bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pschychosocial support for distressed parents of Pediatric cancer patients
Authors: SUHAG VIRENDER , BS SUNITA , Vats PANKAJ , Lohia Nishant , Pandya Tejas , Singh VK , Tiwari Manu
Published: February 2019

Survival rates for childhood cancer diagnosed before the age of 18 years have improved due to aggressive multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches. Parents have been found to be psychologically affected by their child’s diagnosis, treatment, side-effects of the treatment and child’s health status. Though parental emotional difficulties, such as depression and anxiety, have been reported to decrease after cancer treatment, parents continue to experience chronic post-traumatic stress (PTS) for a long time after their child’s treatment. Parents may also report persistent feelings of loss, uncertainty, and anxiety about the recurrence of the disease or the emergence of late effects in their child. Such illness-specific distress of the parents should be assessed in order to fully understand their psychosocial functioning. Sensitizing health care professionals to the identification of this factor and its associated difficulties is essential for the implementation of efficient intervention strategies. General health of parents plays an important role in continuation of care for the sick child and the treatment follow up. Parental distress and PTS are associated with the emotional and behavioral functioning of children with cancer. There is a genuine need to offer programs of psychological attention to parents of children with cancer in order to reduce their emotional and cognitive psychopathology and to help them adopt adequate coping strategies.
Avaliação microbiológica de águas de poços artesianos em propriedades rurais no município de Colorado do Oeste – Rondônia
Authors: Eliodorio Zamilian Jaiane Ataísla , De Paula Gabriel Paciencia , Zamilian Ataíslei Andrielli Eliodoro
Published: February 2019

Introdução: Elemento indispensável a todos os seres vivos, a água constitui o insumo essencial à preservação da vida no planeta. Quando contaminada, torna-se capaz de veicular agentes infecciosos ou substâncias capazes de agredir a saúde do homem. Para o consumo humano, a saúde pública requer água potável e segura. As Coliformes totais e as Coliformes Termotolerantes, em especial a Escherichia coli, são um dos patógenos mais comumente associados à veiculação hídrica. Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade microbiológica da água de poços artesianos de propriedades rurais do município de Colorado do Oeste, Rondônia. Materiais e métodos: Foi analisada a água de poços artesianos de dez propriedades rurais, avaliando-se a sua qualidade microbiológica quanto à presença do grupo dos coliformes, a partir do Método do Número Mais Provável. Questionários a respeito da qualidade da água artesiana foram aplicados aos proprietários para relacionar os resultados microbiológicos obtidos com as atividades antrópicas do seu entorno. Resultados: Observou-se a contaminação de três poços artesianos por Coliformes Totais e Escherichia coli. Conclusão: Esta realidade refuta em parte a opinião dos proprietários, que consideravam essas águas como saudável e potável para o consumo humano, ressaltando a importância da avaliação e do monitoramento microbiológico dessas fontes e o cuidado com os corpos de água.
Percepção da imagem corporal e estado nutricional de crianças em escola pública e privada de Fortaleza-CE
Authors: Martins Gabriela Ferreira , Silva Aline Teixeira da , Rodrigues Paula Alves Salmito , Sampaio Rafaella Maria Monteiro
Published: February 2019

Objetivos: Descrever a percepção da imagem corporal de crianças ao seu estado nutricional em uma escola pública e particular de Fortaleza-CE. Metodologia: Estudo transversal, com amostra de 247 alunos na faixa etária de 7 a 10 anos de ambos os sexos. Foi realizada a avaliação antropométrica e a análise da percepção da imagem corporal, através da aplicação da escala de silhuetas. Resultados: A escola privada apresentou maiores índices de obesidade destacando o sexo masculino (46%). Em relação à distorção da imagem corporal entre as escolas, obtiveram-se percentuais elevados e semelhantes, com destaque para a escola particular (78%) e ênfase nos meninos, os quais subestimavam sua imagem. Na insatisfação, a escola privada obteve os maiores índices (90%), com predominância também nos meninos. Constatou-se que a maior parte da amostra insatisfeita desejava ter uma silhueta menor (58%) e que, na escola privada, os maiores índices de insatisfação eram pertinentes aos meninos com excesso de peso (52%). Conclusões: Há indícios de distorção e insatisfação corporal em ambos os sexos e escolas, com enfoque no gênero masculino, e os níveis de insatisfação sobressaem nos indivíduos com excesso de peso. Evidencia-se, portanto, uma relação significativa entre o estado nutricional e a percepção da imagem corporal.
Laura Crombie, Archery and Crossbow Guilds in Medieval Flanders 1300-1500
Authors: Mol J.A. (Hans)
Published: February 2019

Laura Crombie, Archery and Crossbow Guilds in Medieval Flanders 1300-1500 (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2016, 259 pp., ISBN 9781783271047).
Herman de Liagre Böhl, Miskotte. Theoloog in de branding, 1894-1976
Authors: Berkelaar Wim
Published: February 2019

Herman de Liagre Böhl, Miskotte. Theoloog in de branding, 1894-1976 (Amsterdam: Prometheus, 2016, 360 pp., ISBN 978 90 351 4480 4).
Antibody-based antiangiogenic and antilymphangiogenic therapies to prevent tumor growth and progression.
Authors: Bzowska Monika , Mężyk-Kopeć Renata , Próchnicki Tomasz , Kulesza Małgorzata , Klaus Tomasz , Bereta Joanna
Published: February 2019

Blood and lymphatic vessel formation is an indispensable factor for cancer progression and metastasis. Therefore, various strategies designed to block angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are being investigated in the hope to arrest and reverse tumor development. Monoclonal antibodies, owing to their unequalled diversity and specificity, might be applied to selectively inhibit the pathways that cancer cells utilize to build up a network of blood vessels and lymphatics. Among the possible targets of antibody-based therapies are proangiogenic and prolymphangiogenic growth factors from the VEGF family and the receptors to which they bind (VEGFRs). Here, we present molecular mechanisms of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis exploited by tumors to progress and metastasise, with examples of antibody-based therapeutic agents directed at interfering with these processes. The expanding knowledge of vascular biology helps to explain some of the problems encountered in such therapies, that arise due to the redundancy in signaling networks controlling the formation of blood and lymphatic vessels, and lead to tumor drug resistance. Nonetheless, combined treatments and treatments focused on newly discovered proangiogenic and prolymphangiogenic factors give hope that more prominent therapeutic effects might be achieved in the future.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) - formation and implications.
Authors: Zawrotniak Marcin , Rapala-Kozik Maria
Published: February 2019

Neutrophils are cells of the immune system which freely circulate in blood vessels and are recruited to the inflammation sites when the human organism responds to microbial infections. One of the mechanisms of neutrophil action is the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) The process of NET generation, called netosis, is a specific type of cell death, different from necrosis and apoptosis. NETs are formed by neutrophils upon contact with various bacteria or fungi as well as with activated platelets or under the influence of numerous inflammatory stimuli, and this process is associated with dramatic changes in the morphology of the cells. The main components of NETs, DNA and granular antimicrobial proteins, determine their antimicrobial properties. The pathogens trapped in NETs are killed by oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms. On the other hand, it was also discovered that chromatin and proteases released into the circulatory system during NET formation can regulate procoagulant and prothrombotic factors and take part in clot formation in blood vessels. NETs have also been detected in lungs where they are involved in chronic inflammation processes in ALI/ARDS patients. Moreover, DNA-proteins complexes have been found in the airway fluids of cystic fibrosis patients where they can increase the viscosity of the sputum and have a negative impact on the lung functions. The DNA-complexed granular proteins and other proteins released by neutrophils during netosis lead to autoimmunity syndromes such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), small-vessel vasculitis (SVV) or autoimmune diseases associated with the formation of autoantibodies against chromatin and neutrophil components. A possible involvement of NETs in metastasis is also considered.
Relationship between the induction of inflammatory processes and infectious diseases in patients with ischemic stroke.
Authors: Cieślak Marek , Wojtczak Andrzej , Cieślak Michał
Published: February 2019

Pro-inflammatory cytokines participate in the induction of ischemic stroke. So far, their participation in the cerebral ischemia was proven for the tumor necrosis factor TNF-α, interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines into the extracellular space causes the enlargement of the brain damage region, and consequently increases the neurological deficit and negatively affects the survival rate prognoses. That is confirmed by the increased concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in blood and the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with brain stroke, as well as by the research on the induced/experimental cerebral ischemia in animals. The pro-inflammatory cytokines participate in the migration of the reactive T lymphocytes to the regions of brain ischemia where they enhance the nerve tissue damage by down-regulation of microcirculation, induce the pro-thrombotic processes and release other neurotoxic cytokines. Also, in the early stage of cerebral ischemia, cytokines activate the axis hypothalamus-pituitary gland-adrenal cortex and increase the cortisol concentration in blood, what results in the decreased resistance to infectious diseases. Administration of the inhibitor of the interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1Ra) inhibits the inflammatory processes in the region of brain ischemia, and subsequently improves the prognosis for the size of the neurological deficit and the survival rate, as well as resistance to infectious diseases.
The toxic Doppelganger: on the ionic and molecular mimicry of cadmium.
Authors: Chmielowska-Bąk Jagna , Izbiańska Karolina , Deckert Joanna
Published: February 2019

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal which can cause numerous alterations in cell functioning. Exposure to cadmium leads to generation of reactive oxygen species, disorders in membrane structure and functioning, inhibition of respiration, disturbances in ion homeostasis, perturbations in cell division, and initiation of apoptosis and necrosis. This heavy metal is considered a carcinogen by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. At least some of the described toxic effects could result from the ability of cadmium to mimic other divalent ions and alert signal transduction networks. This review describes the role of cadmium mimicry in its uptake, reactive oxygen species generation, alterations in calmodulin, Wnt/β-catenin and estrogen signaling pathways, and modulation of neurotransmission. The last section is dedicated to the single known case of a favorable function performed by cadmium mimicry: marine diatoms, which live in zinc deficient conditions, utilize cadmium as a cofactor in carbonic anhydrase - so far the only described cadmium enzyme.
Pre-analytical-related variability influencing serum peptide profiles demonstrated in a mass spectrometry-based search for colorectal and prostate cancer biomarkers.
Authors: Karczmarski Jakub , Rubel Tymon , Mikula Michal , Wolski Jan , Rutkowski Andrzej , Zagorowicz Edyta , Dadlez Michal , Ostrowski Jerzy
Published: February 2019

Although the degradome, which comprises proteolytic fragments of blood proteins, presents a potential source of diagnostic biomarkers, studies on cancer peptide biomarkers have provided inconsistent conclusions. In the present study, we reevaluated the usefulness of serum degradome analyses for searching peptide cancer biomarker candidates. Particular attention was paid to pre-analytical factors influencing the variability of determined peptide levels, including clotting time and control group selection. Studies were conducted on 44 and 86 serum samples collected from cancer patients and healthy individuals, respectively, using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS)-based analyses. We identified 1373 unique peptides, nearly 40% of which originated from five blood proteins: fibrinogen alpha chain, apolipoprotein A-IV (APOA4), complement C3, apolipoprotein A-I, and alpha-1-antitrypsin. A set of 118 and 88 peptides exhibited highly significant differences (adjusted p-value ≤ 0.01 and fold change ≥ 2) in pair-wise comparisons of control vs. prostate cancer and control vs. colorectal cancer, respectively, with 37 peptides displaying a consistent direction of change for these pair-wise comparisons. The levels of 67 peptides differed significantly in serum samples collected from healthy individuals immediately prior to colonoscopy and those who underwent colonoscopic examination at least four weeks earlier. Of them, 49 peptides originated from APOA4. Whereas earlier studies, including ours, have utilized fragments of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) to distinguish cancer from healthy cases, here we show that their absolute abundance is a sensitive indicator of clotting time. These observations may have implications for future serum peptidome studies since these issues have not previously been recognized.
Biochemical characterisation of chlorophyllase from leaves of selected Prunus species--a comparative study.
Authors: Sytykiewicz Hubert , Sprawka Iwona , Czerniewicz Paweł , Sempruch Cezary , Leszczyński Bogumił , Sikora Marlena
Published: February 2019

Despite senescence-induced chlorophyll depletion in plants has been widely studied, the enzymatic background of this physiologically regulated process still remains highly unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine selected biochemical properties of partially purified fractions of chlorophyllase (Chlase, chlorophyll chlorophyllido-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.14) from leaves of three Prunus species: bird cherry (Prunus padus L.), European plum (Prunus domestica L.), and sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.). Secondarily, this report was aimed at comparing seasonal dynamics of Chlase activity and chlorophyll a (Chl a) content within investigated plant systems. Molecular weight of native Chlase F1 has been estimated at 90 kDa (bird cherry) and approximately 100 kDa (European plum and sour cherry), whereas molecular mass of Chlase F2 varied from 35 kDa (European plum) to 60 kDa (sour cherry). Furthermore, enzyme fractions possessed similar optimal pH values ranging from 7.6 to 8.0. It was found that among a broad panel of tested metal ions, Hg(+2), Fe(+2), and Cu(+2) cations showed the most pronounced inhibitory effect on the activity of Chlase. In contrast, the presence of Mg(+2) ions influenced a subtle stimulation of the enzymatic activity. Importantly, although Chlase activity was negatively correlated with the amount of Chl a in leaves of examined Prunus species, detailed comparative analyses revealed an incidental decrement of enzymatic activity in early or moderately senescing leaves. It provides evidence that foliar Chlase is not the only enzyme involved in autumnal chlorophyll breakdown and further in-depth studies elucidating this catabolic process are required.
The alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme (ADH IV) as a candidate tumour marker of esophageal cancer.
Authors: Jelski Wojciech , Laniewska-Dunaj Magdalena , Niklinski Jacek , Kozłowski Miroslaw , Laudanski Jerzy , Szmitkowski Maciej
Published: February 2019

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) are present in esophageal cancer cells. Moreover the total activity of ADH as well as the activity of class IV ADH isoenzyme is significantly higher in cancer tissue than in healthy mucosa. The activity of these enzymes in cancer cells is reflected in the sera and could thus be helpful for diagnostics of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate a potential significance of ADH isoenzymes and ALDH as tumour markers of esophageal cancer. We defined diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value for positive and negative results, and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve for tested enzymes.
Serum samples were taken for routine biochemical investigation from 180 patients with esophageal cancer before treatment. Total ADH activity was measured by a photometric method with p-nitrosodimethylaniline as a substrate and ALDH activity by a fluorometric method with 6-methoxy-2-naphtaldehyde as a substrate. For the measurement of the activity of class I and II isoenzymes we employed the fluorometric methods, with class-specific fluorogenic substrates. The activity of class III alcohol dehydrogenase was measured by a photometric method with formaldehyde and class IV with m-nitrobenzaldehyde as a substrate.
There was a significant increase in the activity of class IV of ADH isoenzyme (7.65 mU/l vs 5.88 mU/l) and total ADH activity (1198 mU/l vs 848 mU/l) in the sera of esophageal cancer patients compared to the control. The diagnostic sensitivity for ADH IV was 72%, the specificity 76%, the positive and negative predictive values were 80% and 72% respectively. The area under the ROC curve for ADH IV was 0.65.
The results suggest a potential significance of ADH IV as a marker of esophageal cancer.
Concentrations of heavy metals (Mn, Co, Ni, Cr, Ag, Pb) in coffee.
Authors: Nędzarek Arkadiusz , Tórz Agnieszka , Karakiewicz Beata , Clark Jeremy Simon , Laszczyńska Maria , Kaleta Agnieszka , Adler Grażyna
Published: February 2019

Technologies involved in roasting coffee beans, as well as the methods used to prepare infusions, vary according to culture, and contribute to differences in the concentration of elements in the drink.
Concentrations of six elements: manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), chrome (Cr), silver (Ag) and lead (Pb) were investigated in coffee infusions from eleven samples of coffee, roasted and purchased in four countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Lebanon and Poland. Metal concentrations were determined using an induction coupled plasma technique in combination with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, Perkin Elmer) which measures total metal (ionic and non-ionic) content.
Metal intake estimated for individual countries (in the respective order; mean consumption per person per year) was as follows: Mn: 26.8-33.1, 28.3-29.5, 29.7, 12.6-18.9 mg; Co: 0.33-0.48, 0.42-0.35, 0.32, 0.12-0.17 mg; Ni: 3.83-5.68, 4.85-5.51, 4.04, 2.06-2.24 mg; Cr: 0.17-0.41, 0.21-0.47, 0.17, 0.09-0.28 mg; Ag: 0.16-1.13, 0.26-0.70, 0.61, 0.33-1.54 mg, Pb: 4.76-7.56, 3.59-5.13, 3.33, 1.48-2.43 mg.
This finding gives new data for Mn, Co, Ni, Cr, and Ag intake from coffee , and suggests that the amounts are negligible. However, the data for Pb consumption in heavy drinkers, for example in Bosnia and Herzegovina, indicate that Pb intake from coffee may contribute to the disease burden. The high lead level in some coffees suggests the need for a more precise control of coffee contamination.
Bioavailability of hydrocarbons to bacterial consortia during Triton X-100 mediated biodegradation in aqueous media.
Authors: Pęziak Daria , Piotrowska Aleksandra , Marecik Roman , Lisiecki Piotr , Woźniak Marta , Szulc Alicja , Ławniczak Łukasz , Chrzanowski Łukasz
Published: February 2019

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of Triton X-100 on the biodegradation efficiency of hexadecane and phenanthrene carried out by two bacterial consortia. It was established that the tested consortia were not able to directly uptake compounds closed in micelles. It was observed that in micellar systems the nonionic synthetic surfactant was preferentially degraded (the degradation efficiency of Triton X-100 after 21 days was 70% of the initial concentration - 500 mg/l), followed by a lesser decomposition of hydrocarbon released from the micelles (30% for hexadecane and 20% for phenanthrene). However, when hydrocarbons were used as the sole carbon source, 70% of hexadecane and 30% of phenanthrene were degraded. The degradation of the surfactant did not contribute to notable shifts in bacterial community dynamics, as determined by Real-Time PCR. The obtained results suggest that if surfactant-supplementation is to be used as an integral part of a bioremediation process, then possible bioavailability decrease due to entrapment of the contaminant into surfactant micelles should also be taken into consideration, as this phenomenon may have a negative impact on the biodegradation efficiency. Surfactant-induced mobilization of otherwise recalcitrant hydrocarbons may contribute to the spreading of contaminants in the environment and prevent their biodegradation.
Cyclooxygenase pathways.
Authors: Korbecki Jan , Baranowska-Bosiacka Irena , Gutowska Izabela , Chlubek Dariusz
Published: February 2019

This review compiles the current knowledge on the effects of prostanoids - arachidonic acid metabolites - on their own synthesis, activity and degradation. Interaction mechanisms between the receptors for the relevant compounds are presented, in particular with regard to the cooperation between a thromboxane A₂ and prostaglandin I₂ receptors. The questions of desensitization and internalization of receptors are discussed. The stages of the inflammatory response and tumor progression are analyzed against the background of the disruption of the synthesis of prostanoids. Special attention is given to the significance of 15-deoxy-Δ(12,14)-prostaglandin J₂ in the regulation of the synthesis of prostanoids and its role as an anti-inflammatory agent. Ultimately, therapeutic approaches as used in various treatments are discussed in the light of the available knowledge.
Introduction to molecular biology of influenza a viruses.
Authors: Szewczyk Bogusław , Bieńkowska-Szewczyk Krystyna , Król Ewelina
Published: February 2019

This minireview presents an overview of current knowledge on virion structure, genome organization and basic events in the development of influenza A virus. The processes of entry, transcription/replication and viral release are described. In this context, the roles of viral proteins (including recently discovered minor polypeptides) in the subsequent stages of viral development are also discussed.
Diversity of influenza-like illness etiology in Polish Armed Forces in influenza epidemic season.
Authors: Kocik Janusz , Niemcewicz Marcin , Winnicka Izabela , Michalski Aleksander , Bielawska-Drózd Agata , Kołodziej Marcin , Joniec Justyna , Cieślik Piotr , Graniak Grzegorz , Mirski Tomasz , Gaweł Jerzy , Bielecka-Oder Anna , Kubiak Leszek , Russell Kevin
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological and laboratory surveillance of Influenza-Like Illnesses (ILI) in Polish Armed Forces, civilian military personnel and their families in 2011/2012 epidemic season, under the United States Department of Defense-Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System (DoD-GEIS). ILI incidence data were analyzed in relation to age, gender, patient category as well as pathogen patterns. Multiple viral, bacterial and viral-bacterial co-infections were identified. Nose and throat swabs of active duty soldiers in the homeland country and in the NATO peacekeeping forces KFOR (Kosovo Force), as well as members of their families were tested for the presence of viral and bacterial pathogens. From October 2011 to May 2012, 416 specimens from ILI symptoms patients were collected and analyzed for the presence of viral and bacterial pathogens. Among viruses, coronavirus was the most commonly detected. In the case of bacterial infections, the most common pathogen was Staphylococcus aureus.
Antivirals--current trends in fighting influenza.
Authors: Król Ewelina , Rychłowska Małgorzata , Szewczyk Bogusław
Published: February 2019

Influenza virus infection is a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Due to the variable effectiveness of existing vaccines, especially in the early stages of an epidemic, antiviral drugs represent the first line of defense against the virus. Currently, there are two major classes of anti-influenza drugs approved by the FDA for clinical use: M2 protein inhibitors (amantadine and rimantadine) and neuraminidase inhibitors (zanamivir and oseltamivir). However, increasing resistance to these available influenza antivirals among circulating influenza viruses highlights the need to develop alternative approaches for the prevention and/or treatment of influenza. This review presents an overview of currently available drugs for influenza treatment as well as summarizes some new antiviral strategies that are now being tested covering agents targeting both the viral proteins and the host-virus interaction. We discuss their mechanisms of action, resistance and the therapeutic potential as new antiviral drug for use in future influenza pandemics. Additionally, combination therapy based on these drugs is also described.
Lactococcus lactis IBB477 presenting adhesive and muco-adhesive properties as a candidate carrier strain for oral vaccination against influenza virus.
Authors: Radziwill-Bienkowska Joanna M , Zochowska Dominika , Bardowski Jacek , Mercier-Bonin Muriel , Kowalczyk Magdalena
Published: February 2019

In the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), adhesion is a prerequisite for bacterial colonization. Lactococci can be used in functional food (probiotics) and health-related applications (mucosal vaccines, therapeutic drug delivery), both potentially involving adhesive properties. A candidate lactic acid bacterium for influenza antigen delivery through the GIT should display the ability to adhere. The present work probes the interactions between Lactococcus lactis and mucins using pig gastric mucin (PGM) as a model. Two strains were used for the optimization of the screening method for adhesion: L. lactis subsp. cremoris IBB477 persistent in the GIT of germ-free rats, and the low-adhering control strain MG1820. High adhesion to bare and mucin-coated polystyrene of IBB477 in comparison with MG1820 was observed. We searched for genetic determinants potentially involved in the adhesion/muco-adhesion of IBB477, identifying two such genes: prtP and a gene coding for a protein with MUB and MucBP domains. Based on its persistence in the GIT and adhesive properties, L. lactis IBB477 is a candidate carrier strain for expression of influenza haemagglutinin (HA) protein for induction of mucosal immune response.
Application of molecular techniques for the assessment of microorganism diversity on cultural heritage objects.
Authors: Otlewska Anna , Adamiak Justyna , Gutarowska Beata
Published: February 2019

As a result of their unpredictable ability to adapt to varying environmental conditions, microorganisms inhabit different types of biological niches on Earth. Owing to the key role of microorganisms in many biogeochemical processes, trends in modern microbiology emphasize the need to know and understand the structure and function of complex microbial communities. This is particularly important if the strategy relates to microbial communities that cause biodeterioration of materials that constitute our cultural heritage. Until recently, the detection and identification of microorganisms inhabiting objects of cultural value was based only on cultivation-dependent methods. In spite of many advantages, these methods provide limited information because they identify only viable organisms capable of growth under standard laboratory conditions. However, in order to carry out proper conservation and renovation, it is necessary to know the complete composition of microbial communities and their activity. This paper presents and characterizes modern techniques such as genetic fingerprinting and clone library construction for the assessment of microbial diversity based on molecular biology. Molecular methods represent a favourable alternative to culture-dependent methods and make it possible to assess the biodiversity of microorganisms inhabiting technical materials and cultural heritage objects.
The influence of L-phenylalanine, methyl jasmonate and sucrose concentration on the accumulation of phenolic acids in Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel shoot culture.
Authors: Skrzypczak-Pietraszek Ewa , Słota Joanna , Pietraszek Jacek
Published: February 2019

Phenolic acids are an important group of plant secondary metabolites with various, valuable therapeutic properties. Apart from plants growing in the open air, tissue cultures can be an alternative source of the secondary metabolites. The yield of their accumulation in in vitro cultures can be increased by different methods, including culture medium supplementation with precursors, elicitors and changing the standard amounts of the medium components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and a higher sucrose concentration on the phenolic acids accumulation in the agitated shoot cultures of Exacum affine Balf. f. ex Regel (Gentianaceae). Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the phenolic acids in methanolic extracts from the biomass were conducted by applying the HPLC method. Fourteen phenolic acids and cinnamic acid were found in all samples. The total content of free phenolic acids increased from approximately 0.242% to 0.635% (2.6-fold) and the total content of the whole phenolic acids (free and bound) - from 0.712% to 1.160% (1.6-fold). The studies show that the best variant for the accumulation of most of the identified phenolic acids contained 6% of sucrose (double the standard amount), L-phenylalanine 1.6 gL(-1) of medium and methyl jasmonate 100 μM. The analysis of the results in the experiment presented here showed that it is possible to increase the accumulation of the phenolic acids in Exacum affine shoot cultures - by adding the precursor (L-phenylalanine), the elicitor (methyl jasmonate) and by increasing the sucrose concentration.
Current achievements in modifying crop genes using CRISPR/Cas system
Authors: Korotkova A. M. , Gerasimova S. V. , Khlestkina E. K.
Published: February 2019

With the advent of the new genome editing tool of target-specifically customizable endonucleases, a huge variety of novel opportunities have become feasible. The crop improvement is one of the main applications of genome editing in plant science and plant biotechnology. The amount of publications referring to genome editing and CRISPR/Cas system based molecular tools application in crops is permanently growing. The aim of this study is the systematization and cataloging of these data. Earlier we published the first catalog of targeted crop genome modifications as of February 10, 2017. The current review is an update of the catalog; it covers research papers on crop genome modifications from February 10, 2017 to August 17, 2018, found by searching 47 crop names in the Scopus database. Over one year and a half, 377 articles mentioning CRISPR/Cas and crop names have been published, of which 131 articles describe an experimental application of this tool for editing 193 genes in 19 crops, including rice with the largest number of genes modified (109 genes). Editing 50 of 193 genes was aimed at crop improvement. The catalog presented here includes these 50 genes, specifying the cultivars, each gene and gene product function, modification type and delivery method used. The current full list of genes modified with CRISPR/Cas with the aim of crop improvement is 81 in 16 crops (for 5 years from August 2013 to August 2018). In this paper, we also summarize data on different modifications types in different crops and provide a brief review of some novel methods and approaches that have appeared in crop genome editing research over the reviewed period. Taken together, these data provide a clear view on current progress in crop genome modifications and traits improvement using CRISPR/Cas based genome editing technology.
Advocating for Breast Heath Education for College-Age Students
Authors: Monn Jenny L.
Published: February 2019

Awareness of the risk factors associated with breast cancer can alleviate fear and anxiety, and can lead people to pursue prevention. This article describes a university's annual breast health education event focused on breast health awareness and breast cancer education. Community health organizations and student organizations serve as exhibitors and provide students with opportunities to test their knowledge and dispel myths. Over the past 5 years this event has reached more than 2,000 students. Initiatives such as this event provide health educators with an opportunity to reach this highly vulnerable population.
Talked over as If I Weren't There: Reflections from a Nurse and Educator
Authors: Purpora Christina
Published: February 2019

Most nurses were taught in nursing school to avoid talking over a patient as if the patient were not there. This manuscript describes the author's experience of being talked over as a patient—what it meant to her as a nurse relating to the ethics of the situation and as an educator of future nurses. The American Nurses Association's Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (2015) addresses the responsibility of nurses at all levels within an organization to sustain a work environment that ensures quality, safe patient care. Nurses who embody this responsibility are knowledgeable, skilled, and mindful of what they say and how they act and interact around, with, and over patients and toward each other.
Percepciones de docentes sobre la diversidad migratoria en escuelas de Mendoza, Argentina
Authors: González Anahí Patricia
Published: February 2019

The paper addresses the issue of migratory diversity in Argentine schools, particularly the case of the province of Mendoza. As such, we analyze the results of a series of interviews with teachers as part of a larger scientific-technological research project financed by the University of Buenos Aires and following a line of work based on the concept of social representation developed by authors such as Jodelet and Moscovici. One of the main results is that the interviewees expressed the tensions that the homogenizing and assimilationist role historically assigned to the school and the current mandate of “educating in diversity”, which is typical of the multi-cultural stage of recent decades, brings to their daily work
Jugar y el juego en la educación infantil: construcción de conocimiento de la realidad y la interacción social
Authors: Fernandes Mohn Rodrigo Fideles , Barros de Almeida Renato , Pereira de Souza Rosiris
Published: February 2019

The research is bibliographical in nature and aims to understand how games are perceived in teaching institutions and to learn which games are methodologically used by the teacher in the teachinglearning process. This is because the child’s potentialities, such as communication and expression, language development and social interaction, as well as the elaboration of thought and the creation of strategies to act in society, can be developed through play, insofar as, once involved in that action, the child constructs and rebuild his or her world. As a result, the study considered that playing and games are essential for child development, since they contribute to the construction of knowledge of reality and social interaction
Audición y significado musical: inspiración para una creación colectiva
Authors: Betancourt Escobar José Orlando , Acosta Acero José David
Published: February 2019

This article describes the creative process and output resulting from the research project “Development of hearing-musical consciousness for meaning-making” that set out a group experiment intended to weigh the musical knowledge by emphasizing the hearing development rather than the writing. To that end, a group of students from the music study program in the Universidad de Cundinamarca was used to design and implement strategies of musical meaning-making based on their hearing. Improvisation was chosen as the exploration tool in the creative exercises. In addition, inspiration in these activities was developed based on three components: music-image, music-narrative and music-sensing. Based on the concept monomyth by Joseph Campbell, a story was created orally, in an improvised and collective way, together with a map of emotions and situations matching the story and serving as an inspiration for their improvisations, hearing analysis and generation of musical ideas from the transcription. All this allowed producing a musical work with a collective origin
Historia de la educación inicial en Colombia: démosle un giro a ese cuento
Authors: López Portela Laura Ximena , De Pro-Bueno Antonio
Published: February 2019

During the last decade, some paradigms have been transformed in Colombia regarding educative system, especially in the sphere of pre-school or child’s education. Therefore, it is now pertinent to revise and reflect on the ways to reconstruct this history —that is, those changes answering to the political, social and cultural needs— in order to identify the milestones typical to the present times as these make basis for changing their meaning and sense
El diálogo en la construcción de la intersubjetividad crítica
Authors: Uribe Hincapié Richard Alonso , Gutiérrez-Ríos Mirta Yolima , Varga Zsófia , Vives Martha Patricia
Published: February 2019

The objective herein is to do a theoretical revision to the dialogue, dialogism, dialogical practices and the intersubjectivity. A qualitative methodology was used as a sort of documentary, at the level of a descriptive and interpretative study. Based on the context analysis of the texts, a trend was found that considers the language from a sociocultural perspective that creates realities and then transforms them; the dialogue is seen both as gender and a discursive mediation; the dialogism as a possibility for interacting with and recognize the other; dialogical practices as reinforcers of the critical thinking; and intersubjectivity as a relational skill to put on the stage one’s interpretative world
In-Vivo Acoustic Surveillance of Trees in the Context of IoT
Authors: Potamitis Ilias , Rigakis Iraklis , Tatlas Nicolaos-Alexandros , Potirakis Stelios
Published: February 2019

This work introduces a device for long term systematic monitoring of trees against borers. A widely applied way to detect wood-boring insects is to insert a piezoelectric probe with uncoated waveguide in the tree trunk and listen for locomotion or feeding sounds through headphones. This approach has several shortcomings: a) frequent manual inspection of trees is costly and impractical to be scaled to hundreds or thousands of trees, b) the larvae could be present but inactive during the inspection time and, c) when the trees are in urban environments the background noise can be significant and can mask the feeble sounds of wood-boring insects even with the use of specialized headphones. We introduce a remotely controlled device that records and wirelessly transmits on a scheduled basis short recordings of the internal vibrations of a tree to a server. The user can listen remotely or process the recording automatically to infer the infestation state of the tree with wood-boring insects that feed or move inside the tree. When integrated within the IoT framework this device can scale up to automatically monitoring the trees of the entire city. The proposed approach led to detection results in field trials of the pests Xylotrechus chinensis and Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.
Cryosphere and Spatial Uniformitarianism: A New Rule for Earth and Planetary Sciences
Authors: Dobinski Wojciech
Published: February 2019

The lack of a uniform approach in Earth and planetary science is apparent in the current levels of inconsistency found within the research itself, the data analysis and the interpretation of results. Thus, data interpretation differ depending on whether the study refer to Earth conditions or from space. These differences are particularly pronounced for cryosphere studies, where geocentric approaches remain within ice research and its application in analogical studies. Here, the principle of spatial uniformitarianism is presented, to allow for a definitive departure from geocentrism and a proper understanding of the role of ice within both the Earth and celestial bodies. At the practical level, it may affect several geo-scientific disciplines currently inconsistent and bridging the gap among them. This rule is universal and complements the Hutton-Lyell 1795/1830 principle.
Changes in Land Use and Vegetation in Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park, Guinea-Bissau: Contribution to Sustainable Management of the Park
Authors: Más López Maria Isabel , García del Toro Eva Maria
Published: February 2019

The aim of this paper is to study changes in land use and the evolution of vegetation in Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. To do this, we will study variations in the NDVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. In order to perform the calculations and subsequent analysis, images from three years— 2010, and 2017—were used, all corresponding to the same time of year so that the phenological stage is the same. To perform a more reliable analysis, the park was divided into five classes based on the main use of the land: mangals, palm forest, paddy fields, savannahs and others. Using a statistical sample, same areas were selected for each class and the corresponding NDVIs were calculated for the years in which ASTER images were available. The study made it possible to conclude that at present, management of the park is not the most suitable, given that the changes in land use observed represent a decrease in mangrove swamps, despite the fact that these forests constitute the most important ecological area of all those that make up the park. Mangals are being replaced by other land uses.
Raul Lino and the City
Authors: Pereira Paulo Manta
Published: February 2019

Over a period of nearly one hundred years, Raul Lino da Silva (1879-1974) experienced the profound political, social and economic changes that marked the twentieth century in Portugal. Having been born during the Constitutional Monarchy (1822-1910), he lived through the First Republic (1910-1926), the Military Dictatorship (1926-1933) and the Second Republic, or Estado Novo (New State, 1933-1974), and died shortly after the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974, at the dawning of the Third Republic. Raul Lino was the architect who published the most in Portugal, having become known through his advocacy of the “Campanha da casa portuguesa” (“Portuguese house campaign”), which provoked a great deal of controversy among his peers. He is less known for the transversal quality of his synthesis between architecture, the decorative arts and territory, and its underlying affirmation of an idea of the city, which we conjecture from a diagonal reading of his theoretical and plastic narrative. We limit the analysis to the first half of the 20th century, concentrating on ten case studies, that encompass architectural projects, urbanistic plans and reports. The above expound the broad conception which he defended in the same year as was held the First National Architecture Congress (1948), whose proposals ratified in Portugal the orthodoxy established in 1933 by the International Congresses of Modern Architecture (CIAM). Quoting Aristotle Raul Lino conceived the city as the locus of happiness, shaping the possibilities of consensus between tradition and modernity by means of architecture, which is both envelope and stage for our collective existence. In fact, Raul Lino anticipated themes to be found in the narratives of authors like Aldo Rossi (1966), Paul Virilio (2004, 2009) or Peter Zumthor (2006), and his thought proves particularly relevant and timely in the present day.
Cancer: A Turbulence Problem
Authors: Uthamacumaran Abicumaran
Published: February 2019

Cancers are complex, adaptive ecosystems. They remain the leading cause of disease-related death among children in North America. As we approach computational oncology and Deep Learning Healthcare, our mathematical models of cancer dynamics must be revised. Recent findings support the perspective that cancer-microenvironment interactions consist of turbulent flows. As such, cancer pattern formation, protein-folding and metastatic invasion are discussed herein as processes driven by chemical turbulence within the framework of complex systems theory. Current state-of-the-art quantitative approaches used in reconstructing cancer stem cell networks are reviewed. To conclude, cancer stem cells are presented as strange attractors of the Waddington landscape.
Preventive Maintenance Topic Models for LNG Containment Systems of LNG Marine Carriers Using Dock Specifications
Authors: Youn Ik-Hyun , Kim Sung-Cheol
Published: February 2019

The high demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) requires more LNG carriers (LNGCs) to be in operation. During transportation, there is a high risk due to the required extremely low temperatures and the explosive nature of LNG cargo. Moreover, when there is a lack of experience in operating old LNGCs, there is a serious concern regarding operational accidents. A systematic maintenance strategy, especially for LNG cargo containment systems, is crucial for maintaining safe LNG transportation at sea. The purpose of this study is to develop preventive LNG cargo containment system maintenance models by using LNGC dock specifications from LNGCs of various ages. The dock specifications from a conventional LNGC repairing dock were analyzed using natural language processing techniques in order to develop preventive maintenance models of the LNG cargo containment system. From these results, and by considering the ship’s age, it was found that for young LNGCs the priority for repair should focus on checking routine consumable spare parts by tank inspections, whereas for older LNGCs the focus should be on tank condition maintenance rather than on other facilities. These results are expected to be useful in the development of a maintenance strategy of preventive LNG cargo containment systems in maritime LNG transportation.
Measuring Fabric Sensory Attributes: Theory and Practice
Authors: Pan Ning
Published: February 2019

Two major sample configurations are adopted in all the instruments for fabric hand measurement, flat sample as in KES and FAST types machines, and wrinkled sample as in PhabrOmeter. This paper compares the two sample types to examine which one if any offers a better coverage and reflection of the fabric sensory attributes.  Fabrics have unique behaviors of drape, wrinkle and tactile sense which are entirely due to the simultaneous occurrence of both in-plane membrane deformation and out-of-plane bending deformation in multiple curvature. Such singular deformation mode cannot be detected by any machines using flat sample, whereas during a PhabrOmeter test, the fabric sample genuinely produces drape, wrinkle in addition to other related deformations. This paper then introduced the theoretical research pertaining to the measurement. Then a split sample experiment is conducted to demonstrate the importance of the internal connections in fabric during drape and wrinkle processes. As such fabric interconnection will be barely disclosed during tests using flat samples, another important advantage of PhabrOmeter is hence clearly shown.