bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Loaded Liposomes for Topical Treatment of Inflammatory and Degenerative Conditions
Authors: Matos Carla , Lobão Paulo
Published: March 2019

Topical administration of drugs presents some advantages over other routes; the drug can be
administered in the anatomical region to be treated, limiting the systemic distribution and side effects.
However, the structure of the skin makes it a highly effective barrier to drug permeation. Amongst the
strategies to overcome this obstacle, liposomes are interesting vehicles for delivering the drugs into the
skin, the synovial cavity or other regions affected by inflammatory or degenerative conditions.
Liposomes are lipid carriers of nanometric size formed by phospholipid bilayers. They have the advantages
of preparation feasibility and biological compatibility associated with the possibility of carrying
either lipophylic and/or hydrophylic compounds, and have been extensively used in various drug delivery
systems, for drug targeting, controlled release and permeation enhancement of drugs. Conventional
liposomes are not very stable and not suitable for dermal administration after topical application, since
they accumulate on the skin surface due to the rigidity of the lipid layers and suffer dehydration, culminating
in their fragmentation. Other formulations have emerged in the meantime, such as transfersomes,
niosomes or ethosomes. The present work consists of a review on the published scientific papers regarding
the development of liposomal formulations containing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the
purpose of relieving the symptomatology of inflammatory and degenerative ailments. The exposition
summarizes data relating to liposome type, composition, preparation method, liposome characterization,
topical vehicle used, in vitro permeation studies performed, in vivo anti-inflammatory assays carried out
and results obtained in the different studies published in the last five years.
Role of Probiotics in Prophylaxis of Helicobacter pylori Infection
Authors: Chakravarty Kashyapi , Gaur Smriti
Published: March 2019

Helicobacter pylori, a pathogenic bacterium, has been known to be the root cause of numerous gastrointestinal disorders. In patients showing symptoms of its infection, antibiotic therapy is a likely treatment. However, the high cost of antibiotic therapy, associated antibiotic resistance along with other adverse effects has led to the use of probiotics for Helicobacter pylori treatment. In recent times, probiotics have played an essential role as complementary prophylaxis for gastrointestinal diseases, thus minimizing antibiotics’ usage and their side effects. Probiotics are live microbial agents that exude beneficial effects on their hosts when administered in the proper dosage. The growth of the organism has been reported to be inhibited to a great extent by probiotics and research employing animal models has shown a significant reduction in H. pylori-associated gastric inflammation. In human clinical trials, it has been observed that treatment with probiotics alleviated gastritis symptoms caused by H. pylori and reduced colonization of the organism. As expected, complete eradication of H. pylori infection has not yet been reported by the administration of probiotics alone. Complement treatments using probiotics have shown to benefit infected individuals by decreasing the harmful effects of H. pylori eradication treatment using antibiotics. Long-term administration of probiotics might have favourable outcomes in H. pylori infection especially by decreasing the risk of development of diseases caused by increased levels of gastric inflammation. One such chronic condition is gastric ulcer which occurs due to considerable damage to the mucosal barrier by H. pylori colonization. This review provides a brief description of the promising role of probiotics as a complementary treatment to control H. pylori infection and consequently the management of various gastrointestinal disorders among populations with a special focus on gastric ulcer.
Naturalistic Measurement of Sleep in Older Adults with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Anxiety Symptoms Do Not Explain Sleep Disturbance
Authors: Cavuoto Marina G. , Kinsella Glynda J. , Ong Ben , Pike Kerryn E. , Nicholas Christian L.
Published: March 2019

Background:

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In amnestic mild
cognitive impairment (aMCI), the preclinical stage of AD, deterioration in sleep quality has also been
reported. Consensus is lacking, however, regarding what aspects of sleep are characteristically affected,
whether the setting of the sleep recordings impacts these findings, and whether anxiety may account for
the differences.

Objective: The current study aimed to address these knowledge gaps by obtaining comprehensive sleep
measurement in aMCI within a naturalistic environment using in-home sleep recordings.

Methods:

17 healthy older adults and twelve participants with aMCI wore an actiwatch for two weeks to
objectively record habitual sleeping patterns and completed two nights of in-home polysomnography.

Results:

In aMCI, habitual sleep disturbances were evident on actigraphy including greater wake after
sleep onset (p = .012, d = 0.99), fragmentation (p = .010, d = 1.03), and time in bed (p = .046, d = .76).
Although not statistically significant, there was a large group effect on polysomnography with aMCI
demonstrating less slow-wave-sleep than controls (p >.05, d = .0.83). Anxiety did not mediate the
relationship between the group and sleep in this small study.

Conclusions: The results indicate that people with aMCI have poorer quality sleep than healthy controls,
as indicated by greater sleep disruption and less slow-wave sleep, even in naturalistic settings. Additionally,
anxiety symptoms do not mediate the relationship. Therefore, this research supports the view
that sleep disturbance is likely to be indicative of neuropathological changes in aMCI rather than being
attributed to psychological factors.
The Adaptive Value and Clinical Significance of Allostatic Blood Pressure Variation
Authors: James Gary D.
Published: March 2019

In recent years, there has been interest in evaluating the morbidity and mortality risk of circadian, diurnal, or nocturnal blood pressure variation. Variation is a normative property of blood pressure, necessary for survival. Like many physiological functions, blood pressure undergoes allostasis, meaning that the body does not defend a particular blood pressure value, but rather blood pressure maintains bodily stability through continual change that is initiated by constantly fluctuating internal and external environmental stimuli. Because of its allostatic and adaptive properties, the blood pressure response to unusual situations like a visit to the clinic can lead to misdiagnosis of hypertension. However, blood pressure variation is mostly ignored when evaluating hypertension, which is an arbitrary dichotomy. Whether variation is indicative of pathology should be determined by assessing its appropriateness for the circumstance, which requires quantification of the sources and extent of normative blood pressure responses to everyday living. These responses will vary among populations due to evolutionary genetic differences. The inconsistency of reports regarding aspects of ambulatory blood pressure variation as cardiovascular risk factors likely results from the fact that the measures used do not reflect the actual nature of blood pressure allostasis.
Differential Diagnosis of Behavioral Variant and Semantic Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia Using Visual Rating Scales
Authors: Manouvelou Stamo , Koutoulidis Vasilios , Tsougos Ioannis , Tolia Maria , Kyrgias George , Anyfantakis Georgios , Moulopoulos Lia-Angela , Gouliamos Athanasios , Papageorgiou Sokratis
Published: March 2019

Background:

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represents the second most frequent early
onset of dementia in people younger than 65 years. The main syndromes encompassed by the term
FTD are behavioral variant of Frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), non-fluent variant primary progressive
aphasia (nfvPPA) and semantic variant (SD).

Aims:

To assess the bvFTD and SD, which represent the most common subtypes of FTD, using
visual rating scales.

Methods:

Brain MRI exams of 77 patients either with bvFTD (n=43) or SD (n=34) were evaluated.
The rating scales used were: Global cortical atrophy (GCA), Fazekas Scale: periventricular (PV)
and white matter (WM) changes, Koedam rating scale and visual scales regarding specific cortical
regions: dorsofrontal (DF), orbitofrontal (OF), anterior cingulate (AC), basal ganglia (BG), anterior-
temporal (AT), insula, lateral-temporal (LT), entorhinal (ERC), perirhinal (PRC), anterior fusiform(
AF), anterior hippocampus (AHIP) and posterior hippocampus (PHIP). Both Left (L) and
Right (R) hemispheres were evaluated.

Results:

R-OF (p=0.059), L-OF (p<0.0005), L-AT (p=0.047) and L-AHIP (p=0.007) have a statistically
significant effect on the variable occurrence of SD compared to bvFTD. The indicators with
the highest value of the area under the curve (AUC) were R-AC (0.829), L-OF (0.808), L-AC
(0.791) and L-AF (0.778). Highest sensitivity was achieved by R-OF (97%) and L-AF (75%).
Highest specificity was achieved by L-OF (95%), L-AT (91%) followed by R-AC (84%). Best
combination of sensitivity and specificity was achieved by L-AF (74%-79%), L-OF (56%-95%)
and R-OF (97%-42%). Best combination of PPV and NPV was achieved by L-OF (90%-73%), LAT
(83%-72%) and R-AC (77%-77%).

Conclusion:

Visual rating scales can be a practical diagnostic tool in the characterization of patterns
of atrophy in FTLD and may be used as an alternative to highly technical methods of quantification.
The Mechanism of miR-192 in Regulating High Glucose-Induced MCP-1 Expression in Rat Glomerular Mesangial Cells
Authors: Chen Fenqin , Wei Guozhu , Zhou Yang , Ma Xiaoyu , Wang Qiuyue
Published: March 2019

Background: Although the pathogenetic mechanism of Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) has
not been elucidated, an inflammatory mechanism may be a potential contributor. Monocyte chemotactic
protein-1 (MCP-1) is suggested to be implicated in the development of DKD by playing a role in
the infiltration of monocyte/macrophage. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of
MCP-1 under high glucose conditions, as well as the effects of microRNA-192 (miR-192) under these
conditions, and to study the regulatory mechanism of MCP-1 in DKD.

Methods: Rat glomerular mesangial cells were cultured in high glucose or isotonic mannitol. The
messenger RNA(mRNA) expression of miR-192, miR-200b, miR-200c, E-box-binding homeobox 1
(Zeb1), and MCP-1 was then detected by real-time PCR, and the protein expression of Zeb1 and MCP-
1 was assessed by western blotting. The rat mesangial cells were transfected with an miR-192 inhibitor,
NC inhibitor , and transfected with siRNA Zeb1, siNC. The cells were then cultured in high glucose
to detect the mRNA expression of miR-192, miR-200b, miR-200c, Zeb1, and MCP-1 using realtime
PCR, and Zeb1 and MCP-1 protein expression were determined by western blotting.

Results: MiR-192, miR-200b, miR-200c, and MCP-1 were overexpressed, whereas Zeb1 was downregulated
when cultured in high glucose (P < 0.05). After transfection with an miR-192 inhibitor, the
expression of miR-192, miR-200b, miR-200c, and MCP-1 was downregulated, whereas Zeb1 was
increased, and these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The observed changes in the
expression in the NC inhibitor transfection group were similar to that of non-transfected cell lines.
Silencing the expression of Zeb1 resulted in a significant increase in the expression of miR-192, miR-
200b, miR-200c, and MCP-1 (P < 0.05). The observed changes in the SiNC transfection group were
similar to those of non-transfected cell lines.

Conclusions: MiR-192 expression was upregulated to increase the expression of inflammatory factor
MCP-1 by inhibiting the expression of Zeb1, which was mediated by breaking the regulatory loop of
Zeb1 and miR-200b/c in rat mesangial cells cultured in high glucose.
Disponibilidad de residuos forestales y su potencial para la generación de energía en los bosques templados de El Salto, Durango
Authors: Villela-Suárez Juan Martín , Aguirre-Calderón Oscar Alberto , Treviño-Garza Eduardo Javier , Vargas-Larreta Benedicto
Published: March 2019

Los residuos de la cosecha forestal son una fuente de energía renovable que no ha sido considerada todavía a gran escala en México y para su estimación se requiere de evaluaciones cada vez más precisas. En este estudio se desarrollaron ecuaciones para estimar el volumen de residuos forestales y se cuantificó la disponibilidad de biomasa y su potencial para generar energía eléctrica y reducir emisiones de CO2 en la región de El Salto, Durango. La metodología se dividió en tres fases: i) se obtuvo el volumen total autorizado de los programas de manejo forestal maderable de 20 ejidos de la región; ii) se derribaron y cubicaron 2156 árboles en las áreas de corta de los 20 ejidos para generar ecuaciones de volumen de residuos a escala de árbol individual; y iii) el volumen de residuos fue convertido a toneladas de biomasa empleando los valores de densidad de la madera para posteriormente transformar este valor a unidades de energía eléctrica. Dado que las especies estudiadas constituyen bosques mezclados, manejados con el mismo tratamiento silvícola y edad de rotación, se evaluaron las diferencias entre especies en las ecuaciones de volumen de residuos, utilizando el método de la suma adicional de cuadrados no lineales. Los parámetros de las ecuaciones de volumen de residuos fueron significativamente diferentes entre la mayoría de las especies. La cantidad de residuos a escala de árbol fue mayor en las especies del género Quercus, mientras que la cantidad de residuos forestales disponibles por ciclo de corta fue mayor en las especies del género Pinus. Alrededor de 31 000 Mg año-1 de residuos forestales pueden utilizarse en la región para generar aproximadamente 65.6 GW h año-1, considerando el uso de una tecnología con una eficiencia mínima de 40%.
Design Requirements for a Digital Aid to Support Adults With Mild Learning Disabilities During Clinical Consultations: Qualitative Study With Experts (Preprint)
Authors: Gibson Ryan Colin , Bouamrane Matt-Mouley , Dunlop Mark
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Adults with mild learning disabilities (MLDs) face a plethora of obstacles when accessing effective health care. Central to many of these barriers is communication, with medical practitioners often remaining untrained on how to interact with patients who have learning disabilities (LDs). To date, research on how to promote this communication has largely centered on the development of low-tech aids.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of utilizing tablet technologies to promote communication between general practitioners and patients with MLDs. We achieved this by identifying a set of design requirements from experts in LDs.

METHODS

A set of design guidelines was formed during a 2-phase process. Phase 1 involved conducting a series of requirements-gathering interviews with 10 experts in LDs—the protocol of which emerged from the results of a separate scoping review. The interviews were subjected to a framework analysis to discern the key requirements discussed by the experts, and these were embedded within a technology probe. In phase 2, this probe was presented to a subset (n=4) of the experts during a round of usability studies, and the feedback received was used to update the requirements identified in phase 1.

RESULTS

An initial set of design requirements has been produced that may assist in the development of clinical Alternative and Augmentative Communication technologies for adults with MLDs. Factors that must be considered range from the health, physical and cognitive needs of stakeholders, to the more individual needs of users.

CONCLUSIONS

The experts involved in the study were optimistic about the proposed app. They believe that such technologies can help to alleviate time constraints and promote communication by presenting information in a form understood by both practitioners and patients.
Assessment of the Relationship Between Ambient Temperature and Home Blood Pressure in Patients From a Web-Based Synchronous Telehealth Care Program: Retrospective Study (Preprint)
Authors: Huang Ching-Chang , Chen Ying-Hsien , Hung Chi-Sheng , Lee Jen-Kuang , Hsu Tse-Pin , Wu Hui-Wen , Chuang Pao-Yu , Chen Ming-Fong , Ho Yi-Lwun
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Decreased ambient temperature significantly increases office blood pressure, but few studies have evaluated the effect of ambient temperature on home blood pressure.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the relationship between short-term ambient temperature exposure and home blood pressure.

METHODS

We recruited patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases from a telehealth care program at a university-affiliated hospital. Blood pressure was measured at home by patients or their caregivers. We obtained hourly meteorological data for Taipei (temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) for the same time period from the Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan.

RESULTS

From 2009 to 2013, we enrolled a total of 253 patients. Mean patient age was 70.28 (SD 13.79) years, and 66.0% (167/253) of patients were male. We collected a total of 110,715 home blood pressure measurements. Ambient temperature had a negative linear effect on all 3 home blood pressure parameters after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors and antihypertensive agents. A 1°C decrease was associated with a 0.5492-mm Hg increase in mean blood pressure, a 0.6841-mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure, and a 0.2709-mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure. This temperature effect on home blood pressure was less prominent in patients with diabetes or hypertension. Antihypertensive agents modified this negative effect of temperature on home blood pressure to some extent, and angiotensin receptor blockers had the most favorable results.

CONCLUSIONS

Short-term exposure to low ambient temperature significantly increased home blood pressure in patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases. Antihypertensive agents may modify this effect.
Implementing Structured Clinical Templates at a Single Tertiary Hospital: Survey Study (Preprint)
Authors: Hwang Ji Eun , Seoung Byung Ook , Lee Sang-Oh , Shin Soo-Yong
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Electronic health record (EHR) systems have been widely adopted in hospitals. However, since current EHRs mainly focus on lowering the number of paper documents used, they have suffered from poor search function and reusability capabilities. To overcome these drawbacks, structured clinical templates have been proposed; however, they are not widely used owing to the inconvenience of data entry.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to verify the usability of structured templates by comparing data entry times.

METHODS

A Korean tertiary hospital has implemented structured clinical templates with the modeling of clinical contents for the last 6 years. As a result, 1238 clinical content models (ie, body measurements, vital signs, and allergies) have been developed and 492 models for 13 clinical templates, including pathology reports, were applied to EHRs for clinical practice. Then, to verify the usability of the structured templates, data entry times from free-texts and four structured pathology report templates were compared using 4391 entries from structured data entry (SDE) log data and 4265 entries from free-text log data. In addition, a paper-based survey and a focus group interview were conducted with 23 participants from three different groups, including EHR developers, pathology transcriptionists, and clinical data extraction team members.

RESULTS

Based on the analysis of time required for data entry, in most cases, beginner users of the structured clinical templates required at most 70.18% more time for data entry. However, as users became accustomed to the templates, they were able to enter data more quickly than via free-text entry: at least 1 minute and 23 seconds (16.8%) up to 5 minutes and 42 seconds (27.6%). Interestingly, well-designed thyroid cancer pathology reports required 14.54% less data entry time from the beginning of the SDE implementation. In the interviews and survey, we confirmed that most of the interviewees agreed on the need for structured templates. However, they were skeptical about structuring all the items included in the templates.

CONCLUSIONS

The increase in initial elapsed time led users to hold a negative opinion of SDE, despite its benefits. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to structure the clinical templates for optimum use. In addition, user experience in terms of ease of data entry must be considered as an essential aspect in the development of structured clinical templates.
Patient Attitudes and Their Awareness Towards Skin Cancer–Related Apps: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)
Authors: Steeb Theresa , Wessely Anja , Mastnik Sebastian , Brinker Titus Josef , French Lars Einar , Niesert Anne-Charlotte , Berking Carola , Heppt Markus Vincent
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

In the emerging era of digitalization and electronic health, skin cancer–related apps represent useful tools to support dermatologic consultation and examination. Yet, little is known about how patients perceive the value of such apps.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate patient attitudes and their awareness toward skin cancer–related apps.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study including 200 patients from the oncological outpatient unit was conducted at the University Hospital (LMU Munich, Germany) between September and December 2018. Patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire on the popularity and usefulness of health-related and skin cancer–related apps. A descriptive analysis was performed with the expression of categorical variables as frequencies and percentages. For continuous variables, the median and range were indicated. Contingency tables and chi-square tests were performed to investigate associations between sociodemographic data and selected items of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 98.9% (195/197) of patients had never used skin cancer–related apps or could not remember. In 49.7% (93/187) of cases, patients were unsure about the usefulness of skin cancer apps, whereas 42.6% (78/183) thought that skin cancer apps could supplement or support the professional skin examination performed by a physician. However, 47.9% (90/188) were interested in acquiring more information by their dermatologists about skin cancer apps. Young age (P=.002), male gender (P=.02), a previous history of melanoma (P=.004), and higher educational level (P=.002) were significantly associated with a positive attitude. Nevertheless, 55.9% (105/188) preferred a printed patient brochure on skin cancer to downloading and using an app.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience and knowledge of skin cancer–related apps was surprisingly low in this population, although there was a high general interest in more information about such apps. Printed patient brochures were the preferred information source.
Understanding Comorbidities and Their Contribution to Predictors of Medical Resource Utilization for an Age- and Sex-Matched Patient Population Living With HIV: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)
Authors: Odlum Michelle , Yoon Sunmoo
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

More than 60% of people aging with HIV are observed to have multiple comorbidities, which are attributed to a variety of factors (eg, biological and environmental), with sex differences observed. However, understanding these differences and their contribution to medical resource utilization remains challenging as studies conducted exclusively and predominantly among males do not translate well to females, resulting in inconsistent findings across study cohorts and limiting our knowledge of sex-specific comorbidities.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to provide further insight into aging-related comorbidities, their associated sex-based differences, and their contribution to medical resource utilization, through the analysis of HIV patient data matched by sex.

METHODS

International Classification of Disease 9/10 diagnostic codes that comprise the electronic health records of males (N=229) and females (N=229) were categorized by individual characteristics, chronic and mental health conditions, treatment, high-risk behaviors, and infections and the codes were used as predictors of medical resource utilization represented by Charlson comorbidity scores.

RESULTS

Significant contributors to high Charlson scores in males were age (beta=2.37; 95% CI 1.45-3.29), longer hospital stay (beta=.046; 95% CI 0.009-0.083), malnutrition (beta=2.96; 95% CI 1.72-4.20), kidney failure (beta=2.23; 95% CI 0.934-3.52), chemotherapy (beta=3.58; 95% CI 2.16-5.002), history of tobacco use (beta=1.40; 95% CI 0.200-2.61), and hepatitis C (beta=1.49; 95% CI 0.181-2.79). Significant contributors to high Charlson scores in females were age (beta=1.37; 95% CI 0.361-2.38), longer hospital stay (beta=.042; 95% CI 0.005-0.078), heart failure (beta=2.41; 95% CI 0.833-3.98), chemotherapy (beta=3.48; 95% CI 1.626-5.33), and substance abuse beta=1.94; 95% CI 0.180, 3.702).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings identified sex-based differences in medical resource utilization. These include kidney failure for men and heart failure for women. Increased prevalence of comorbidities in people living long with HIV has the potential to overburden global health systems. The development of narrower HIV phenotypes and aging-related comorbidity phenotypes with greater clinical validity will support intervention efficacy.
Independent Generated Revenue of Three Tiers of Government and Money Supply in Nigeria
Authors: Omodero Cordelia Onyinyechi
Published: March 2019

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence on the impact of independent generated revenue of the three tiers of government on money supply in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach: The study employs ex post facto research design and makes use of annual time series data spanning from 1981 to 2017. The data have been sourced from CBN Statistical Bulletin 2017 edition and CBN Annual Reports while Ordinary Least Squares method is used to carry out the analysis with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.

Findings: The results of the study indicate that Federal Government Independent Revenue (FGIR) and State government Independent Revenue (SGIR) influence money supply positively and significantly. On the contrary, the Local Government Independent Revenue has an insignificant negative impact on money supply.

Research implications/Limitations: The implication of this finding is that if independent generated revenue under the jurisdiction of Local Government Councils in Nigeria is not properly regulated by the Monetary Authority in the country through a well-structured monetary policy measures, it will adversely affect the money supply.

Originality/value/contribution: this study has been able to establish the influence of independent revenue of each tier of government in Nigeria on money supply. Most importantly, the study finds evidence that independent generated revenue of local government councils in Nigeria does not have positive influence on money supply in the country. Therefore, the study suggests that monetary policies in the country should incorporate local government optimal management of revenue to avoid unfavorable economic situations such as inflation which is prompted by too much money circulating in an economy.
What Is the Philosophy of Problem?
Authors: Ma Lei
Published: March 2019

The philosophy of problem is a logical view, putting the problem at the core of logic, promoting the development of thinking. The philosophy of problem is a view of life, revealing not only the skills and interests of survival but also the significance and value of life. The philosophy of problem is an ethical view, regarding the development of morality and ethics as the result of questioning in its most profound sense. Philosophy of problem is a scientific view, putting the problem at the core of the philosophy of science, exploring the law of the generation and evolution of scientific knowledge from the proposition, expression, structure, presupposition, evaluation, solution and evolution of questions. The philosophy of problem is a philosophical view, regarding answer as its goal and question as its service.
Adaptive Non Playable Character in RPG Game Using Logarithmic Learning For Generalized Classifier Neural Network (L-GCNN)
Authors: Mabruroh Izza , Herumurti Darlis
Published: March 2019

Non-playable Character (NPC) is one of the important characters in the game. An autonomous and adaptive NPC can adjust actions with player actions and environmental conditions. To determine the actions of the NPC, the previous researchers used the Neural Network method but there were weaknesses, namely the action produced was not in accordance with the desired so the accuracy was not good. This study overcomes the problem of poor accuracy by using the Logarithmic Learning for Generalized Classifier Neural Network (L-GCNN) method with 6 input parameters, NPC health, distance from players, other NPCs involved, attack power, number of NPCs and NPC levels. While the output is to attack itself, attack in groups and move away. For testing, this study was tested on RPG games. From the results of the experiments conducted, it shows that the L-GCNN method has better accuracy than the 3 methods compared to 7% better than NN and SVM and 8% better than RBFNN because in the L-GCNN method there is an encapsulation process that is data have the same class will. Whereas the L-GCNN training time is 30% longer than the NN method because on L-GCNN one neuron consists of one data where there are fewer NNs in the hidden layer.
Minimax quantum state estimation under Bregman divergence
Authors: Quadeer Maria , Tomamichel Marco , Ferrie Christopher
Published: March 2019

We investigate minimax estimators for quantum state tomography under general Bregman divergences. First, generalizing the work of Koyama et al. [Entropy 19, 618 (2017)] for relative entropy, we find that given any estimator for a quantum state, there always exists a sequence of Bayes estimators that asymptotically perform at least as well as the given estimator, on any state. Second, we show that there always exists a sequence of priors for which the corresponding sequence of Bayes estimators is asymptotically minimax (i.e. it minimizes the worst-case risk). Third, by re-formulating Holevo's theorem for the covariant state estimation problem in terms of estimators, we find that there exists a covariant measurement that is, in fact, minimax (i.e. it minimizes the worst-case risk). Moreover, we find that a measurement that is covariant only under a unitary 2-design is also minimax. Lastly, in an attempt to understand the problem of finding minimax measurements for general state estimation, we study the qubit case in detail and find that every spherical 2-design is a minimax measurement.
Desarrollo de recubrimientos a partir de silicato de zirconio de origen mineral mediante proyección térmica por llama oxiacetilénica para aplicación sobre ladrillos refractarios
Authors: Cardona Roger , Vargas Fabio
Published: March 2019

En el presente trabajo se documenta el desarrollo experimental empleado para obtener mediante proyección térmica por llama oxiacetilénica, recubrimientos a partir de arena de circonio (ZrSiO4) de origen mineral y de una mezcla de ZrSiO4 con 50 % en peso de alúmina comercial referencia Oerlikon-Metco 105 SFP. La arena de ZrSiO4 fue molida y tamizada, con el fin de seleccionar las fracciones de tamaño de partícula -37 +25 μm y -25 μm. Diferentes parámetros de proyección térmica fueron simulados con la herramienta computacional Jets et Poudres SPCTS versión 2002-2009 y las condiciones con mayor potencial para obtener recubrimientos fueron verificadas experimentalmente. Los recubrimientos elaborados sobre sustratos refractarios silico-aluminosos fueron caracterizados mediante MEB y DRX, encontrando que aquellos depositados a partir de la fracción de tamaño más fina, utilizando una llama producida con 22 y 70 L/min de acetileno y oxígeno respectivamente, a una distancia de proyección de 10 cm y con una velocidad de desplazamiento de la antorcha de 0,275 cm/s y con una rotación de los sustratos de 34,57 rpm fueron los que presentaron las mejores características estructurales. La porosidad de los recubrimientos fabricados a partir de la arena de circonio y de la mezcla ZrSiO4 con alúmina fueron de 30,5 ± 6,6% y 20,3 ± 9,2% en área y su dureza fue de 3.06±0.70 GPa y 6.0±0.30 GPa, respectivamente. A partir de los resultados obtenidos se concluye que es posible la utilización de este mineral como materia prima en el proceso de proyección térmica oxiacetilénica.
Corporate governance mechanisms and disclosure quality: Evidence from UK top 100 public companies
Authors: Alagla Saleh
Published: March 2019

This research is aimed to explore the determinants of corporate governance disclosures with emphasis on board structure and external audit. Theoretical and empirical literature shows conflicting evidence on how aspects of corporate governance are related to disclosures. This study carried out an extensive synthesis of the existing literature, taking into account the aims of analysis and the underlying situation of past studies, to come up with tentative answers to the research questions before the analysis. The paper adopts a balanced analysis in which disclosures are assumed to be as a result of both board and non-board factors but still within the corporate governance realm. In order to achieve the overall aim, the study sample was drawn from the existing list of UK’s Top 100 FTSE non-regulated firms.
A combination of quantitative statistical and business analytics methods was used to carry out the analysis. Using the Corporate Governance Disclosure Quality (CGDQ) index as the dependent variable and selected board and non-board factors as independent variables, pooled OLS regressions were run. The diagnostic tests were carried out to establish the relative contribution of each independent variable to the model. It was established that the age of board members, the proportion of female directors, the frequency of audit committee meetings, external audit expense, firm growth opportunities, and firm size were important determinants of CGDQ. It was suggested that future studies should investigate whether board structure is still an important determinant of corporate disclosures in the age of advanced information technology.
Assessment of Crisis Preparedness Resourcing to Stress Tests
Authors: Maléřová Lenka , Adamec Vilém , Vicente Romeu Da Silva , Brumar Jakub
Published: March 2019

Crisis preparedness of territorial units, as well as individual elements of their safety systems, can be verified in different ways. In the Czech Republic screening exercises are often used for these purposes. Testing exercises should take place in conditions as similar as possible to the real case scenarios. However, this is often not possible for different reasons (e.g. considerable costs associated to practicing actions). One option is the use of stress tests that are presently used (e.g. nuclear safety). The aim of this article is to highlight and discuss this issue and outline the possible approach to reliable solution.
Focusing on the clinical diagnosis and risk of hairy polyp: A report of 7 cases
Authors: Yu Zhaoyan , Cao Zhixin , Fu Haiyan , Wang Haibo
Published: March 2019

The hairy polyp is a rare congenital tumor. We introspected 7 cases of hairy polyp that were operated on in our hospital. Microscopically, they all contained only ectoderm and mesoderm tissue and the surface of tumors covered skin and hair regularly. One patient died of a hemorrhage and one girl`s hairy polyp occurred in nose. The result indicates that age, pedicle and thin hair are significant markers for the differential diagnosis of hairy polyp and it is important to closely follow a patient post operatively not only for airway obstruction but also hemorrhage.
ОСВІТНІ ПОСЛУГИ ЗАКЛАДІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ В МЕЖАХ ДЕРЖАВНОГО ЗАМОВЛЕННЯ ЯК ОБ’ЄКТ ВНУТРІШНЬОГО КОНТРОЛЮ
Authors: Chumakova Irina , Kravchenko Yuliia
Published: March 2019

Стаття присвячена вирішенню проблеми внутрішнього контролю освітніх послуг, що надаються закладами вищої освіти. Авторами визначено поняття й суб’єкти освітніх послуг та місце внутрішнього контролю в процесі формування та розміщення державного замовлення на надання освітньої послуги. Встановлено, що внутрішній контроль, який здійснює Міністерство освіти і науки України, є внутрішньосистемним. Обґрунтовано необхідність запровадження на рівні Міністерства освіти і науки України та закладу вищої освіти окремих типів контрольних процедур залежно від цілей їх застосування під час планування та виконання державного замовлення на підготовку фахівців із вищою освітою.
Students’ Perspective on the Use of Edmodo as an Assessment Tool
Authors: Etfita Fauzul
Published: March 2019

The lecturers are in search of exploring innovative assessment techniques in order to promote students skill. For assessing students’ language skills, the study introduces Edmodo. Being a web-based online technology, beside can provide all subject, Edmodo also allows students and teacher to post materials, share videos and links, grades, notices, and assignment. It enables teachers to work with their learners in real time, and can be used either in the class or at home. The special code assigned for a particular group which makes it secure and safe in use. The study focuses on how the use of edmodo as an assessment tool. 68 students from two classes that attending News and Report Writing Course in English Language Education Islamic University of Riau in Pekanbaru participated in various assessment activities through Edmodo during 2016/2017 academic year. Reflection of the students regarding the use of Edmodo as an assessment tool were obtained by semi-structured interviews. There were four questions which posed to the students conducted by the researcher. The result indicated that most of the students motivated and Edmodo also reduced their test anxiety to a great extent and they would prefer to be assessed through Edmodo rather than traditional asessment techniques like pen-and-paper test.
Student Perspective in Using Social Media As a Tool in English Language Learning
Authors: ISMAIL SYOFIANIS , Ahmad Marhamah , Zaim Muhammad , Mukhaiyar Mukhaiyar , Gistituati Nurhizrah
Published: March 2019

Abstract—Learning a foreign language by using social media at the University level is very important because social media has great potential to support student-centered learning as they are flexible, interactive, and resource–rich in nature. One of its drawbacks is the quality of online instruction that lead to unfavorable perception and perspective of the students. The objectives of this research are to analyze the students’ perceptions and perspectives in using Social Media as a tool in English Language learning. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the students of the English Study Program, Faculty of Education, the Islamic University of Riau. Research finding revealed that social media is very practical and useful for getting general information, knowledge and to increase their language competency.

Keywords — social media, perspective, language
THE INVOLVEMENT OF FATHER IN ORDER TO GIVE NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR CHILDREN
Authors: Ningsih Tri Ratna , Yanti Ariu Dewi
Published: March 2019

The under five children age is a nutritionally vulnerable group,therefore they require treatment including physical care with the provision of nutritious food especially from the father and mother. The purpose of this research is to know the involvement of father in giving nutritious food to under five children Mojokerto District. The research design is descriptive. The population is all fathers who have under five children as many as 38 people, taken entirely as a sample by using total sampling. The research variable is father's involvement in giving nutritious food to children. Data analysis using percentage.The results showed that most of father's involvement in nutritious food feeding on under-five children is not good as much as 23 people (60,5%). This is motivated by the status of the father who worked as an entrepreneur or not working, elementary education, 36-60 month old childrren and male sex, and working mothers.Time-consuming job as an entrepreneur plus a basic education leads children to may be financially fulfilled but less good in emotional and behaviour involvement. Moreover, the status of unemployment and basic education leads to poor financial and emotional support and behavior. 36-60 months of age and male sex is an active children and tend to be closer to the mother so the father is less involved. Similarly, the status of working mothers does not make the father more involved, because the father tends to require him to work that sacrifice togetherness with children.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS WITH GASTRITIS IN THE REGION OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE JATIREJO DISTRICT MOJOKERTO
Authors: MERBAWANI RARAS , SAJIDIN MOH , MUNFADLILA ASEF WILDAN
Published: March 2019

Gastritis is one of the most common problems of the digestive tract and increases annually. Gastritis is a pain that is not caused by disorders of the stomach organs but more often triggered by psychological stress factors. Stomach acid production will increase in stressful situations, eg in heavy workloads, panic and haste. Increased stomach acid levels can irritate the gastric mucosa. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of stress with recurrence of gastritis in the area of â€‹â€‹public health service jatirejo mojokerto . Design of an analytic survey study used a cohort design. Population was of all gastritis patients in puskesmas jatirejo mojokerto regency and get a sample of 35 people, taken with purposive sampling technique. Independent variable of stress level and dependent variable of recurrence of gastritis. The instrument used to measure stress is a questionnaire while the instrument used to measure the recurrence of gastritis is using an observation sheet. The research was conducted on 28 March-29 April. Data analysis used cross tabulation (crosstab). The results showed that most respondents had moderate stress level as many as 16 respondents and experienced recurrence as many as 13 respondents (81.2%) .This is caused by people who are vulnerable to stress, because the more vulnerable a person exposed to stress the higher the risk of gastritis
THE INFLUENCE OF HONEY CONSUMPTION TO HAEMOGLOBIN CONTESTS WHEN MENSTRUAL AT TEENAGE OF PRINCIPLES
Authors: Dewi Catur Prasastia lukita , Hatimah Husnul
Published: March 2019

Menstruation is one factor that can reduce hemoglobin levels in young women. Hemoglobin is a protein in the form of an iron-rich oxygen-carrying pigment. Pharmacological therapy that can increase hemoglobin levels include the consumption of honey. This study aims to determine the effect of honey consumption on changes in hemoglobin levels during menstruation in adolescent girls at Ma'had Aly Pondok Boarding School Salafiyah Syafi'iyah Sukorejo Situbondo Year 2017 This research design using pre-experiment design. A sample of 15 respondents who confirm the inclusion criteria. Sampling technique is by proportional stratified random sampling . From the 15 respondents , all of them in the given consumption of honey . The data obtained were processed with SPSS 16 software. The Analysis of the data used is the Wilcoxon signed rank test trials . The results showed that the effect of honey on changes in Haemoglobin levels during menstruation in adolescent girls, performed by statistical test using Wilcoxon test with the help of SPSS for 16.0 windows obtained result p = 0,001 <Î± = 0,05. Thus Ho is rejected and H1 accepted which means there is influence of giving honey to changes of hemoglobin level during menstruation in adolescent daughter. Honey is able to increase hemoglobin levels because the iron content contained in honey is very effective in raising the levels of hemoglobin in the blood, especially during menstruation. Therefore, it is expected that honey still needs to be continued so that the risk of anemia in adolescent menstruation can be minimized
EFFECTIVENESS OF GREEN TEA FEEDING TO DECREASE CHOLESTEROLLIN HIPERCOLESTROL PATIENTS AT VILLAGE TUNGGAL PAGER DISTRICT PUNGGING MOJOKERTO REGENCY
Authors: Supriani Anik , Chasanah Nur , Effendy Henny V Vidia , Sari Surya Mustika , Mardiana Heppy Rina , Widiyaswari Tri Ayu
Published: March 2019

Cholesterol disease is commonly suffered by obese people but did not rule out skinny people can also experience it. Green tea is one method in the management of cholesterol reduction in non-pharmacology. Green tea has the benefit of lowering cholesterol. The purpose of this researcher to analyze the effectiveness of green tea to decrease cholesterol.

The design of this study used pre-experiment with one group pre-test posttest. The population of 21 respondents using non-probability sampling with total sampling technique. The variables of this study were cholesterol first performed cholesterol assessment, independent variables Effectiveness of green tea and dependent variable decreased cholesterol levels.

The results before the green tea were given most of the high cholesterol as many as 13 respondents (61.9%), after being given a green tea for one week most of the cholesterol to 13 respondents (61.9%). The Wilcoxon statistic test obtained a significant value of 0.005 and showed that there was a considerable effect of green tea on cholesterol reduction.

The conclusion from the researchers is there is a significant effect of the effectiveness of green tea on changes in cholesterol levels. Cholesterol treatment performed twice a day morning and night regularly for one week. This research can also be applied in nursing care on respondents who experienced cholesterol and as well as prevention efforts cholesterol.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF METHOD, VIDEO, IMAGE, AND SONG ON HAND WASHING BEHAVIOR IN 1ST-3RD GRADERS OF SDIT PERMATA MULIA MOJOKERTO
Authors: Yulianto Yulianto , Lestari Yufi Aris , Suidah Hartin Hartin , Chasanah Nur Nur , Rosyidah Nanik Nur
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Hand washing is an activity of removing microorganism from hand using soap and flowing water. Video, image, and song methods are the ones that can be used for school-age children to provide health education about hand washing. The objective of research was to find out the effectiveness of video, image, and song methods on hand washing behavior. Method: This study was a research using Pre-experiment design with pre-post test design, the one using causal relationship without control group participation. The population of research consisting of 90 students. Technique of analyzing data used was to compare mean scores of video, image, and song methods. Result: The result of research showed that the mean score of hand washing ability in video group was 2.183 before intervention and 5.727 after intervention; there was an increase by 3.545 point in the mean score of hand washing ability. In Image group, the mean score of hand washing ability was 2.273 before intervention and 4.545 after intervention; there was increase by 2.273 in the mean score of hand washing ability. Meanwhile, in song group, the mean score of hand washing ability was 2.273 before intervention and 6.00 after intervention; there was increase by 3.727 in the mean score of hand washing ability. Analysis and Discussion: Respondents in song group had highest increase in the hand washing ability compared with those in video and image groups. Song method could be an alternative choice for hand washing practice.