bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eficacia de la trofoterapia en el tratamiento de la anemia: estudio bibliométrico
Authors: Reyes-Mandujano Ivonne F. , Hurtado La Rosa Raquel E. , Trujillo-Villarroel Omar V.
Published: September 2017

Objetivo.Identificar, evaluar y sistematizar información acerca de la eficacia de la trofoterapia en el manejo de la anemia. Materiales y métodos.Se realizó una búsquedaentre mayo y junio de 2014, en las bases de datos: PUBMED, EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, y EMBASE. Para la selección de los artículos se consultó la Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Intervention, versión 5.1.0. Se utilizó el formulario de extracción de datos Cochrane (2007) modificado, para obtener la información de los artículos según los criterios de inclusión. Para evaluar la calidad metodológica de la evidencia se empleó la “escala de Jadad”, en el caso de los ensayos clínicos aleatorizados, y una lista de calidad estándar para estudios primarios de diferentes campos, descritos. Resultados. Seis artículos cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión, solo dos de ellos tuvieron una adecuada calidad metodológica. Dos estudios referían el uso de preparados tradicionales en el tratamiento de la anemia; dos estudios consideraron alimentos para el tratamiento de la anemia y un estudio analizó extractos metanólicos. Los términos “trofoterapia” o trophotherapy no fueron encontrados en los tesauros (DeCS y MeSH) y ningún artículo científico hizo referencia al término trophotherapyen el título. Conclusiones.Es importante definir y armonizar los conceptos en trofoterapia, para que estas puedan ser estudiadas, validadas e incorporadas en el sistema convencional de salud; sin embargo, existen indicios de la eficacia de Solenostemon monostachyus, Ipomoea involucrata, el aceite de semilla de Carica papaya y del alga espirulina para el tratamiento de la anemia falci-forme y nutricional, pero estas investigaciones no se han abordado en el marco de la filosofía y paradigmas de la trofoterapia.
Efecto hepatoprotector del Asparagus officinalis (Espárrago verde) en daño inducido por fármacos antituberculosos
Authors: Mezones Linda , Lara Reynaldo , Paredes Rafael , Goñi Alcida , Cenizario Lizbeth , Chiclayo Yuri , Garibay Raúl , Huamán Luis , Neyra Nirvana , Flores Miguel , Chávez-Asmat Roberto
Published: September 2017

Objetivos. Evaluar el efecto hepatoprotector del extracto acuoso del Asparagus officinalis (AO) en daño inducido por fármacos antituberculosos. Materiales y métodos. Diseño experimental, se utilizó ratas Holtzman macho (n= 32) y tallos de AO. Se conformó cuatro grupos de ratas (n=8): G1: control con solución salina fisiológica (SSF) por vía oral (VO), G2, G3 y G4 con AO a dosis de 25, 50 y 100 mg/kg respectivamente; todos los grupos recibieron isoniazida (I) y rifampicina (R) a razón de 50 mg/kg durante 21 días. Se realizó punción cardiaca para evaluación seriada de enzimas hepáticas; finalmente, las ratas fueron sacrificadas para análisis histopatológico. Se evaluó la variación de peso, cambios en heces y orinas. Niveles de transaminasas (ALT y AST), bilirrubina total (BT), evaluación macroscópica de hígado y estructura hepatocelular. Se aplicó la prueba paramétrica de ANOVA y post-hoc Sheffe, y las no paramétricas de Kruskal-Wallis y Mann Whitney. El análisis se realizó con el paquete estadístico SPSS V20 y se consideró significativo un p<0,05. Resultados. El peso disminuyó 8,06% en el grupo G1. Las heces y orinas fueron de color marrón oscuro en mayor porcentaje en G1. Los niveles de ALT y AST resultaron mayores en G1 a los días 11 y 21 con respecto a G2, G3 y G4 (prueba ANOVA [p< 0,01], Scheffe (p< 0,01)). El Grupo G1 presentó severa infiltración de células inflamatorias, marcada congestión alrededor de vena centrolobulillar y severa dilatación de sinusoides a diferencia de G2, G3 y G4. Conclusiones. En condiciones experimentales el extracto acuoso del Asparagus officinalis tiene efecto hepatoprotector ante el daño inducido por fármacos antituberculosos (I + R).
Nivel de información sobre terapias complementarias y adopción de estilo de vida promotor de salud en personas de la tercera edad en Trujillo
Authors: Vásquez Angulo Victoria Soledad , León Castillo Milagritos del Rocí­o
Published: September 2017

Objetivos. Determinar la asociación entre el nivel de información sobre terapias complementarias y el nivel de “estilo de vida promotor de salud” en personas de la tercera edad pertenecientes al Centro de Atención de Medicina Complementaria de la ciudad de Trujillo entre junio-agosto del año 2008. Materiales y métodos. Estudio transversal. Se evaluó una muestra de 30 personas mayores de 60 años pertenecientes a los Círculos de Salud del Centro de Medicina Complementaria. Con el uso de una encuesta se determinó el sexo, el nivel de información sobre terapias complementarias, y el estilo de vida promotor de salud y sus dimensiones (autorrealización, responsabilidad de salud, ejercicio, nutrición, apoyo personal y manejo de estrés). Resultados. Un 56,6% de los encuestados mostró un nivel medio y un 23,3% un nivel alto de información sobre terapias complementarias. Un 36,7% tuvo un nivel bueno de estilo de vida promotor de salud. La autorrealización y nutrición fueron las dimensiones con mejores resultados (43,3%). El 36,7% tuvieron una responsabilidad de salud deficiente. Se encontró una asociación significativa entre el nivel de información sobre terapias complementarias y la autorrealización, responsabilidad de salud y el nivel de estilo de vida promotor de salud (p<0,05). Conclusión. El nivel de información en terapias complementarias está asociado con el nivel de adopción de estilo de vida promotor de salud en pacientes adultos mayores del Centro de Atención de Medicina Complementaria de Trujillo durante el año 2008. Se sugiere promover la información sobre terapias complementarias para facilitar la obtención de estilos devida saludables en adultos mayores.
La medicina complementaria como parte del fortalecimiento del sistema de salud en el Perú
Authors: Olivares Marcos Lucy Nancy
Published: September 2017

Es misión fundamental tanto de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) como de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS), la lucha contra la exclusión en salud, ya sea promoviendo trabajos dignos y productivos en condiciones de libertad, equidad y seguridad como mejorando la cobertura y la eficacia de la protección social en salud. Hace ya más de 10 años, en una iniciativa conjunta de estas dos instituciones, sobre la extensión de la protección social en salud, consideraron un enfoque integrado, basado en un conjunto de valores: universalidad, equidad, solidaridad, eficiencia, eficacia y calidad, sostenibilidad financiera y responsabilidad social compartida. Este enfoque reconoce que la exclusión del acceso a los bienes y servicios de salud y la inequidad en el acceso y en la utilización de los servicios de salud, así como en los resultados de salud, tienen determinantes económicos, sociales, culturales, étnicos, de sexo y de edad, y deben abordarse utilizando una gama amplia de intervenciones, en un contexto de justicia social y dentro de la perspectiva de protección social como un derecho humano universal. De este modo, sienta las bases para el establecimiento de un sistema de salud más integral.
Factores relacionados al sobrepeso y obesidad en pacientes atendidos en la Unidad de Medicina Complementaria del Hospital II Vitarte.
Authors: Alcántara Ramos Sonia
Published: September 2017

Objetivo: Determinar los factores relacionados al diagnóstico de obesidad y sobrepeso en pacientes atendidos en la Unidad de Medicina Complementaria (UMEC) del Hospital II Vitarte durante el año 2008. Materiales y métodos: Estudio transversal. Se evaluaron características socio-demográficas (edad, sexo, procedencia), estado nutricional y comorbilidades asociadas en historias clínicas de 626 pacientes atendidos en la UMEC. Se usaron el test exacto de Fisher, la prueba de Kruskal-Wallis y un análisis de regresión logística multinomial para determinar posibles factores asociados. Resultados: Se encontró un 24% de obesidad y un 40.5% de sobrepeso. 71.4% eran de sexo femenino y un 90% tenía más de 40 años de edad. El sexo masculino (OR: 1.66; IC95% 1.06-2.61) estaba relacionado al diagnóstico de sobrepeso. Se encontró relación entre Obesidad I y Diabetes Mellitus 2-DM2- (OR: 2.23; IC95% 1.16-4.31), Ansiedad (OR: 0.58; IC95% 0.34-0.98) y edad mayor o igual a 73 años (OR: 0.41; IC95% 0.18-0.90); así como, Obesidad II estuvo asociado con HTA (OR: 2.44; IC95% 1.21-4.94), Ansiedad (OR:0.25; IC95% 0.11-0.61), DM2 (OR: 2.53; IC95% 1.12-5.69) y edad entre 49-56 años (OR: 3.61; IC95% 1.08-12.05). Conclusiones: En pacientes atendidos por la UMEC Vitarte, la edad menor de 64 años, el sexo femenino, las comorbilidades como diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e hipertensión arterial están relacionados con el diagnostico de obesidad; mientras que, en el caso del sobrepeso, solo se encontró asociación con el sexo masculino y los trastornos de ansiedad.
Aspectos epistemológicos para el uso de la marihuana medicinal
Authors: Sanchez Bustos Sergio
Published: September 2017

Desde hace unos años, en la región americana algunos pacientes están utilizando los cannabinoides para complementar sus terapias contra epilepsias refractarias, dolores crónicos, cánceres y otras patologías tanto como medicina paliativa o como complemento a la terapia alopática.Esta situación es tolerada, con reparos, por el modelo médico oficial, mientras las leyes internacionales mantienen a los cannabinoides casi al margen de lo permitido, lo que muchas veces resulta en procesos judiciales contra quienes se atreven a utilizarla.
Beaconing Signalization Substantially Reduces Blind Pedestrians’ Veer on Snow-Covered Pavement
Authors: Guth David A. , Long Richard G. , Kim Dae Shik , Robertson Elizabeth A. , Reesor Abbie L. , Bacik Catherine J. , Eckert Jaclyn M.
Published: September 2017

Veering outside of crosswalks is a common problem experienced by individuals who are blind. One technology found to be effective for reducing this veer when other guidance cues are absent is audible beaconing. However, veering in general and veering from crosswalks in particular have been studied primarily on smooth, flat walking surfaces such as clear pavement. This experiment compared veering on clear pavement with veering on snow-covered pavement, with and without audible beaconing. Eleven blind participants traveling with long canes attempted to walk a straight path for 72 ft (21.9 m), a typical length of a six-lane crosswalk. Beaconing substantially reduced veering at 36 ft (11.0 m) and 72 ft from the starting point and enabled participants to remain within a simulated crosswalk. Walking on snow was not found to affect veering but did increase the number of steps taken. The findings suggest that in snowy and clear conditions alike, audible beaconing is an effective wayfinding tool for intersections equipped with accessible pedestrian signals.
Introducing the Pedestrian Accessibility Tool: Walkability Analysis for a Geographic Information System
Authors: Erath Alexander , van Eggermond Michael A. B. , Ordóñez Sergio A. , Axhausen Kay W.
Published: September 2017

The indexes for walkability proposed so far refer generally to the closest amenities and public transport stops and the existing network structure. The weights of the attributes do not reflect the independently measured preferences of the users and residents. Design attributes such as the location and type of crossings and walkway design features are usually surveyed in walkability audits. However, such attributes are usually not considered when pedestrian walksheds or other accessibility-based walkability indexes are calculated. Nevertheless, these design attributes are very relevant for actual planning decisions. The proposed walkability index can be behaviorally calibrated, has been implemented as a geographic information system tool, and is published as open source software. The pedestrian accessibility tool allows the evaluation of existing and future urban plans with regards to walkability. The tool calculates Hansen-based accessibility indicators with the use of a customizable specification of the generalized walking costs, and it incorporates user-defined weights of destination attractiveness. The basic user workflow of the tool is summarized. Three case studies show real-world applications of the tool to support the planning of pedestrian infrastructure in an urban context. With indications of potential areas of improvement that have been reported by pilot users working in an urban planning department, hints are also given for future research.
Real-World Demonstrations of Novel Pedestrian Crosswalk Lighting
Authors: Bullough John D. , Skinner Nicholas P.
Published: September 2017

Outdoor urban pedestrian lighting serves multiple purposes and should do so in the most efficient and economic manner. An important purpose of outdoor urban pedestrian lighting is to support the safety of pedestrians, particularly those who interact with adjacent vehicle traffic, while enhancing pedestrians’ perceptions of personal safety and security. A review of published literature, as well as the demonstration activities summarized, indicates the potential for bollard-level crosswalk lighting to enhance pedestrian visibility and to improve safety at crosswalks, particularly at locations where the presence of a crosswalk might not be expected by approaching drivers. Such locations include midblock crossings, roundabouts, and locations near schools and other public venues that might experience high levels of pedestrian traffic at sporadic or unexpected times.
Evaluation of North Carolina Adaptation of NHTSA’s Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum
Authors: Thomas F. Dennis , Blomberg Richard D. , Korbelak Kristopher T.
Published: September 2017

NHTSA designed the Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum to meet current national learning standards so that it could be added to a school’s regular syllabus. The curriculum focuses on pedestrian safety knowledge and skills identified by previous research as effective in reducing pedestrian crashes. The North Carolina Department of Transportation adapted NHTSA’s curriculum to arrive at the pedestrian module of the Let’s Go NC! pedestrian and bicycle safety program. The objectives of this research project were to examine how implementation of the curriculum was achieved by schools, teachers, and caregivers at a test site and to assess the degree to which the teaching of the curriculum translated to increased knowledge of safety and overall safer behaviors among students taught. The results from this study suggest that the Let’s Go NC! pedestrian safety module had a positive impact on students even when varying instructional approaches were used. The program appeared to be especially effective for increasing the self-reported pedestrian knowledge and supervised crossing behaviors of students in third grade and above. The study also showed only small improvements in child pedestrian behaviors in natural settings around the intervention schools. This finding suggests more may need to be done to have a greater impact on the behaviors of unsupervised children. At this point, it is unknown if repeated exposure to the curriculum, as intended in its design, would further increase the pedestrian safety knowledge and behaviors of students.
Self-Reported Behaviors and Habits of Distracted College Pedestrians While Walking
Authors: White Mary , White Jamario , Siuhi Saidi , Mwakalonge Judith
Published: September 2017

Walking requires paying attention to the surrounding environment to ensure safe maneuvers. Walkers engaging in multitask activities such as texting, calling, listening to music, snacking, and reading while walking have detrimental effects on safety similar to those experienced with distracted drivers. Because this is an emerging problem, few data have been collected to assess the negative impact of distracted walking on safety. The present survey was conducted to collect information on distracted walking by college students. The objectives were to estimate the extent of distracting activities of college pedestrians and to assess the perception of the safety problem of college pedestrians while walking. The survey was sent to the potential student population of 5,000 by Survey Monkey at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, and 297 surveys were completed. The results indicated that about 55% of respondents always checked their electronic devices while walking. Further, about 4% of the respondents reported that they or their immediate family members sustained injuries resulting from distracted walking. More important, approximately 53% of the respondents had seen near crashes resulting from pedestrians engaging in distracting activities while walking. In this survey, males engaged more in distracting activities than females. About 70% of females perceived that distracted walking had become a problem, compared with 30% of males. The most common proposed interventions by the respondents to curb distracted walking include education, outreach programs, citations, and legislation.
Estimating Pedestrian Exposure for Small Urban and Rural Areas
Authors: Jamali Amir , Wang Yiyi
Published: September 2017

Pedestrian exposure refers to a pedestrian’s contact with vehicular traffic that can create opportunities for collisions. A myriad of metrics exists to estimate pedestrian exposure, but no consensus has been reached on what metrics should be adopted. Hence this study attempted to synthesize previous studies and recommend methods for estimating pedestrian exposure, with a focus on rural and small urban areas. Five general types of exposure metrics emerged: from area-based measures (e.g., zonal walk miles traveled), through more granular metrics at the point or segment level, to advanced metrics that utilize the behavioral attributes of walk trips (e.g., space–time prism and discrete choice). In addition, the study used a finite mixture model to estimate a household-level pedestrian exposure measure for rural and small urban settings with the use of the National Household Travel Survey 2009 data. The model accounted for household characteristics (e.g., income and vehicle ownership), regional factors, and block group level attributes (e.g., population density and land use). The results show that the finite mixture model outperformed the negative binomial and zero-inflated models. The results can be used to infer the number of walk trips at as small as the block group level or be inserted into a four-step travel demand model to create point- or segment-based measures where pedestrian network is defined.
Factors Affecting Driver Yielding Compliance at Uncontrolled Midblock Crosswalks on Low-Speed Roadways
Authors: Stapleton Steven , Kirsch Trevor , Gates Timothy J. , Savolainen Peter T.
Published: September 2017

Field studies were performed to compare the effectiveness of traffic control countermeasures commonly used at uncontrolled midblock crosswalks. Various crosswalk treatments were evaluated at 31 low-speed midblock crosswalks located near three public universities. The study locations included unmarked crosswalks, in addition to standard and continental crosswalk markings, some including an additional enhancement device such as the pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB), rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB), or an in-street R1–6 sign. Driver yielding compliance during staged pedestrian crossing events was used as the measure of effectiveness. To isolate the crosswalk treatment effects, several roadway and traffic characteristics were included in the analysis, including the crossing distance, median presence, vehicular and pedestrian volumes, travel lane of the subject vehicle, and the subject vehicle’s position in a queue. A mixed effects logistic regression model was used to account for correlation in yielding rates within the same sites as well as for unobserved heterogeneity across locations. The results indicate that the type of crosswalk treatment has a strong influence over driver yielding compliance. While yielding compliance improved substantially when crosswalk markings were used, the highest compliance rates were achieved when an additional enhancement device (i.e., RRFB, PHB, or R1–6 sign) was also provided. Yielding compliance showed little sensitivity to the particular travel lane of the subject vehicle at locations where a crosswalk enhancement device was used, further validating the effectiveness of these treatments. Finally, yielding compliance rates were generally higher across each of the crosswalk enhancement devices compared with prior studies performed in the same areas, suggesting compliance improves as drivers become more familiar with these devices.
Measuring Walking Accessibility in Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Saghapour Tayebeh , Moridpour Sara , Thompson Russell G.
Published: September 2017

Promoting walking trips is considered a key element of achieving more sustainable transportation. This paper presents a new index for measuring walkability in metropolitan areas. This index measures walkability levels for diversity and intensity of uses in spatial areas while considering the travel distance and time as travel impedance between origins and destinations. A walking access index (WAI), which is a location-based measure for accessibility, is formulated for quantifying accessibility within local areas in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. Geographic information system software was employed to compute distances between origins and destinations. The Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity (VISTA) was used to evaluate the new index and examine the association between walking trips and levels of accessibility within the metropolitan region of Melbourne. Furthermore, the new index is compared with one of the most common approaches using the VISTA data set. Key findings indicate that the WAI has a stronger association with recorded walking trips, with more walking trips recorded in areas with higher values of the WAI.
Wayfinding Problems for Blind Pedestrians at Noncorner Crosswalks: Novel Solution
Authors: Bentzen Billie Louise (Beezy) , Barlow Janet M. , Scott Alan C. , Guth David , Long Richard , Graham Jennifer
Published: September 2017

To travel independently, pedestrians with visual impairments must be able to locate crosswalks and align accurately for crossing streets. This action is especially challenging where crossings are not located at street corners and cues for locating the crosswalk and aligning to cross in the direction of travel on the crosswalk may be inadequate. This research compared midblock and roundabout crossings with curb ramps and detectable warnings but no other consistent cues for locating the crosswalk and no cues specifically intended to provide alignment and heading information, with the same crossings with the addition of a 24-in.-wide prototype surface of raised bars oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel on the crosswalks. This treatment was installed beside the detectable warnings and extended across the sidewalk. It was hypothesized that this surface would assist with both locating the crosswalk and establishing accurate alignment with the crosswalk. Sixteen participants having little or no vision failed, on average, to locate the crosswalk on the initial approach on 2.4% of their attempts for crosswalks having the guidance surface, while without the guidance surface, participants failed to locate the crosswalk on the initial approach on an average of 17.9% of their crossing attempts. With the guidance surface, participants aligned correctly on average on 77.3% of their trials, while without the surface the rate of correct alignment was 52.1%.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Biological Evaluation of Novel 2-Phenylthiazole Derivatives as Multi-Targeting Agents to Treat Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Shi Da-Hua , Tang Zong-Ming , Ma Xiao-Dong , Min Wei , Xu Xiang-Jian , Liu Yu-Wei , Song Xiao-Kai , Liu Wei-Wei , Song Meng-Qiu
Published: September 2017

Three novel 2-phenylthiazole derivatives were synthesised and characterised by spectroscopic techniques. The structure of the synthesised compounds was unambiguously confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of ethyl 2-(4-{[5-(4-benzylpiperidin-1-yl)pentyl]oxy}phenyl)thiazole-4-carboxylate. All of the compounds presented good cholinesterase-inhibition activities and ethyl 2-(4-{[5-(4-benzylpiperidin-1-yl)pentyl]oxy}phenyl)thiazole-4-carboxylate showed the best acetylcholinesterase-inhibition and butyrylcholinesterase-inhibition abilities with IC50 values of 5.19 μM and 5.83 μM. The docking study demonstrated that it could interact with both the catalytic active site (CAS) and the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of acetylcholinesterase and could chelate with metal ions like Cu2+ and Zn2+.
Phospho-Tau Accumulation and Structural Alterations of the Golgi Apparatus of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons in the P301S Tauopathy Mouse Model
Authors: Antón-Fernández Alejandro , Merchán-Rubira Jesús , Avila Jesús , Hernández Félix , DeFelipe Javier , Muñoz Alberto
Published: September 2017

The Golgi apparatus (GA) is a highly dynamic organelle involved in the processing and sorting of cellular proteins. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), it has been shown to decrease in size and become fragmented in neocortical and hippocampal neuronal subpopulations. This fragmentation and decrease in size of the GA in AD has been related to the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau. However, the involvement of other pathological factors associated with the course of the disease, such as the extracellular accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates, cannot be ruled out, since both pathologies are present in AD patients. Here we use the P301S tauopathy mouse model to examine possible alterations of the GA in neurons that overexpress human tau (P301S mutated gene) in neocortical and hippocampal neurons, using double immunofluorescence techniques and confocal microscopy. Quantitative analysis revealed that neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-bearing neurons had important morphological alterations and reductions in the surface area and volume of the GA compared with NFT-free neurons. Since in this mouse model there are no Aβ aggregates typical of AD, the present findings support the idea that the progressive accumulation of phospho-tau is associated with structural alterations of the GA, and that these changes may occur in the absence of Aβ pathology.
Response of Chlorophyll, Carotenoid and SPAD-502 Measurement to Salinity and Nutrient Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Shah Syed , Houborg Rasmus , McCabe Matthew
Published: September 2017

Abiotic stress can alter key physiological constituents and functions in green plants. Improving the capacity to monitor this response in a non-destructive manner is of considerable interest, as it would offer a direct means of initiating timely corrective action. Given the vital role that plant pigments play in the photosynthetic process and general plant physiological condition, their accurate estimation would provide a means to monitor plant health and indirectly determine stress response. The aim of this work is to evaluate the response of leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid (Ct) content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to changes in varying application levels of soil salinity and fertilizer applied over a complete growth cycle. The study also seeks to establish and analyze relationships between measurements from a SPAD-502 instrument and the leaf pigments, as extracted at the anthesis stage. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in triplicate by employing distinct treatments of both soil salinity and fertilizer dose at three levels. Results showed that higher doses of fertilizer increased the content of leaf pigments across all levels of soil salinity. Likewise, increasing the level of soil salinity significantly increased the chlorophyll and Ct content per leaf area at all levels of applied fertilizer. However, as an adaptation process and defense mechanism under salinity stress, leaves were found to be thicker and narrower. Thus, on a per-plant basis, increasing salinity significantly reduced the chlorophyll (Chlt) and Ct produced under each fertilizer treatment. In addition, interaction effects of soil salinity and fertilizer application on the photosynthetic pigment content were found to be significant, as the higher amounts of fertilizer augmented the detrimental effects of salinity. A strong positive (R2 = 0.93) and statistically significant (p < 0.001) relationship between SPAD-502 values and Chlt and between SPAD-502 values and Ct content (R2 = 0.85) was determined based on a large (n = 277) dataset. We demonstrate that the SPAD-502 readings and plant photosynthetic pigment content per-leaf area are profoundly affected by salinity and nutrient stress, but that the general form of their relationship remains largely unaffected by the stress. As such, a generalized regression model can be used for Chlt and Ct estimation, even across a range of salinity and fertilizer gradients.
Functional Amyloid Protection in the Eye Lens: Retention of α-Crystallin Molecular Chaperone Activity after Modification into Amyloid Fibrils
Authors: Garvey Megan , Ecroyd Heath , Ray Nicholas J. , Gerrard Juliet A. , Carver John A.
Published: September 2017

Amyloid fibril formation occurs from a wide range of peptides and proteins and is typically associated with a loss of protein function and/or a gain of toxic function, as the native structure of the protein undergoes major alteration to form a cross β-sheet array. It is now well recognised that some amyloid fibrils have a biological function, which has led to increased interest in the potential that these so-called functional amyloids may either retain the function of the native protein, or gain function upon adopting a fibrillar structure. Herein, we investigate the molecular chaperone ability of α-crystallin, the predominant eye lens protein which is composed of two related subunits αA- and αB-crystallin, and its capacity to retain and even enhance its chaperone activity after forming aggregate structures under conditions of thermal and chemical stress. We demonstrate that both eye lens α-crystallin and αB-crystallin (which is also found extensively outside the lens) retain, to a significant degree, their molecular chaperone activity under conditions of structural change, including after formation into amyloid fibrils and amorphous aggregates. The results can be related directly to the effects of aging on the structure and chaperone function of α-crystallin in the eye lens, particularly its ability to prevent crystallin protein aggregation and hence lens opacification associated with cataract formation.
Sleep Disorders in Childhood Neurogenetic Disorders
Authors: Dosier Laura , Vaughn Bradley , Fan Zheng
Published: September 2017

Genetic advances in the past three decades have transformed our understanding and treatment of many human diseases including neurogenetic disorders. Most neurogenetic disorders can be classified as “rare disease,” but collectively neurogenetic disorders are not rare and are commonly encountered in general pediatric practice. The authors decided to select eight relatively well-known neurogenetic disorders including Down syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Prader–Willi syndrome, Smith–Magenis syndrome, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, achondroplasia, mucopolysaccharidoses, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Each disorder is presented in the following format: overview, clinical characteristics, developmental aspects, associated sleep disorders, management and research/future directions.
Acceleration of Gas Flow Simulations in Dual-Continuum Porous Media Based on the Mass-Conservation POD Method
Authors: Wang Yi , Sun Shuyu , Yu Bo
Published: September 2017

Reduced-order modeling approaches for gas flow in dual-porosity dual-permeability porous media are studied based on the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method combined with Galerkin projection. The typical modeling approach for non-porous-medium liquid flow problems is not appropriate for this compressible gas flow in a dual-continuum porous media. The reason is that non-zero mass transfer for the dual-continuum system can be generated artificially via the typical POD projection, violating the mass-conservation nature and causing the failure of the POD modeling. A new POD modeling approach is proposed considering the mass conservation of the whole matrix fracture system. Computation can be accelerated as much as 720 times with high precision (reconstruction errors as slow as 7.69 × 10−4%~3.87% for the matrix and 8.27 × 10−4%~2.84% for the fracture).
Thermal Impact Assessment of Groundwater Heat Pumps (GWHPs): Rigorous vs. Simplified Models
Authors: Piga Bruno , Casasso Alessandro , Pace Francesca , Godio Alberto , Sethi Rajandrea
Published: September 2017

Groundwater Heat Pumps (GWHPs) are increasingly adopted for air conditioning in urban areas, thus reducing CO2 emissions, and this growth needs to be managed to ensure the sustainability of the thermal alteration of aquifers. However, few studies have addressed the propagation of thermal plumes from open-loop geothermal systems from a long-term perspective. We provide a comprehensive sensitivity analysis, performed with numerical finite-element simulations, to assess how the size of the thermally affected zone is driven by hydrodynamic and thermal subsurface properties, the vadose zone and aquifer thickness, and plant setup. In particular, we focus the analysis on the length and width of thermal plumes, and on their time evolution. Numerical simulations are compared with two simplified methods, namely (i) replacing the time-varying thermal load with its yearly average and (ii) analytical formulae for advective heat transport in the aquifer. The former proves acceptable for the assessment of plume length, while the latter can be used to estimate the width of the thermally affected zone. The results highlight the strong influence of groundwater velocity on the plume size and, especially for its long-term evolution, of ground thermal properties and of subsurface geometrical parameters.
Proximate Causes of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change in Bannerghatta National Park: A Spatial Statistical Model
Authors: Adhikari Sanchayeeta , Fik Timothy , Dwivedi Puneet
Published: September 2017

Land change modeling has become increasingly important in evaluating the unique driving factors and proximate causes that underlie a particular geographical location. In this article, a binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the factors influencing deforestation and simultaneous plantation driven reforestation in Bannerghatta National Park, located at the periphery of one of the fastest growing cities in India, i.e., Bangalore. Methodologically, this study explores the inclusion of different sub-regions and statistical population to address spatial autocorrelation in land change modeling. The results show negative relationship between deforestation and protected area status and edge of previous forest clearing. In addition, the deforestation models found differences in the processes that are affecting forest clearing in our two sub-periods of 1973–1992 and 1992–2007. The plantation driven reforestation in the region were attributed to distance to major towns, Bangalore city, rural centers and major and minor roads suggesting the importance of accessibility to market for heavy cash crops such as coconut palm and eucalyptus. Finally, the inclusion of different sub-regions and statistical population facilitated a better understanding of varying driving factors in different zones within the overall landscape.
Artificial Turf: Contested Terrains for Precautionary Public Health with Particular Reference to Europe?
Authors: Watterson Andrew
Published: September 2017

Millions of adults, children and teenagers use artificial sports pitches and playgrounds globally. Pitches are artificial grass and bases may be made up of crumb rubber from recycled tires or new rubber and sand. Player injury on pitches was a major concern. Now, debates about health focus on possible exposure and uptake of chemicals within pitch and base materials. Research has looked at potential risks to users from hazardous substances such as metals, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including benzo (a) (e) pyrenes and phthalates: some are carcinogens and others may be endocrine disruptors and have developmental reproductive effects. Small environmental monitoring and modelling studies, often with significant data gaps about exposure, range of substances monitored, occupational exposures, types of surfaces monitored and study length across seasons, indicated little risk to sports people and children but some risk to installation workers. A few, again often small, studies indicated potentially harmful human effects relating to skin, respiration and cancers. Only one widely cited biomonitoring study has been done and no rigorous cancer epidemiological studies exist. Unravelling exposures and uptake over decades may prove complex. European regulators have strengthened controls over crumb rubber chemicals, set different standards for toys and crumb rubber pitches. Bigger US studies now underway attempting to fill some of the data gaps will report between 2017 and 2019. Public health professionals in the meantime may draw on established principles to support greater caution in setting crumb rubber exposure limits and controls.
Applying Nonparametric Methods to Analyses of Short-Term Fine Particulate Matter Exposure and Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Diseases among Older Adults
Authors: Cox Louis , Liu Xiaobin , Shi Liuhua , Zu Ke , Goodman Julie
Published: September 2017

Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been associated with increased risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but whether such associations are supportive of a causal relationship is unclear, and few studies have employed formal causal analysis methods to address this. We employed nonparametric methods to examine the associations between daily concentrations of PM2.5 and hospital admissions (HAs) for CVD among adults aged 75 years and older in Texas, USA. We first quantified the associations in partial dependence plots generated using the random forest approach. We next used a Bayesian network learning algorithm to identify conditional dependencies between CVD HAs of older men and women and several predictor variables. We found that geographic location (county), time (e.g., month and year), and temperature satisfied necessary information conditions for being causes of CVD HAs among older men and women, but daily PM2.5 concentrations did not. We also found that CVD HAs of disjoint subpopulations were strongly predictive of CVD HAs among older men and women, indicating the presence of unmeasured confounders. Our findings from nonparametric analyses do not support PM2.5 as a direct cause of CVD HAs among older adults.
The Role of Vitamin D in Thyroid Diseases
Authors: Kim Dohee
Published: September 2017

The main role of vitamin D is regulating bone metabolism and calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. Over the past few decades, the importance of vitamin D in non-skeletal actions has been studied, including the role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and all-cause mortality. Recent evidence has demonstrated an association between low vitamin D status and autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease, and impaired vitamin D signaling has been reported in thyroid cancers. This review will focus on recent data on the possible role of vitamin D in thyroid diseases, including autoimmune thyroid diseases and thyroid cancers.
De Novo Assembly and Analysis of Polygonatum sibiricum Transcriptome and Identification of Genes Involved in Polysaccharide Biosynthesis
Authors: Wang Shiqiang , Wang Bin , Hua Wenping , Niu Junfeng , Dang Kaikai , Qiang Yi , Wang Zhezhi
Published: September 2017

Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides (PSPs) are used to improve immunity, alleviate dryness, promote the secretion of fluids, and quench thirst. However, the PSP biosynthetic pathway is largely unknown. Understanding the genetic background will help delineate that pathway at the molecular level so that researchers can develop better conservation strategies. After comparing the PSP contents among several different P. sibiricum germplasms, we selected two groups with the largest contrasts in contents and subjected them to HiSeq2500 transcriptome sequencing to identify the candidate genes involved in PSP biosynthesis. In all, 20 kinds of enzyme-encoding genes were related to PSP biosynthesis. The polysaccharide content was positively correlated with the expression patterns of β-fructofuranosidase (sacA), fructokinase (scrK), UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (GALE), Mannose-1-phosphate guanylyltransferase (GMPP), and UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (UGDH), but negatively correlated with the expression of Hexokinase (HK). Through qRT-PCR validation and comprehensive analysis, we determined that sacA, HK, and GMPP are key genes for enzymes within the PSP metabolic pathway in P. sibiricum. Our results provide a public transcriptome dataset for this species and an outline of pathways for the production of polysaccharides in medicinal plants. They also present more information about the PSP biosynthesis pathway at the molecular level in P. sibiricum and lay the foundation for subsequent research of gene functions.
Alignment of Mitotic Chromosomes in Human Cells Involves SR-Like Splicing Factors Btf and TRAP150
Authors: Varia Sapna , Cheedu Divya , Markey Michael , Torres-Shafer Keshia , Battini Vishnu , Bubulya Athanasios , Bubulya Paula
Published: September 2017

Serine-arginine-rich (SR) or SR-like splicing factors interact with exon junction complex proteins during pre-mRNA processing to promote mRNA packaging into mature messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) and to dictate mRNA stability, nuclear export, and translation. The SR protein family is complex, and while many classical SR proteins have well-defined mRNA processing functions, those of other SR-like proteins is unclear. Here, we show that depletion of the homologous non-classical serine-arginine-rich (SR) splicing factors Bcl2-associated transcription factor (Btf or BCLAF) and thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein of 150 kDa (TRAP150) causes mitotic defects. We hypothesized that the depletion of these SR-like factors affects mitosis indirectly through an altered expression of mitotic checkpoint regulator transcripts. We observed an altered abundance of transcripts that encode mitotic regulators and mitotic chromosome misalignment defects following Btf and/or TRAP150 depletion. We propose that, in addition to their previously reported roles in maintaining mRNA distribution, Btf and TRAP150 control the abundance of transcripts encoding mitotic regulators, thereby affecting mitotic progression in human cells.
Bovine Lactoferrin Inhibits Dengue Virus Infectivity by Interacting with Heparan Sulfate, Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor, and DC-SIGN
Authors: Chen Jo-Mei , Fan Yi-Chin , Lin Jen-Wei , Chen Yi-Ying , Hsu Wei-Li , Chiou Shyan-Song
Published: September 2017

Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) presents in milk and has been shown to inhibit several viral infections. Effective drugs are unavailable for the treatment of dengue virus (DENV) infection. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral effect of bLF against DENV infection in vivo and in vitro. Bovine LF significantly inhibited the infection of the four serotypes of DENV in Vero cells. In the time-of-drug addition test, DENV-2 infection was remarkably inhibited when bLF was added during or prior to the occurrence of virus attachment. We also revealed that bovine LF blocks binding between DENV-2 and the cellular membrane by interacting with heparan sulfate (HS), dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN), and low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR). In addition, bLF inhibits DENV-2 infection and decreases morbidity in a suckling mouse challenge model. This study supports the finding that bLF may inhibit DENV infection by binding to the potential DENV receptors.
MicroRNAs in Different Histologies of Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Smolle Maria Anna , Leithner Andreas , Posch Florian , Szkandera Joanna , Liegl-Atzwanger Bernadette , Pichler Martin
Published: September 2017

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) constitute a rare tumour entity comprising over 50 histological subtypes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-protein coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by targeting the 3’-untranslated region of messenger RNAs. They are involved in a variety of human diseases, including malignancies, such as endometrial cancer, osteosarcoma, bronchial carcinoma and breast cancer. In STS, various miRNAs are differentially expressed, thus contributing to development, progression and invasion. Therefore, the aim of the present review is to summarise current knowledge on the role of miRNAs in STS. Furthermore, the potential role of miRNAs as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers is discussed.
The Sensor Network Calculus as Key to the Design of Wireless Sensor Networks with Predictable Performance
Authors: Schmitt Jens , Bondorf Steffen , Poe Wint
Published: September 2017

In this article, we survey the sensor network calculus (SensorNC), a framework continuously developed since 2005 to support the predictable design, control and management of large-scale wireless sensor networks with timing constraints. It is rooted in the deterministic network calculus, which it instantiates for WSNs, as well as it generalizes it in some crucial aspects, as for instance in-network processing. Besides presenting these core concepts of the SensorNC, we also discuss the advanced concept of self-modeling of WSNs and efficient tool support for the SensorNC. Furthermore, several applications of the SensorNC methodology, like sink and node placement, as well as TDMA design, are displayed.
High Field X-ray Diffraction Study for Ni46.4Mn38.8In12.8Co2.0 Metamagnetic Shape Memory Film
Authors: Mitsui Yoshifuru , Koyama Keiichi , Ohtsuka Makoto , Umetsu Rie , Kainuma Ryosuke , Watanabe Kazuo
Published: September 2017

The transformation behaviors on metamagnetic shape memory Ni46.4Mn38.8In12.8Co2.0 film were investigated by X-ray diffraction experiments in the temperature up to 473 K and magnetic fields µ0H up to 5 T. The prepared film showed the parent phase with L21 structure at 473 K, and with preferred orientation along the 111 plane. The magnetic field induced reverse transformation was directly observed at T = 366 K, which was just around the reverse transformation starting temperature.