1950s, namely the replacement of coal with oil as the main energy source. This shift turned coalmining into a declining industry. Coal companies were forced into corporate restructuring, triggering an era of rationalization. Facing this situation, Taiheiyo Coalmine Co. Ltd. took the modernization of its management system further than other mines. As a result, it took up a shift to the Japanese-style production system. This transformation was developed by the joint efforts of labor and management and the company survived through to the twentieth century and still continues to operate today run by the successor to Taiheiyo Coalmine. This paper sets out to elucidate the transformation of the work environment and the change in workers’ attitudes in the 1960s and 1970s.
Near-surface scattered waves enhancement with source-receiver interferometry
Authors: Xu Jixiang , Dong Shitai , Cui Huajuan , Zhang Yan , Hu Ying , Sun Xiping
Published: August 2018

Near-surface scattered waves (NSWs) are the main noise in seismic data in areas with a complex near surface and can be divided into surface-to-surface scattered waves and body-to-surface scattered waves. We have developed a method for NSW enhancement that uses modified source-receiver interferometry. The method consists of two parts. First, deconvolutional intersource interferometry is used to cancel the common raypath of seismic waves from a near-surface scatterer to the common receiver and the receiver function. Second, convolutional interreceiver interferometry is used to compensate the common raypath of seismic waves from the common source to the near-surface scatterer and the source function. For an isotropic point scatterer near the earth’s surface in modified source-receiver interferometry, a body-to-surface scattered wave can be reconstructed by constructive interference not only among three body-to-surface scattered waves but also among a body-to-surface scattered wave and two surface-to-surface scattered waves; a surface-to-surface scattered wave can be reconstructed by constructive interference not only among three surface-to-surface scattered waves but also among a surface-to-surface scattered wave and two body-to-surface scattered waves. According to stationary phase analysis based on the superposition principle, we have developed a so-called dual-wheel driving configuration of modified source-receiver interferometry for enhancing NSWs in the data of conventional seismic exploration. The main advantages of the scheme are that (1) it can be used to enhance NSWs without the need for any a priori knowledge of topography and near-surface velocity, (2) it can be used to reconstruct NSWs from real sources to real receivers, including 3D near-surface side-scattered waves, and (3) it can be applied to conventional seismic data with finite-frequency bandwidth, spatially limited and sparse arrays, different source and receiver functions, and static correction. Numerically simulated data and field seismic data are used to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the scheme.
Clinical Validation of the Prognostic Stage Groups of the Eighth-Edition TNM Staging for Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Park So Young , Cho Yoon Young , Kim Hye In , Choe Jun-Ho , Kim Jung-Han , Kim Jee Soo , Oh Young Lyun , Hahn Soo Yeon , Shin Jung Hee , Kim Kyunga , Kim Sun Wook , Chung Jae Hoon , Kim Tae Hyuk
Published: August 2018

Context

Despite advances in thyroid cancer staging systems, considerable controversy about the current staging system for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) continues.

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic performance of the current eighth edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/Union for International Cancer Control TNM staging system (TNM-8) and the alternative proposed prognostic stage groups based on recursive partitioning analysis (TNM-RPA).

Design, Setting, and Patients

We retrospectively analyzed 182 patients with MTC treated at a single tertiary Korean hospital between 1995 and 2015.

Interventions and Main Outcome Measures

Survival analysis was conducted according to TNM-8 and TNM-RPA. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), the proportion of variation explained (PVE), and the Harrell concordance index (C-index) were used to evaluate predictive performance.

Results

Under TNM-8, only two (1.1%) patients were downstaged compared with the seventh edition of the AJCC TNM staging system (TNM-7). The AUC at 10 years, PVE, and C-index were 0.679, 8.7%, and 0.744 for TNM-7 and 0.681, 8.9%, and 0.747 for TNM-8, respectively. Under TNM-RPA, 104 (57.14%) patients were downstaged compared with TNM-8. TNM-RPA had better prognostic performance with respect to cancer-specific survival (AUC at 10 years, 0.750; PVE, 20.9%; C-index, 0.881).

Conclusions

The predictive performance of the revised TNM-8 in patients with MTC has not changed despite its modification from TNM-7. The proposed changes in TNM-RPA were statistically valid and may present a more reproducible system that better estimates cancer-specific survival of individual patients.
The 2018 Bioinformatics Open Source Conference (GCCBOSC 2018)
Authors: Harris Nomi L. , Wiencko Heather , Chapman Brad , Cock Peter J.A. , Hokamp Karsten , Lapp Hilmar , Fields Chris , Greshake Tzovaras Bastian
Published: August 2018

In 2018, the annual Bioinformatics Open Source Conference was held for the first time in conjunction with the Galaxy Community Conference, as an experiment to see if we could reach people in the bioinformatics community who aren’t part of the audience attracted by ISMB. Held in June 2018 at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, GCCBOSC (Galaxy Community Conference and Bioinformatics Open Source Conference) attracted over 300 participants from around the world. The meeting started with two days of training, followed by two days of talks and poster/demo sessions (with some joint and some parallel sessions). The joint sessions included well-received keynote talks by Tracy Teal, Fernando Pérez and Lucia Peixoto, as well as a panel discussion about documentation and training. After the main meeting, many attendees stayed for up to four additional collaboration days, an extended version of the Codefests that have been held in conjunction with previous BOSCs. GCCBOSC was a successful experiment. The organizers concluded that the best way to serve the broadest community of potential BOSC attendees will be to partner some years with the International Society for Computational Biology (ISMB) and others with GCC.
HIV Status in Sero-Discordant Couples: Prevalence and Pattern among Pregnant Women in Plateau State, Nigeria
Authors: FA Magaji , AN Ocheke , AN Ocheke , VC Pam , VC Pam , T Afolaramin , T Afolaramin , J Musa , J Musa , AS Sagay , AS Sagay , AI Zoakah , AI Zoakah
Published: August 2018

Nigeria is one of the high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa for HIV/AIDS and contributes to reproductive health morbidities and mortalities. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of HIV-discordant rate among pregnant women in Plateau state Nigeria. The study sought to determine the prevalence and trend of HIV sero-discordance among pregnant women in Plateau state, Nigeria. The study was a 5-year descriptive analysis of HIV sero-discordance among pregnant women accessing prenatal care and their partners in Plateau state, Nigeria based on data generated between January 2012 and December 2016. The data was disaggregated by year, HIV concordant negative, HIV concordant positive, and HIV sero-discordant prevalence in the software and analysis were done using excel to obtained the proportions and trend of HIV sero-discordant prevalence among the antenatal population. Out of a total of 7,851 partners of pregnant women studied, 969 (16.3%) were HIV sero-discordant, 5,795 (73.8%) were HIV concordant negative, and 773 (9.9%) were HIV concordant positive. HIV sero-discordant positive males accounted for 12.3% while females were 4.0%. The prevalence of HIV sero-discordance was low with a high proportion of HIV positive male partners in Plateau state with grave public health implications for new HIV infections among partners and eroding the gains made in the Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Lotka’s Applicability on Global Dengue Research Publication : A Scientometric Study
Authors: Mohamed Sadik Batcha
Published: August 2018

Dengue is currently regarded globally as the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. The true impact of dengue globally is difficult to ascertain due to factors such as inadequate disease surveillance, misdiagnosis, and low levels of reporting. Currently available data likely grossly underestimates the social, economic, and disease burden. Estimates of the global incidence of dengue infections per year have ranged between 50 million and 200 million, there are about 6,031 research paper collectively contributed by 22,234 scientist published in 6007 scientific periodicals in recent 8 years as the focus on this fever attracts attention of Scientists at the considerable rate. The present paper attempts to check the applicability of Lotka’s Law on the global publication on Dengue. The study lights on Lotka’s empirical law of scientific productivity, i.e., Inverse Square Law, to measure the scientific productivity of authors, to test Lotka’s Exponent value and the K.S test for the fitness of Lotka’s Law.
A Survey on the Teenagers’ Need of Public Libraries’ Resources and Services
Authors: Asemi Asefeh
Published: August 2018

This paper discusses teenagers’ need of library resources and library services in the public libraries in Iran. Descriptive method is used and a researcher-made questionnaire formed the major instrument for data gathering. Descriptive and inferential statistics are applied. It found that teenagers’ need is more textbooks than other resources, of course their first priority is educational books. It means that the teenagers interest to educational books, but it wasn’t their main need. Most used library services was familiarity to library while adolescents need to expand and improve lending services. Finally, it was concluded that libraries were less successful in meeting the teenagers’ need based on their priorities. Therefore, libraries need to be equally important in the development of their resources and services based on the priorities and needs. In this way, their needs are answered, and according to their priority, the library will answer their leisure time according to teenagers’ interest.
Users’ Perceptions of E-books at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi : A Case Study
Authors: Kondamudi Nageswara Rao , Kumar Sunil , Tripathi Manorama
Published: August 2018

The collection development policies of university libraries are driven by the information seeking behaviour and extent of use of resources by students, researchers and teachers. Libraries have introduced e-books in their collections with rising demand of users for them. However, e-books have not gained the perceived acceptance among users. It is essential to understand the gaps in preferences and experiences of users of e-books in academic libraries so that the collections of e-books can be customised to meet the users’ preferences. The purpose of this study is to understand how students, teachers and research scholars access, browse and use e-books in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India. The study has identified factors that encourage or discourage the use of e-books in academic libraries. It highlights preferences for the format (electronic/print) while perusing books as textbooks or reference books for research.
Advances in Electromagnetic Therapy for Wound Healing
Authors: Madduri Bala , Anand Avnika Singh , Kohli Himani , Oza Manan , Chauhan Satish , Amitabh Mr , Kohli Ekta , Sharma Sanjeev Kumar
Published: August 2018

Understanding the molecular basis of wound healing and tissue regeneration continues to remain as one of the major challenges in modern medicine. There is absolute necessity to unveil the rather elusive mechanism with a special emphasis on the approaches to accelerate wound healing. Low frequency low intensity Pulsed electromagnetic therapy is evidenced to have a significant impact on wound repair and regeneration. It provides a non-invasive reparative technique to treat an injury. In vitro studies reported a significant effect of electromagnetic field on neovascularisation and angiogenesis. There are also many pieces of evidence which support its efficiency in reducing the duration of wound healing and improving the tensile strength of scars. Here, we compared the traditional stigma associated with pulsed electromagnetic fields and weighed them with its potential therapeutic effect on wound healing. Furthermore, we emphasized the need for more focused research to determine the therapeutic strategies and optimised parameters of pulsed electromagnetic field that can assure efficient wound healing and regeneration. 
Poly (γ-) Glutamic Acid : A Promising Biopolymer
Authors: Kumarr Mrithula Mahalakshmi , Raj Janifer Xavier , Gopalan Natarajan , Ramana Karna Venkata , Sharma Rakesh Kumar
Published: August 2018

Poly (γ-) glutamic acid is a polymer of L or D - Glutamic acid units produced by          microorganisms as a defense mechanism as an act of stress tolerance. Production of γ-PGA by microbial source has been gaining attention due to its low cost of production and varied application with high compatibility and high biodegradability. Its application ranges from food industry to waste water treatment. γ-PGA is a major constituent of Japanese food - natto. PGA has vast applications in food, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, water treatment and other fields. The high research interest that currently is developing for γ-PGA is due to its potential as a biomedical material with a high biocompatibility and a fair biodegradability. In fact, γ-PGA is extensively used as a food additive and it is known to be hydrolytically degradable by water with or without intervening of proteases. An incessant number of publications dealing with the use of γ-PGA as drug delivery system are appearing in these last few years and several processes have been developed at large scale which are able to afford great amounts of this compound for industrial uses.
Effect of Altitude and Duration of Stay on Pulmonary Function in Healthy Indian Males
Authors: Saini Supriya , Vats Praveen , Sharma Alpesh Kumar , Ray Koushik , Sarybaev Akpay , Singh Shashi Bala
Published: August 2018

The study was carried out with the objective to investigate the effect of varying altitude and duration of exposure on blood pressure, heart rate and lung function parameters in healthy Indian soldiers after adopting proper acclimatization schedule. For this purpose 17 soldiers of Indian Army, weight and height matched, were studied after obtaining written consent. Recording of Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), heart rate and lung function variables (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC%, MVV, FEF25-75%, MEF 25%, MEF 50%, MEF 75%, PEF) were measured at basal (290m), 800m, 3200m (day 10 and day 20) and upon de-induction. Our results demonstrate that with increasing altitude FVC declined, FEV1 did not change and due to these changes FEV1/FVC% increased. Expiratory flow rates including MEF 25%, MEF50% MEF 75%, PEF and mean expiratory flow rate (FEF25-75%) increased upon induction to high altitude. This increase may be due to reduction in air density causing less air resistance which accelerates lung emptying. Though the increase upon induction in all the values was transient and returned to baseline values after de-induction. MVV reflecting respiratory muscle function increased significantly upon induction to altitude in our study and returned to basal values upon de-induction. Understanding respiratory system in mountainous regions and its further correlation with other systems pertaining to acclimatization could help in laying step in unveiling mechanism of human high altitude adaptation.
Implications and Prevention of Noise Hazards on Board Ships
Authors: Kapoor Neeru , Mani Kumar Vyonkesh , Kumar Bhuvnesh , Singh Shashi Bala
Published: August 2018

Seafarers are exposed to intense noise due to running of powerful gas turbines present in the engine room and in other compartments due to the operation of various sub systems that adversely affect their hearing acuity and proficiency. A large body of persons is employed in the Shipping industry and it is of paramount importance to preserve and promote health in the work place. Hence, this particular study was undertaken with a view to precisely quantify the noise levels associated with the operation of turbine engines and examine the impact of exposure on hearing sensitivity of the individuals. The preventive measures that can control the adverse effects like the use of ear defenders, and, supplementation of carbogen, a mixture of 5% CO2 and 95% O2 were examined
Failure behavior of concrete subjected to high dynamic loading of new spiral projectile
Authors: Wu Jun , Ning Jianguo , Ma Tianbao
Published: August 2018

A new spiral warhead structure which makes concrete failure by self-rotation is proposed in this paper. Concrete dynamic response when subjected to the oval and new proposed spiral projectile vertical and oblique-angle (from 60° to 70°) impacts of different velocities is studied numerically. This investigation obtains the specific law between different residual velocity and rotation angle when concrete target subjected to the impact loading of spiral projectile ranging from 700 m/s ~ 1000 m/s. It also shows the law between different residual velocity and the groove depth. The rotational angular velocity vs time curves for different working condition are given.
Study of Wavefront Tilt Variance with Various Telescope Apertures in Indoor Convective Turbulence
Authors: Dixit Awakash , Mamgain Aditya Kumar , Porwal Vikash , Mishra Sanjay Kumar
Published: August 2018

Turbulent atmosphere produces random wavefront tilt in the propagating laser beam and the dynamics of turbulence is largely depend on the receiving optics aperture size. In this paper, wavefront tilt variance is studied with various telescope aperture sizes in indoor convective turbulence. A simple experimental setup is described for simulating the near ground atmospheric turbulence by generating different strengths of convective turbulence in the laboratory. A laser beam is made to propagate through the turbulence subsequently induced wavefront tilt variances are experimentally measured and analyzed statistically. The wavefront tilt variance is used to estimate the temporal characteristics using Fourier transform by varying aperture sizes and turbulence strengths (i.e. ambient, weak and moderate). The Hurst exponent, the Fried parameter and the wavefront tilt frequencies for the different turbulence strengths are calculated. The power dependence of the wavefront tilt variance on the telescope aperture size is studied and a deviation from the classical D-1/3 dependence is reported.
A Survey of Adversarial Machine Learning in Cyber Warfare
Authors: Duddu Vasisht
Published: August 2018

The changing nature of warfare has seen a paradigm shift from the conventional to asymmetric, contactless warfare such as information and cyber warfare. Excessive dependence on information and communication technologies, cloud infrastructures, big data analytics, data-mining and automation in decision making poses grave threats to business and economy in adversarial environments. Adversarial machine learning is a fast growing area of research which studies the design of Machine Learning algorithms that are robust in adversarial environments. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of this emerging area and the various techniques of adversary modelling. We explore the threat models for Machine Learning systems and describe the various techniques to attack and defend them. We present privacy issues in these models and describe a cyber-warfare test-bed to test the effectiveness of the various attack-defence strategies and conclude with some open problems in this area of research.

 
The effect mechanism of Ginnalin A as a homeopathic agent on various cancer cell lines
Authors: Vural Hasibe
Published: August 2018

Epidemiological and experimental studies have shown that natural products are beneficial for the protection against cancer. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener often consumed throughout the world. Maple syrup contains various phenolic compounds such as lignans, coumarin and Ginnalin A (GA). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of GA shown to have cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in several human carcinoma cell lines. The effect of GA on cell viability was determined by a XTT (2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide) assay as described in the manufacturer’s instruction. Total RNA was isolated from cancer cells using TRIzol Reagent and reverse transcription was performed using Script™ cDNA Synthesis Kit (Bio-Rad) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Expressions of important genes in apoptosis including MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, CDH1 and CDH2, were investigated in dose and control groups by qPCR (quantitative real time- polymerase chain reaction).

When compared with the control group, qPCR results illustrated that a significant increase in gene expression was observed in the expressions of CDH1, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 by 3.52, 5.13 and 2.67 times respectively. Research has shown that Ginnalin A can demonstrate an anti-metastatic effect by regulating the expression of important genes in metastasis on cancer cell lines. Furthermore, in this study the activation of caspase-8 in apoptotic signaling pathways and the pro-apoptotic caspases required for extrinsic apoptotic signal transduction was defined.
Magnetic resonance T1-mapping evaluates the degree of thyroid destruction in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis
Authors: Liu Jia , Liu Min , Chen Zhe , Jia Yumei , Wang Guang
Published: August 2018

Objective

Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease. Longitudinal relaxation time mapping (T1-mapping) measured by MRI is a new technique for assessing interstitial fibrosis of some organs, such as heart and liver. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between T1-mapping value and thyroid function and determine the usefulness of T1-mapping in identifying thyroid destruction in AIT patients.

Methods

This case–control study recruited 57 drug-naïve AIT patients and 17 healthy controls. All participants were given thyroid MRI, and T1-mapping values were measured using a modified look-locker inversion-recovery sequence.

Results

AIT patients had significantly higher thyroid T1-mapping values than the healthy controls (1.077 ± 177 vs 778 ± 82.9 ms; P < 0.01). A significant increase in thyroid T1-mapping values was presented along with the increased severity of thyroid dysfunction (P < 0.01). Correlation analyses showed that increased thyroid T1-mapping values were associated with higher TSH and lower FT3 and FT4 levels (TSH: r = 0.75; FT3: r = −0.47; FT4: r = −0.72; all P < 0.01). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a high diagnostic value of T1-mapping values for the degree of thyroid destruction (area under the curve was 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90–0.99, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

AIT patients have higher thyroid T1-mapping values than the healthy controls, and the T1-mapping values increased with the progression of thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid T1-mapping value might be a new index to quantitatively evaluate the degree of thyroid destruction in AIT patients.
Production of the positron-emitting radionuclide 68Ga: the radiochemical scheme of radionuclide generator 68Ge → 68Ga
Authors: Baimukhanova Ayagoz , Chakrova Elena , Karaivanov Dimitr , Kozempel Jan , Roesch Frank , Filosofov Dmitriy
Published: August 2018

68Ga (T1 / 2 = 68 min) in complexes with peptides is used in positron emission tomography for diagnostics of neuroendocrine tumors. The most promising strategy for 68Ga production is usage of the radionuclide generator 68Ge → 68Ga. In this research, the sorption behavior of Ge(IV) and Ga (III) has been studied. The distribution coefficients (Kd) of Ge(IV) on the anion exchange (Dowex 1×8) and cation exchange (Dowex 50×8) resins in various ethanedioic and hydrochloric acid solutions were determined. For each ion exchange resin, four series of measurements were carried out, in which the concentration of oxalic acid was fixed (0.001 M, 0.003 M, 0.005 M, 0.01 M), and the concentrations of hydrochloric acid ranged from 0 to 3 M. Based on the distribution coefficients, the chemical scheme of the radionuclide generator 68Ge → 68Ga has been developed. The chemical system is based on the anion exchange resin Dowex 1×8 and mixture of 0.005 M C2H2O4 / 0.33 M HCl. Several types of the generators with direct and reverse mode of elution were tested and the optimal scheme was determined. Elution of the generators was performed once a day with 8 ml of 0.005 M C2H2O4 / 0.33 M HCl solution. The 68Ga yield and the 68Ge breakthrough are comparable for all the systems.
Contribuições Foucaultianas para a constituição formativa do sujeito
Authors: Furlin Marcelo , Mantovani José Pascoal
Published: August 2018

O artigo apresenta a filosofia de Michel Foucault (VEIGA-NETO, 2004) aplicado à epistemologia da Educação, na inspiração de que os domínios focaultianos proporcionam instrumentais teóricos e práticos para a construção de um novo sujeito no processo formativo. Três são os objetivos do breve estudo: (i) apresentar, resumidamente, os domínios focaultianos (VEIGA-NETO, 2004) e sua relação com a formação do sujeito (REVEL, 2002); (ii) descrever os conceitos foucaultianos sobre subjetividade, filosofia e espiritualidade e (iii) articular algumas contribuições da Filosofia contemporânea. voltadas à prática educativa, no que se referem à constituição do sujeito contemporâneo. O corpus selecionado para a pesquisa são referências bibliográficas de e sobre Foucault, bem como demandas contemporâneas relacionadas à filosofia da educação. O repertório teórico que fundamentam este trabalho são os textos de Michel Foucault (2005; 2006; 2010a) que remetem à hermenêutica do sujeito. No que tange à teoria foucaultiana serão utilizadas as reflexões de Veiga-Neto (2004), Revel (2002) e Machado (2007).
Educação a distância e formação docente
Authors: Oliveira Simone Aparecida Possarli
Published: August 2018

A educação a distância surge no cenário nacional como uma forma de democratização do ensino, preparando profissionais para atuação nas mais diversas áreas da educação. Com a formação de professores não poderia ser diferente. Contudo, cabe questionar: essa modalidade de ensino possibilita uma formação integral deste docente em meio ao processo de formação? Tendo em mente que esta trajetória formativa é toda permeada pelas tecnologias digitais de informação e comunicação em seus processos de ensino-aprendizagem. Esta pesquisa objetiva, portanto, investigar esse aspecto. Este artigo, de caráter qualitativo, busca, a partir de uma pesquisa bibliográfica, refletir sobre as contribuições dessa modalidade de ensino para a formação de professores, bem como averiguar a sua contribuição para a democratização do ensino no cenário nacional. Como fundamentação teórica utiliza-se dos estudos de Kensky (2010), Moran (2000), Lobo Neto (2006),  Azevedo (2012, 2013, 2014), Bahia (2015), Belloni (2015), Demo (2009), Freire (1987), Masetto (2009) e Nóvoa (2009).
Produção de material didático para educação a distância: planejamento e direitos autorais
Authors: Faim Regiane Maria Tomé
Published: August 2018

Este artigo objetiva discorrer sobre a produção de materiais didáticos para Educação a Distância (EaD) considerando o planejamento pedagógico e os direitos autorais. O método da investigação inclui análise bibliográfica dos principais teóricos sobre o tema como: Azevedo (2013), Behar (2009), Clementino (2015), Filatro e Cairo (2015), Ricardo (2012), Silva (2011, 2013),que viabilizaram discussões que podem e devem continuar a ser o objetivo maior dos profissionais que atuam ou venham atuar na EaD. Presume-se que tais reflexões poderão contribuir para aprimorar a prática docente na modalidade a distância, estimulando a busca de novas metodologias para a melhoria no processo de ensino-aprendizagem.