bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review identifying common data items in neonatal trials and assessing their completeness in routinely recorded United Kingdom national neonatal data
Authors: Jawad Sena , Modi Neena , Prevost A Toby , Gale Chris
Published: May 2019

Background

We aimed to test whether a common set of key data items reported across high impact neonatal clinical trials could be identified, and to quantify their completeness in routinely recorded United Kingdom neonatal data held in the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD).

Methods

We systematically reviewed neonatal clinical trials published in four high impact medical journals over 10 years (2006-2015) and extracted baseline characteristics, stratification items, and potential confounders used to adjust primary outcomes. Completeness was examined using data held in the NNRD for identified data items, for infants admitted to neonatal units in 2015. The NNRD is a repository of routinely recorded data extracted from neonatal Electronic Patient Records (EPR) of all admissions to National Health Service (NHS) Neonatal Units in England, Wales and Scotland. We defined missing data as an empty field or an implausible value. We reported common data items as frequencies and percentages alongside percentages of completeness.

Results

We identified 44 studies involving 32,095 infants and 126 data items. Fourteen data items were reported by more than 20% of studies. Gestational age (95%), sex (93%) and birth weight (91%) were the most common baseline data items. The completeness of data in the NNRD was high for these data with greater than 90% completeness found for 9 of the 14 most common items.

Conclusion

High impact neonatal clinical trials share common data items. In the United Kingdom, these items can be obtained at a high level of completeness from routinely recorded data held in the NNRD. The efficiency of neonatal clinical trials could be increased by using high quality, routinely recorded EPR data such as that held in the NNRD rather than collecting these items anew.

Registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42016046138, registered prospectively 17th August 2016
Poultry Litter and Cover Crop Integration into No‐till Cotton on Upland Soil
Authors: Adeli Ardeshir , Brooks John P. , Read John J. , Shankle Mark W. , Feng Gary , Jenkins Johnie N.
Published: May 2019

Core Ideas

Applying poultry litter to the top of cover crop residue increased lint yield in drier years.

This practice enhanced cotton lint yield, soil C, and soil health.

This practice reduced NO3–N and water‐soluble P by 49 and 22% in 5‐cm soil depth, a zone of plant–soil–water interactions.

The influence of poultry litter (PL) and cover crops have under no‐till cropping systems in Mississippi upland soils on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield and subsequent soil health are largely unknown. A 4‐yr field study was conducted to determine the effect of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop and PL on cotton lint yield in narrow (0.75 m) and conventional (1.01 m) row spacings. The experimental design was split‐split plot with three replications. The cover crop treatment was assigned to the main plots. Within the cover crop treatment, a narrow row spacing compared to conventional row spacing as subplots. Fertilization treatments included unfertilized control, inorganic N fertilizer (112 kg N ha−1) and PL (6.7 Mg ha−1). Lint yield was significantly greater with PL than inorganic fertilizer each year. Lint yield in a dry season was significantly greater with cover crop treatment. However, following the cessation of PL in 2017, lint yield increased by 12% in the absence of cover crop residue. As compared to unfertilized control, applying PL in the presence of cover crop residue enhanced soil C by 22% and water aggregate stability by 7.4% and reduced soil penetration resistance and bulk density by 9 and 3.5%, respectively. Applying PL for 3 years increased soil levels of both gram‐negative bacteria, 16S rRNA, and ureC, while planting cover crop doubled heterotrophic plate count bacteria. Integration of PL and cover crop residue in a no‐till cotton increased lint yield and improved soil quality indicators.
Seed‐Drill Opener Type and Crop Residue Load Affect Canola Establishment, but Only Residue Load Affects Yield
Authors: Swanepoel P.A. , le Roux P. J. G. , Agenbag G. A. , Strauss J. A. , MacLaren C.
Published: May 2019

Core Ideas

Canola establishment can be affected by the residues of the previous crop.

Different planting tools may handle crop residue differently.

Tine and disc furrow openers at different residue loads were tested.

Canola performed best when established with tine openers and when residue load is low.

Handling crop residue during planting operations is a challenge to conservation agriculture (CA) farmers worldwide. It remains unclear which tools are most effective in which conditions. Canola (Brassica napus L.), an oilseed crop widely used in rotation with cereals, is particularly sensitive to seedbed conditions, and thus may be influenced by residue loads and the choice of seed‐drill openers. To identify optimal planting practices, this study compared the performance of disc and tine openers on canola establishment, growth, and yield under differing residue loads in a Mediterranean‐type climate region. First, soil disturbance caused by disc and tine openers was evaluated to assess their effect on seedbed conditions; and second, the interacting effects of the openers with different residue loads was investigated. Tine openers and low crop residue loads resulted in the best (P < 0.05) canola establishment. However, canola at reduced plant populations compensated in both biomass and grain yield, so that no yield differences resulted from different opener types, and only small yield differences occurred between residue loads (P > 0.05).
How Meaningful are Plot‐Scale Observations and Simulations of Preferential Flow for Catchment Models?
Authors: Glaser Barbara , Jackisch Conrad , Hopp Luisa , Klaus Julian
Published: May 2019

Core Ideas

We tested a range of dual‐permeability parameterizations at plot and catchment scale.

Well‐performing parameters at plot scale did not clearly improve catchment simulation.

Vertical preferential flow was important for simulating plot‐scale observations.

At catchment scale, it appeared more important to consider fast lateral subsurface flow.

This showed that different nonuniform flow processes are critical at different scales.

Despite ubiquitous field observations of nonuniform flow processes, preferential flow paths are rarely considered in hydrological models, especially at catchment scale. In this study, we investigated the extent to which plot‐scale observations of preferential flow paths are informative for rainfall–runoff simulations at larger scales. We used data from three plot‐scale irrigation experiments in the Weierbach catchment (Luxembourg) to identify preferential flow parameterizations via a Monte Carlo simulation with HydroGeoSphere. Subsequently, we tested whether these parameter sets could be used directly to simulate the hydrological response of the Weierbach headwater with a HydroGeoSphere catchment model. The Monte Carlo simulations showed that the different depth profiles of Br− tracer observed in irrigation experiments could be reproduced when vertical preferential flow was simulated with a dual‐permeability approach. However, it was not possible to identify unique parameter values for preferential flow. The direct transfer of a range of different dual‐permeability parameter sets to the catchment model revealed that the variability of simulated hydrometric catchment responses (discharge and soil moisture over 18 mo) was independent of the variability among the three irrigation experiments. More importantly, the dual‐permeability approach did not improve the match between simulated and observed discharge and soil moisture responses compared with the single‐domain reference model, where multiple soil layers with differing hydraulic conductivities had already been implemented. This suggests that including structures that allow nonuniform lateral flow was more important for reproducing the hydrological response in the Weierbach catchment than the vertical preferential flow observed at plot scale.
Influences of Macropores on Infiltration into Seasonally Frozen Soil
Authors: Demand Dominic , Selker John S. , Weiler Markus
Published: May 2019

Core Ideas

Macropores allow water infiltration into a frozen soil close to 0°C and at high water saturation.

Connected biopores channel water beneath the frozen layer.

Frozen layer thickness in relation to connected macroporosity is a crucial factor.

Infrared thermography can be used to measure frozen layer extent and variability.

Water frozen in soil can reduce the soil infiltrability, depending on the water content. We hypothesize that air‐filled macropores control the infiltration of a seasonally frozen soil under high saturation degrees. Sprinkling experiments with different intensities on a seasonally frozen soil were conducted in two winters at high initial water contents. Brilliant Blue FCF (BB) was sprinkled on four plots equipped with soil moisture and temperature probes to mark flow paths. Frozen layer thickness was measured with infrared thermography of soil sections and overlaid with BB images. The frost depth of the experiments was 8 to 15 cm. Infiltration rates showed reduced infiltration compared with unfrozen conditions. By impeding refreezing of the infiltrating water with added NaCl, infiltration rates of 23 to 29 mm h−1 were measured. Without the addition of salt, the infiltration rates decreased to 5 to 10 mm h−1, attributed to pore blockage by refreezing water. Temperature measurements revealed that the frozen layer only thawed close to the soil surface during the experiments. Blue‐stained areas indicated that water was channeled through the frozen layer into the unfrozen soil. In addition, the soil moisture probes below the frozen layer measured an increase in unfrozen water content, whereas total water content in the frozen layer was constant. These observations were explained by a connected air‐filled porosity, such as biopores, which allowed water flow even under high initial water contents. These results illustrate the importance of macroporosity in relation to frost depth in controlling the infiltrability of seasonally frozen soils.
The Effect of Intraparticle Porosity and Interparticle Voids on the Hydraulic Properties of Soilless Media
Authors: Hill Jenny , Sleep Brent , Drake Jennifer , Fryer Marisa
Published: May 2019

Core Ideas

Green roofs comprise a soilless medium over an atmospheric equilibrated space.

Green roofs represent microcosms of capillary fringe and vadose zone hydraulics.

Bulk properties come from the interparticle voids and the intraparticle pores.

Capillary retention is fundamental for water storage in a green roof system.

Design specifications for green roofs should focus on using a well‐graded medium.

An essential component of a building‐integrated vegetation system, such as an extensive green roof, is the layer of lightweight planting medium that supports rooting and stores water. Predicting and describing the stormwater management performance of green roofs requires reliable data regarding the water retention properties of the planting medium. Ten materials proposed for use on green roofs, including four mineral components, three biological components, and three commercial blends, were characterized through measurement of their water release curves (WRCs). In combination with the particle size distributions, the resultant data demonstrate that some of the materials contain measurable intraparticle pore networks in addition to the interparticle void spaces described in classical soil hydrology. The WRCs were also used to model the maximum water storage under static equilibrium conditions throughout a 15‐cm profile of each material. In freely draining, unsaturated green roof systems, the role of the intraparticle pores may be limited to increasing microscale roughness of particle surfaces, thereby reducing film flow under drier conditions. The highly organic, biologically derived materials—screened compost, bark fines, and shredded wood—demonstrated hydrophobicity when air dried, but wetting occurred within <30 min on all occasions, which would be within the time frame of many rainstorms. As with natural soils, the saturated hydraulic conductivity was lower in materials with a higher proportion of fines (<106 μm).
GABAergic transmission and modulation of anxiety: A review on molecular aspects
Authors: Gomes Francisco Isaac Fernandes , Aragão Maria Gerusa Brito , Bezerra Mirna Marques , Chaves Hellíada Vasconcelos
Published: May 2019

Stress responses activate protective mechanisms to achieve homeostasis, but they can be detrimental when such responses become maladaptive. Anxiety relates to risk assessment of a potential threat and involves uncertainty regarding the anticipation of a threatening situation and it dampers quality of life. Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory system in the central nervous system and plays a key role in the regulation of neuronal transmission in the brain, affecting many physiological and psychological processes. This mini-review aims to summarize key points concerned with the GABAergic transmission and basic aspects related to the GABAergic system in anxiety.
Antibacterial effect of some wild medicinal plants in Palestine against multidrug resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolate
Authors: Abdallah Lubna , Omar Ghadeer
Published: May 2019

Due to the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens, plants are being an excellent alternate to fight the further spread of multidrug resistant microorganisms. In this study, six plant species grown wildly in Palestine were used to determine their efficacy against multidrug resistant clinical isolate of Escherichia coli. The dried areal parts of Calamintha incana, Lupins pilosus, Parietaria judica, Satureja thymbra, Thymbra spicata and Verbascum fruticulosum were extracted with water, ethanol and methanol solvents. All extracts were screened for their antibacterial activity using micro-dilution method. Plant extraction with alcohol solvents provided stronger antibacterial effect compared to the aqueous ones. All alcoholic extracts have an inhibitory effect against E. coli except the ethanol extract of L. pilosus and the methanol extracts of V. fruticulosum and C. incana. Moreover, C. incana aqueous extract was the only aqueous extract with bacteriostatic activity. Among the studied plant species, ethanol extract of T. spicata was the most potent one with MBC value 12.5 mg/mL. However, P. judica ethanol extract which exhibited the best MIC effect (6.25 mg/mL) killed E. coli isolate at a 25 mg/mL. In conclusion, obtained results confirmed the efficacy of using some plant extracts as natural antibacterial alternatives. Therefore, it suggests the possibility of using them as drugs for the treatment of other multidrug resistant bacterial isolates.
Effect of culture filtrates of pathogenic and antagonistic fungi on seed germination of some economically important vegetables
Authors: Parveen Shazia , Wani Abdul Hamid , Bhat Mohd Yaqub
Published: May 2019

The subject of present study was to check whether the pathogenic fungi that were associated with different rot diseases of fruits and vegetables and the antagonistic fungal species produce extracellular growth regulating substances. For this present study healthy seeds of four economically important crop plants, viz. Solanum lycopersicum, Brassica rapa, Raphanus sativus and Trigonella melongena were selected. The results showed that all the pathogenic fungi except Fusarium solani decrease the germination percentage of the all seeds. Solanum lycopersicum seed germination was completely inhibited by the culture filtrate of Trichothecium roseum and Alternaria alternata. Likewise, the culture filtrate of Penicillium expansum caused complete inhibition of the germination of Brassica rapa seeds. The culture filtrate of Fusarium solani was found to increase the germination percentage of all the seeds tested during the present study. Amongst the three Trichoderma spp., T. asperellum and T. harzianum culture filtrate effectively increases the seed germination percentage of all the seeds tested while the culture filtrate of T. viride have negative effect on the germination percentage of Solanum lycopersicum, Brassica rapa, and Raphanus sativus seeds. This stimulatory or inhibitory effect of the culture filtrates can be attributed to the presence of certain metabolites/substances that the test fungi have released in the medium. To identify the substances present and the nature of these substances further studies will be carried out.
Physicochemical study of Delphinium denudatum Wall (Ranunculales: Ranunculaceae) and their antioxidant activity
Authors: Gupta Anil Kumar , Khan Mahfoozurrahman , Khan Danish
Published: May 2019

The drug jadwar known as Delphinium denudatum Wall (Ranunculales: Ranunculaceae), the jadwar consist of dried tuberous roots of D. denudatum. An annual glabrous or slightly downy herbs found is Western Himalayas from Kumaon to Kashmir at altitudes of 3,000 m to 4,500 m specially on grassy slopes. It is distinguished by its relatively small blue and violet color and it is one of the important drugs used as indigenous medicine in India, especially in where isolated from the petroleum ether-soluble fraction of roots of D. denudatum. Jadwar widely used in traditional unani system of medicine for the treatment of a variety of human ailments including epilepsy. In order to increase the bioavailability, the nanophytosome of the D. denudatum root aqueous fraction (DNP) was prepared, characterized and evaluation. The phospholipids complex of the obtain aqueous fraction (AF) was prepared with phospholipon 90H. The size of nanophytosome was determined by dynamic light scattering. HPTLC fingerprinting of the AF was also performed.
The development of talent management in Malaysian public sector: a comprehensive review
Authors: Sakthi Ananthan Sharmaine , Abdul Manaf Halimah , Hidayati Mega , Suluh Kusuma Dewi Dian
Published: May 2019

The aim of this current study was to analyze recent development of talent management among public service managers in Malaysia. The study brings understanding on talent management and broader human capital issues within Malaysia context by analysing the comprehensive literature. Government of Malaysia is emphasizing on development of talent in the public sector, as it is the most significant resource for the public service. The study found that the government has invested in various programs and initiatives to develop and produce key talented human capital within the public sector. However, despite the initiatives taken by the government, Malaysia is still short of talented people and struggling to develop talent, and talented skilful people are leaving. The study also indicated that year after year increasing number of graduates are being produced at the public universities, but the education system is not producing the right skilful individuals for the particular position or task, resulting in talent mismatch. Another key issue is the incapability to retain talented people that led to poor innovation and creativity within the country. Is key issue is part of the factors discussed in the 10th and 11th Malaysia Plan, and is a concern, as it plays a role in preventing the progress of Malaysia in achieving a developed nation by 2020. As one of the key aspirations of Malaysia is to enrich public service in Malaysia as a citizen centre that is having talented human capital. The study revealed that there is a need for in-depth quantitative and qualitative further research to discover new insights on talent management and retain talent among the public sector managers in Malaysia.
First detection and molecular characterization of kobuvirus from a dog in Turkey
Authors: AKKUTAY-YOLDAR ZEYNEP , B. TAYLAN KOÇ , T. ÇIĞDEM OĞUZOĞLU
Published: May 2019

Canine kobuvirus (CaKVs) is a newly emerging virus detected in dogs in several countries. However, kobuvirus infection has not yet been described in domestic carnivores in Turkey. In this study, we tested blood and rectal swab samples to determine the presence of kobuvirus in a dog with clinical symptoms by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using 3D (RNA polymerase) region primers of canine kobuviruses. To provide molecular characterization data, the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method was used for the phylogenetic analyses. The PCR product of the partial protein-coding region of the 3D protein gene from the rectal swab was amplified, purified, and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences suggests that our CaKV strain was closely related to US-CaKVs,and placed on a monophyletic clade as a sister branch localized in the CaKV cluster. These results indicate that CaKV exists in dogs in Turkey. With a similarity of 94.2–96.1%, it is like other CaKVs. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CaKV infection of a dog by in Turkey. Further studies are needed to determine its role in dog gastrointestinal infections.
TABLING WITH INTERNED TERMS ON CONTEXTUAL ABDUCTION
Authors: Ibrohim Muhammad Okky , Saptawijaya Ari
Published: May 2019

Abduction (also called abductive reasoning) is a form of logical inference which starts with an observation and is followed by finding the best explanations. In this paper, we improve the tabling in contextual abduction technique with an advanced tabling feature of XSB Prolog, namely tabling with interned terms. This feature enables us to store the abductive solutions as interned ground terms in a global area only once so that the use of table space to store abductive solutions becomes more efficient. We implemented this improvement to a prototype, called as TABDUAL+INT. Although the experiment result shows that tabling with interned terms is relatively slower than tabling without interned terms when used to return first solutions from a subgoal, tabling with interned terms is relatively faster than tabling without interned terms when used to returns all solutions from a subgoal. Furthermore, tabling with interned terms is more efficient in table space used when performing abduction both in artificial and real world case, compared to tabling without interned terms.
Sustainable potentials and Limitations of Using Media Façades in Egypt
Authors: Gawad Iman O. , Bahgat Houssameldeen , Mohamed Rana Osama
Published: May 2019

Media Façade is expressed in many cities by providing new attractive city images. The term „Media Façade‟ is a façade that is functionally and aesthetically specific and thus it represents the integration of architecture, technology. This integration is applied to represent new form of modern art and communication (Haeusler et al., 2012). Implementing new technology such as " Media Façade "following the purpose of fashion trend or adding new stylistic feature without being well studied will cause a massive impact on architecture. This technology " Media Façade " started to be used in Egypt in various buildings with different functions. This paper will firstly illustrate what is Media Façade then state the social, cultural and environmental impacts of these techniques by analyzing local examples using SWOT analysis.
A proposed hybrid rainfall simulation model: bootstrap aggregated classification tree–artificial neural network (BACT-ANN) for the Langat River Basin, Malaysia
Authors: Lian Chau Yuan , Huang Yuk Feng , Ng Jing Lin , Mirzaei Majid , Koo Chai Hoon , Tan Kok Weng
Published: May 2019

Climate change is a global issue posing threats to the human population and water systems. As Malaysia experiences a tropical climate with intense rainfall occurring throughout the year, accurate rainfall simulations are particularly important to provide information for climate change assessment and hydrological modelling. An artificial intelligence-based hybrid model, the bootstrap aggregated classification tree–artificial neural network (BACT-ANN) model, was proposed for simulating rainfall occurrences and amounts over the Langat River Basin, Malaysia. The performance of this proposed BACT-ANN model was evaluated and compared with the stochastic non-homogeneous hidden Markov model (NHMM). The observed daily rainfall series for the years 1975–2012 at four rainfall stations have been selected. It was found that the BACT-ANN model performed better however, with slight underproductions of the wet spell lengths. The BACT-ANN model scored better for the probability of detection (POD), false alarm rate (FAR) and the Heidke skill score (HSS). The NHMM model tended to overpredict the rainfall occurrence while being less capable with the statistical measures such as distribution, equality, variance and statistical correlations of rainfall amount. Overall, the BACT-ANN model was considered the more effective tool for the purpose of simulating the rainfall characteristics in Langat River Basin.
Trace Determination of Tamoxifen using Optimized Solvent Bar Microextraction and HPLC-UV
Authors: Behbahani Persia , Ghasemi Nahid , Qomi Mahnaz , Tahvildari Kambiz
Published: May 2019

Background:

Tamoxifen (Soltamox) is an antineoplastic agent and an estrogen receptor antagonist
used to treat breast cancer, but have severe side effects such as hot flashes, vaginal discharge,
etc. Dose monitoring is a necessity for optimum treatment, to prevent severe adverse effects.

Methods:

In this study, the solvent bar microextraction method (SBME) was used for preconcentration
and microextraction coupled with High-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV)
analysis of tamoxifen.

Results:

The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 13.3 and 40 μgL-1, respectively. The
linear range was between 40 and 10000 μgL-1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The enrichment
factor was 169 and the relative standard deviation within-day and between-day were 3.6 and 4.0, respectively.

Conclusion:

The use of sensitive SBME method coupled with HPLC-UV analysis for detection of tamoxifen
at trace level proved to be successful, offering a desirable preconcentration factor, and a costeffective
and green set-up for determining its rate of elimination from cancer patients and wastewater.
Recent Electrochemical Assays on Cephalosporins
Authors: Karadurmus Leyla , Eşme Kaan , Bakirhan Nurgul K. , Ozkan Sibel A.
Published: May 2019

:

Antibiotics are an important class among drugs because they are a significant agent to
deal with infections. Cephalosporins are a very important group of antibiotics in the β-lactam class.
The cephalosporins are semisynthetic antibiotics derived from products of the fungus Cephalosporium.
Cephalosporins are classified as first, second, third, fourth, and advanced generation,
based largely on their antibacterial spectrum and stability to β-lactamases. Electrochemical methods
have been used for the determination of cephalosporin just as used in the determination of
many antibiotic drugs. Electroanalytical methods present generally high sensitivity, low cost, low
requirements, ease of preparation of the samples in a very short time, and a short analysis time.
The most commonly used types are cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, square
wave voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry. The aim of this review is to evaluate the advantages
and uses of electroanalytical methods used in the determination of cephalosporins. In
addition, current applications of the methods to the pharmaceutical analysis of cephalosporins will
also be summarized in a table.
A Versatile Stability-indicating Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Atenolol, Hydrochlorothiazide and Chlorthalidone
Authors: Elkady Ehab Farouk , Fouad Marwa Ahmed , Faquih Abdulgabar A. Ezzy
Published: May 2019

Background:

Atenolol is a selective beta 1 blocker that can be used alone or in combination
with hydrochlorothiazide or with chlorthalidone for the treatment of hypertension and prevention from a
heart attack.

Objective:

The main target of this work was to improve modern, easy, accurate and selective liquid
chromatographic method (RP-HPLC) for the determination of these drugs in the presence of their degradation
products. These methods can be used as analytical gadgets in quality control laboratories for a
routine examination.

Methods:

In this method, the separation was accomplished through an Inertsil® ODS-3V C18 column
(250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 μm), the mobile phase used was 25 mM aqueous potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate
solution adjusted to pH 6.8 by using 0.1M sodium hydroxide and acetonitrile (77 : 23, v/v),
the flow rate used was 1 ml/min and detection was achieved at 235 nm using UV.

Results:

All peaks were sharp and well separated, the retention times were atenolol degradation (ATN
Deg.) 2.311 min, atenolol (ATN) 2.580 min, hydrochlorothiazide degradation (HCT Deg.) 5.890 min,
hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) 7.016 min, chlorthalidone degradation CTD Deg 8.018 min and chlorthalidone
(CTD) 14.972 min. Linearity was obtained and the range of concentrations was 20- 160 μg/ml for
atenolol, 10-80 μg/ml for hydrochlorothiazide and 10-80 μg/ml for chlorthalidone. According to ICH
guidelines, method validation was accomplished, these methods include linearity, accuracy, selectivity,
precision and robustness.

Conclusion:

The optimized method demonstrated to be specific, robust and accurate for the quality
control of the cited drugs in pharmaceutical dosage forms.
Natural Products for Regulating Macrophages M2 Polarization
Authors: Chang Zhen , Wang Youhan , Liu Chang , Smith Wanli , Kong Lingbo
Published: May 2019

Macrophages M2 polarization have been taken as an anti-inflammatory progression during inflammation. Natural plant-derived products, with potential therapeutic and preventive activities against inflammatory diseases, have received increasing attention in recent years because of their whole regulative effects and specific pharmacological activities. However, the molecular mechanisms about how different kinds of natural compounds regulate macrophages polarization still unclear. Therefore, in the current review, we summarized the detailed research progress on the active compounds derived from herbal plants with regulating effects on macrophages, especially M2 polarization. These natural occurring compounds including flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, lignans, coumarins, alkaloids, polyphenols and quinones. In addition, we extensively discussed the cellular mechanisms underlying the M2 polarization for each compound, which could provide potential therapeutic strategies aiming macrophages M2 polarization.
Understanding and Addressing Variation in Health Care–Associated Infections After Durable Ventricular Assist Device Therapy: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)
Authors: Chandanabhumma P Paul , Fetters Michael D , Pagani Francis D , Malani Preeti N , Hollingsworth John M , Funk Russell J , Aaronson Keith D , Zhang Min , Kormos Robert L , Chenoweth Carol E , Shore Supriya , Watt Tessa M F , Cabrera Lourdes , Likosky Donald
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

Durable ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy is reserved for patients with advanced heart failure who have a poor estimated 1-year survival. However, despite highly protocolized management processes, patients are at a unique risk for developing a health care–associated infection (HAI). Few studies have examined optimal strategies for HAI prevention after durable VAD implantation, despite variability in rates across centers and their impact on short- and long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to develop recommendations for preventing the most significant HAIs after durable VAD implantation. The study has 3 specific aims: (1) identify determinants of center-level variability in HAI rates, (2) develop comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators for achieving low center-level HAI rates, and (3) develop and disseminate a best practices toolkit for preventing HAIs that accommodates various center contexts.

METHODS

This is a sequential mixed methods study starting with a cross-sectional assessment of current practices. To address aim 1, we will conduct (1) a systematic review of HAI prevention studies and (2) in-depth quantitative analyses using administrative claims, in-depth clinical data, and organizational surveys of VAD centers. For aim 2, we will apply a mixed methods patient tracer assessment framework to conduct semistructured interviews, field observations, and document analysis informed by findings from aim 1 at 5 high-performing (ie, low HAIs) and 5 low-performing (ie, high HAI) centers, which will be examined using a mixed methods case series analysis. For aim 3, we will build upon the findings from the previous aims to develop and field test an HAI preventive toolkit, acquire stakeholder input at an annual cardiac surgical conference, disseminate the final version to VAD centers nationwide, and conduct follow-up surveys to assess the toolkit’s adoption.

RESULTS

The project was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2018 and enrollment for the overall project is ongoing. Data analysis is currently under way and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

This mixed methods study seeks to quantitatively assess the determinants of HAIs across clinical centers and qualitatively identify the context-specific facilitators and barriers for attaining low HAI rates. The mixed data findings will be used to develop and disseminate a stakeholder-acceptable toolkit of evidence-based HAI prevention recommendations that will accommodate the specific contexts and needs of VAD centers.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/14701
Awareness of Diabetic Eye Diseases among Diabetic In-Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, cross sectional study. (Preprint)
Authors: Basheikh Ahmed Abdulrahman , Bashamakh Lujain Faisal , Aljawi Anan Abdulghaffar , Al-Gamdi Ibtihal Oudah , Bahashwan Mariya Saeed , Ismail Samaher Jabril , Filemban Athal Kamal , Khojah Mona Saddig
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

Background: Saudi Arabia is the second most common country affected by diabetes mellitus in the Middle East, and it is the seventh in the world. Approximately 10% of diabetic patients develop visual impairment and blindness due to ocular complications. These could be prevented by increasing awareness.

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To assess the awareness of diabetic eye disease among diabetic in-patients.

METHODS

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 241 diabetic in-patients at treated between 2014 and 2017 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected through a telephone-based interview and analysis was performed using SPSS. The chi-square test was used to investigate the relationship between demographic data and awareness to diabetic eye disease.

RESULTS

Results: A total of 241 patients were included in the analyses. Of these, 140 (58.1%) were males. Approximately 80.9% of the patients knew about diabetic eye disease. Patients with a higher educational level and economic status were more aware about diabetic eye disease. A considerable proportion of the patients (79.7%) were aware that retinopathy could be caused by diabetes. Conversely, only 41.9% and 32.8% were aware that cataract and glaucoma could be caused by diabetes mellitus, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusion: Most patients were aware of the ophthalmologic complications of diabetes. Despite being aware of diabetic retinopathy, more than half of the patients did not know that it was curable; hence, more public health education is needed.
Pengaruh Dana Pihak Ketiga (DPK), Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF) terhadap Likuiditas Bank Umum Syariah (BUS) Periode 2015-2017
Authors: Utami Mayvina Surya Mahardhika , Muslikhati Muslikhati
Published: May 2019

This research present to analyze the Third Party Fund (DPK), Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF) to liquidity in Islamic Bank as a whole. The period used in this study is 2015 to 2017. This research type and uses an approach to not exist or not based on one or more variables. The variables in this research are Third Party Fund (DPK), Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF). While the dependent variable in this research is liquidity at Sharia Commercial Bank. The data used is secondary data from webside BI and OJK, while the data analysis technique is Multiple Regression Analysis. The results of this study indicate that the variable of Third Party Funds (DPK), Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), Non Performing Financing (NPF) simultaneously have a significant influence on the level of liquidity. While partially DPK and NPF have a significant influence, whereas CAR has no significant effect.
What to communicate: selecting the information content to increase the demand for food products
Authors: Garrido-Castro Elisa , Torres-Ruiz Francisco José
Published: May 2019

Studies about how to convey a message through a communication campaign abound, but another important aspect is what to communicate, in other words, selecting the information content of the campaign. In many situations where the degree of knowledge is directly related to consumption of a food product, choosing what to communicate is crucial. The present study proposes a model to decide what the consumer needs to know in order to take the decision to consume. The model is based on a Qualitative Comparative Analysis method with some subsequent conversions. It was applied to a real situation: selecting the information content of a communication campaign to boost the consumption of virgin olive oils in the Spanish market. The main findings suggest that campaigns should inform about virgin olive oils are the highest quality and most healthy, that there is a basic difference between olive oil and virgin olive oil in that olive oil is a mixture of virgin and refined olive oils, and that they are both equally fattening.
AKTIVITAS ANTIOSTEOPOROSIS FRAKSI n-HEKSANA DAUN Marsilea crenata Presl. DALAM MENINGKATKAN KEPADATAN TULANG TRABEKULAR VERTEBRA MENCIT BETINA
Authors: Agil Mangestuti , Ma'arif Burhan , Aemi Nyimas Yusma
Published: May 2019

Marsilea crenata Presl. merupakan salah satu tanaman khas Jawa Timur, Indonesia yang diduga mengandung estrogen-like substance. Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk menguji aktivitas fitoestrogen dalam daun M. crenata dalam meningkatkan kepadatan tulang trabekular vertebra mencit betina, yang diinduksi deksametason 0,0029 mg/20gBB menit/hari sebagai model osteoporosis.   Ada lima kelompok perlakuan; kontrol negatif, kontrol positif (induksi alendronate 0,026 mg/20gBB mencit/hari) dan fraksi n-heksana M. crenata pada tiga konsentrasi yang berbeda, yaitu 1,54 mg/20gBB mencit/hari; 1,54 mg/20gBB mencit/hari dikombinasikan dengan latihan fisik; dan 3,08 mg/20gBW mencit/hari. Hasil menunjukkan ketebalan trabekular vertebra masing-masing kelompok, yaitu: 5,5 ± 0,7 µm (kelompok kontrol negatif), 8,2 ± 0,4 µm (kelompok kontrol positif), 6,5 ± 0,4 µm (fraksi n-heksana pada dosis 1,54 mg/20gBB), 8,1 ± 0,6 µm (fraksi n-heksana pada dosis 1,54 mg/20gBB dikombinasikan dengan latihan fisik), dan 8,0 ± 0,3 µm (fraksi n-heksana pada dosis 3,08 mg/20gBB). Berdasarkan hasil tersebut, semua dosis fraksi n-heksana M. crenata memiliki aktivitas dalam meningkatkan kepadatan tulang trabekular vertebra mencit betina, dengan dosis optimum pada dosis 1,54 mg/20gBB dikombinasikan dengan latihan fisik dan dosis 3.08 mg/20gBB. Aktivitas ini dapat terjadi karena kandungan fitoestrogen pada fraksi n-heksana daun M. crenata, yang dapat menggantikan fungsi estrogen dalam ikatannya dengan ER di dalam tulang.
EL VALOR ECONÓMICO AGREGADO (EVA) EN EL VALOR DEL NEGOCIO
Authors: Li Bonilla Federico
Published: May 2019

El Valor Económico Agregado (EVA) es el importe que queda en una empresa una vez cubiertas la totalidad de los gastos y la rentabilidad mínima proyectada o estimada por los administradores. La principal innovación del EVA es, por un lado, la incorporación del costo del capital en el cálculo del resultado del Negocio y, por otro, la modificación del comportamiento de los administradores, quienes pasan a actuar como si fueran ellos mismos los accionistas, y esperaran, al igual que éstos, el mayor rédito por sus inversiones en la empresa. El EVA es una herramienta que brinda información imprescindible sobre ciertos indicadores financieros a la hora de analizar los resultados de la gestión financiera; entre ellos, los factores que inciden en la generación de valor en la empresa, y específicamente, en el Valor del Negocio. Adicionalmente, el concepto incorpora activos que casi nunca se toman en cuenta y no aparecen en los estados financieros de las empresas como activos intangibles; por ejemplo, el Valor del Conocimiento, el cual se encuentra depositado en los colaboradores de la organización.
EL MODELO DE LA TRIPLE HÉLICE COMO UN MEDIO PARA LA VINCULACIÓN ENTRE LA UNIVERSIDAD Y EMPRESA
Authors: Chang Castillo Helene Guiselle
Published: May 2019

El artículo se desarrolla sobre la base teórica del modelo de la Triple Hélice que considera las relaciones existentes de cooperación entre la Universidad-Empresa-Gobierno. Se pretende hacer un acercamiento sobre la importancia para las empresas, el gobierno y la universidad de esta vinculación para la creación de nuevos conocimientos, y de actividades de innovación para el desarrollo de un país. El análisis de la teoría consultada, deja manifiesto que existe una amplia gama de estudios que contemplan la Triple Hélice como un modelo que se está desarrollando tanto en América Latina, Asia y Europa. El cambio tecnológico, la necesidad de cooperación y de establecer alianzas, entre las empresas, es necesario para que exista una mayor participación en el mercado y se desarrolle más a fondo la vinculación existente entre la Universidad y la Empresa. Del estudio realizado, se mencionan factores facilitadores y obstáculos que se encontraron al analizar la temática planteada, sobre la vinculación universidad-empresa. Estos aspectos son considerados relevantes a la hora de realizar estudios bajo esta perspectiva
EVALUACIÓN Y CALIFICACIÓN DEL DESEMPEÑO, DESAFÍOS PARA LA ACTIVIDAD ACADÉMICA: EL CASO DE LA FACULTAD TECNOLÓGICA DE LA USACH
Authors: GONZÁLEZ CANDIA JULIO CÉSAR
Published: May 2019

La teorización y puesta en práctica de procesos de evaluación y calificación han estado vinculadas a la necesidad manifiesta de distintos sectores de la sociedad por la calidad del sistema educativo en sus distintos niveles y ámbitos de acción. La Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH) en el marco de procesos de aseguramiento de la calidad, necesidad de apreciar y valorar la contribución de sus docentes y el desarrollo de acciones sistemáticas de una gestión de recursos humanos, en el mes de agosto de 2009 aprobó el Reglamento de Evaluación y Calificación del Desempeño Académico. Esta normativa tiene por objeto evaluar y calificar el trabajo realizado por cada uno de sus académicos; constituir un incentivo permanente para el perfeccionamiento de las actividades que sirvan para promover y desarrollar su cuerpo académico y contribuir, en suma, a elevar los niveles de calidad y productividad de la universidad. El presente ensayo junto con la exposición de algunas posiciones teóricas especialmente referidas al concepto de evaluación del desempeño, presenta algunos antecedentes generales de la USACH y de la Facultad Tecnológica y releva los principales desafíos y tensiones del sistema que se ha iniciado en su primera etapa en la ya señalada institución educativa.
LA RESPONSABILIDAD SOCIAL COMO ESTRATEGIA DE RELACIONES PÚBLICAS
Authors: HÜTT HERRERA HAROLD
Published: May 2019

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo presentar un enfoque descriptivo de los principales lineamientos metodológicos y conceptuales, desde una perspectiva teórica,  para el establecimiento de Políticas de Responsabilidad Social en las organizaciones. A partir de lo anterior, se describen los aspectos conceptuales que engloban el término de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, describiendo sus antecedentes y definiendo sus lineamientos y ámbitos de acción. De manera adicional a los elementos conceptuales, se aportan algunos antecedentes normativos y reglamentarios, tanto del ámbito nacional como internacional, a través de los cuales se ha fortalecido, esquematizado y reconocido este tipo de prácticas en el contexto mundial. Asimismo, hace referencia a varios modelos de gestión, mediante los cuales las organizaciones pueden iniciar un proceso para diseñar e implementar sus políticas y prácticas en esta materia. Finalmente, se concluye con una descripción práctica y una guía básica de cómo pueden ser aplicados modelos de esta naturaleza en diversas organizaciones.
El modelo de la triple hélice en la comprensión y desarrollo de proyectos sociales complejos en Costa Rica
Authors: Corrales Mora Maricruz
Published: May 2019

H. Etzkowitz y H. Leydesdorff, economista y sociólogo; respectivamente, recurren a una metáfora reconocida como la cadena helicoidal que representa al ADN en la ciencia, a la que han llamado “Triple Hélice”, para representar y entender la complejidad que se da de la interacción y colaboración necesarias entre tres sectores: gobierno, academia e industria.  Con esto, se han promovido opciones de desarrollo económico, vinculadas a formas innovadoras de gestionar el conocimiento. En las siguientes páginas, se hace una síntesis de las razones y formas en que una Triple Hélice puede surgir en un país o región y por qué los autores sostienen que se crea una sinergia interinstitucional virtuosa, no solo en el campo de la innovación económica, sino también, en la comprensión y en el trabajo conjunto, que se da en la realización de proyectos sociales complejos que son de interés público.
Instrumento de Responsabilidad social corporativa e el grupo Zeltia
Authors: Piña Mavarez Enzo , Súarez Serrano Eugenia
Published: May 2019

Este trabajo analiza las prácticas de responsabilidad social en el grupo farmacéutico español Zeltia. A través de un proceso de recolección de información proveniente de diversas fuentes, se han clasificado las actuaciones de RSC de la empresa. Dicho análisis revela que Zeltia es un claro ejemplo de que actuar como empresa responsable no es incompatible con obtener buenos resultados económicos. A pesar de ser una empresa comprometida en los diferentes instrumentos de RSC, este estudio detecta ciertas carencias y propone algunas líneas de mejora
El emprendedurismo universitario en estudiantes de Administración de Empresas de la UNED de Costa Rica
Authors: Stradi Granados María Stella
Published: May 2019

En el 2015, se aplicó un cuestionario a estudiantes universitarios avanzados de la Escuela de Ciencias de la Administración de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia de Costa Rica (ECA-Uned), quienes matricularon en el primer semestre del citado año su Trabajo Final de Graduación de Administración de Empresas. El objetivo del estudio era determinar el interés estudiantil por emprender un negocio propio, el perfil, percepción y expectativas del estudiantado. La investigación es de carácter exploratorio e incorpora elementos de estadística descriptiva a una población específica, por lo que los resultados son extrapolables únicamente a la población estudiada. El tamaño de la muestra utilizada fue de 65 entrevistados.Con este estudio se conoce que una amplia proporción de los entrevistados tendría motivación por emprender un negocio propio. Los participantes diferencian sus áreas de interés de acuerdo con rangos de edad, así como factores motivacionales característicos en sujetos emprendedores, que se complementan con otros atributos del estudiante en términos de formación y conocimientos técnicos disponibles que pueden aumentar el potencial emprendedor, junto con la importancia de contar con contenidos prácticos en la carrera que promuevan la formación de microempresarios. El estudio sugiere que sería recomendable adicionar a la Uned un carácter de universidad empresarial que genere acciones propositivas como el asesoramiento técnico, el enriquecimiento de los planes de estudio y sobre todo el valorar a profundidad los beneficios de contar con una incubadora de negocios con su propio modelo adaptado a la educación a distancia.