bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE DESIGN OF IDEA MARKETS: AN ECONOMIST’S PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Ottaviani Marco
Published: August 2020

GE is pioneering the development of market-based methods for allocating research budget to internal projects. To be effective, a market for ideas must provide appropriate incentives for the creation of valuable ideas and it must result in sufficiently accurate evaluation of ideas. The main tenet behind GE’s Idea Market is that improvements in the evaluation of research ideas should foster incentives for idea creation. Indeed, idea creation and idea evaluation are complementary activities. For an idea to be successful, it is not enough that the idea be good. It also helps if the idea is recognized as good by those who evaluate it. As the evaluation process becomes more accurate, good ideas are more likely to be funded. Thus, incentives for the creation of ideas are enhanced when ideas are evaluated more accurately.
Totals Markets as Evidence Against Widespread Point Shaving
Authors: Borghesi Richard , Paul Rodney , Weinbach Andy
Published: August 2020

Wolfers (2006) suggests that NCAA basketball is marred by widespread gambling corruption.  We examine totals wagers in a variety of sports betting markets to determine whether observed outcomes are symmetric around closing lines, an important assumption Wolfers makes in his analysis.  Our results show that totals wagers result in just under outcomes more frequently than they result in just over outcomes.  This occurs because gamblers strongly prefer to take the over in totals betting, and profit-seeking bookmakers capitalize by shading totals lines upwards.  Likewise, prior work shows that gamblers in point spread markets strongly prefer to bet on favorites, so it is not surprising that win/no cover outcomes occur more frequently that do win/cover outcomes.  We conclude that the critical but erroneous symmetric-distribution assumption is responsible for creating the illusion of widespread point shaving.
A STATISTICAL MODEL OF CLAIM PRICES IN PREDICTION MARKETS
Authors: Ray Russ
Published: August 2020

This paper finds that claim prices in prediction markets, a new genre of financial markets, follow a Poisson distribution. The significance of this finding is that as soon as a claim in a prediction market is created and thereafter flushes out expert and inside information from around the world regarding that particular claim, claim prices immediately begin forming bell-shaped distributions, implying global agreement regarding the probabilities of claims being realized. This is an interesting finding, implying a surprisingly high degree of global homogeneity of inside information in predictions markets, even though such information is scattered in disconnected and secretive pockets around the world. This finding could also imply that cultural diversities do not significantly affect the interpretation of information in prediction markets.
RESULTS FROM A SIMPLE PREDICTION CONTEST
Authors: Blackwell Calvin
Published: August 2020

In a prediction contest participants compete for a prize by submitting guesses regarding an unknown variable; the winner of the contest is the participant who submits the most accurate guess. In this paper the results of a simple prediction contest are reported. In the contest, certain members of the administration of a medium-sized university were asked to predict the number of freshmen deposits the university would receive by its spring deadline. Contest participants were told that the contest participant who submitted the most accurate guess would receive a $100 prize. With this incentive-compatible mechanism in place, the average guess from the contest was used as a forecast for the number of deposits. This forecast was at least as accurate as any other simple forecast method.
INFORMATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN NFL POINT SPREAD AND MONEYLINE MARKETS
Authors: Fodor Andy , Krieger Kevin , David Kirch David Kirch , Kreutzer Andrew
Published: August 2020

In this paper we test the efficiency of NFL betting markets by examining the ability of NFL point spread and moneyline markets to incorporate information.  While bookmakers may properly evaluate available information when setting point spreads and moneylines, we show that the nature of point spread markets makes full information incorporation difficult. We test if information from the finer moneyline market can be used to predict whether favorites will cover the spread in the point spread market.  We find that for games with the same point spread, betting on (against) the most (least) favored teams to win (lose), according to the moneyline, results in chances to profit, suggesting an inefficiency in the point spread market.
ANIMAL MODELING OF EARTHQUAKES AND PREDICTION MARKETS
Authors: Schnytzer Adi , Schnytzer Yisrael
Published: August 2020

Prediction markets have been shown to generate fairly accurate odds of various events occurring in the future. The forthcoming possibility of natural disasters provides, on occasion, an opportunity for a bet, yet no wide scale and accepted prediction market has arisen despite its obvious importance, probably due in part to its 'politically incorrect' nature, but more importantly to the fact that we have yet to develop accurate forecasting models. Animals, however, have been forced through natural selection to develop elaborate anticipatory mechanisms to predict possible upcoming calamites. Recent studies suggest that animals can, days and sometimes weeks in advance, predict the occurrence of earthquakes. A wealth of recent observations and laboratory studies corroborate this. Natural disasters have lead to the development of 'risk taking' behaviors when the 'odds' of an upcoming disaster outweigh the benefits of maintaining territory, mating, and other basic behaviors. For various historical reasons discussed in this review, this field has had trouble coming of age, with little funding and support from the scientific community. Due to the great odds at stake and the tremendous economic impact of earthquakes we wish to raise the awareness of this vital topic to the wider scientific community. We present a review of such animal predictive behavior and propose that an early “reading” of such models might lead to the development of a predictions market by humans."For five days before Helike disappeared all the mice and martens and snakes and centipedes and beetles and every other creature of that kind in the town left in a body by the road that leads to Keryneia. And the people of Helike seeing this happening were filled with amazement, but were unable to guess the reason. But after the aforesaid creatures had departed, an earthquake occurred in the night; the town collapsed; an immense wave poured over it, and Helike disappeared..."Aelian (373 BC)
ARBITRAGE TRADE IN PREDICTION MARKETS
Authors: Bergfjord O , Kildal P. , McPherson T.A. , Loftaas L.R. , Valvik K.
Published: August 2020

By using data from five similar prediction market (PM) contracts on the 2008 American presidential election in two different market places targeted at investors of different nationalities, we investigate whether arbitrage opportunities across borders and market places exist in these markets. We find that arbitrage opportunities are rare and difficult to exploit.  Markets in these political events seem to be fairly efficient, even if they are located in different countries, time zones and are relatively small. However, inter-market arbitrage opportunities exist, and we hypothesize that this can be explained by differences in political opinion between the US and other countries.
ANALYSIS OF THE DISPOSITION EFFECT: ASYMMETRY AND PREDICTION ACCURACY
Authors: Teschner Florian
Published: August 2020

The disposition effect describes investors’ common tendency of selling a winning investment too soon and holding on to losing investments too long. We analyze the disposition effect in a prediction market for economic indices. We show that the effect for individual traders as well as on an aggregated level. Furthermore we find a significant asymmetry of the disposition effect. The effect can almost exclusively be attributed to the percentage of gains realized (PGR). Additionally we link the aggregated disposition effect and market efficiency. A common hypothesis of the behavioral finance literature is that if participants make systematically biased decisions, market efficiency will suffer. Our setup is well-suited to studying the behavioral aspects of decision making because, in contrast to financial markets (i) the value of shares in our market is ultimately known and (ii) we can measure the participants’ behavioral biases (i.e the disposition effect). Against intuition we find no correlation between the disposition effect and prediction accuracy - a proxy for market efficiency.
Employee Discipline and Basketball Referees: A Prediction Market Approach
Authors: Rodenberg Ryan
Published: August 2020

Given confidentiality issues and the proprietary nature of the underlying data, outsiders rarely have the opportunity to test the impetus, impact, and efficacy of employee discipline in the workplace.  However, the transparency of NBA basketball officiating allows for such an inquiry, as long-time referee Joey Crawford was involved in a much-publicized 2007 on-court incident with Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs that resulted in a lengthy suspension.  Shortly after the suspension, Duncan spoke of Crawford’s “personal vendetta” against him and expressed hope that he and his team would “get a fair shake” and avoid any “backlash” from other referees.  Using a prediction market approach, this paper analyzes the interaction between Crawford (and other referees) and the Spurs team and reveals that Duncan’s concerns were illusory in 2007 and remain spurious (pun intended) today.  In the course of analyzing every Spurs game (N = 1038) over the course of eleven seasons, neither Crawford nor any of his fellow referees exhibited any systematic bias against Duncan or his team.
Prediction Markets – A literature review 2014
Authors: Horn Christian Franz , Ivens Bjoern Sven , Ohneberg Michael , Brem Alexander
Published: August 2020

In recent years, Prediction Markets gained growing interest as a forecasting tool among researchers as well as practitioners, which resulted in an increasing number of publications. In order to track the latest development of research, comprising the extent and focus of research, this article provides a comprehensive review and classification of the literature related to the topic of Prediction Markets. Overall, 304 relevant articles, published in the timeframe from 2007 through 2013, were identified and assigned to a herein presented classification scheme, differentiating between descriptive works, articles of theoretical nature, application-oriented studies and articles dealing with the topic of law and policy. The analysis of the research results reveals that more than half of the literature pool deals with the application and actual function tests of Prediction Markets. The results are further compared to two previous works published by Zhao, Wagner and Chen (2008) and Tziralis and Tatsiopoulos (2007a). The article concludes with an extended bibliography section and may therefore serve as a guidance and basis for further research. (250 WORDS)
An Empirical Analysis of Default Prediction Models: Evidence from lndian Listed Companies
Authors: Gupta Vandana
Published: August 2020

This paper attempts to evaluate the predictive ability of three default prediction models: the market-based KMV model, the Z-score model using discriminant analysis (DA), and the logit model; and identifies the key default drivers. The research extends prior empirical work by modeling and testing the impact of financial ratios, macro-economic factors, corporate governance and firm-specific variables in predicting default. For the market-based model, the author has extended the works of KMV in developing a suitable algorithm for determining probability of default (PD). While for the KMV model, the continuous observations of PD are used as the dependent variable, for the accounting-based models, ratings assigned are the proxy for default (those rated ’D’ are defaulted and rated ‘AAA’ and ‘A’ are solvent). The research findings largely support the hypothesis that solvency, profitability and liquidity ratios do impact the default risk, but adding other covariates improves the predictive ability of the models. Through this study, the author recommends that accounting –based models and market based models are conceptually different. While market-based models are forward looking and inclusion of market data makes the default risk quantifiable; to make the PD more exhaustive, it is important to factor in the information provided in the financial statements. The conclusions drawn are that the disclosures in financial statements can help predict default risk as financial distress risk is likely to evolve over time and will be reflected in financial statements beyond accounting ratios. Moreover this will also help divulge “creative accounting” practices by corporates.
Determination of Odds in Prediction Markets: Coexistence of Posted-offer and Double-auction Designs
Authors: Celik Levent , Onur Esen
Published: August 2020

This paper studies the coexistence of two competing mechanisms in the same market, where one follows the posted-offer rule and the other one incorporates a double-auction mechanism. We explore this coexistence within a sports betting example in which bettors are free to choose between a bookie (posted-offer market) and a betting exchange. Our findings imply that i) bettors' risk aversion parameter is instrumental in whether these two mechanisms coexist or not, ii) most bettors are strictly better off, and none is worse off, when they have access to both of these competing mechanisms rather than just one, and iii) these results hold even when we allow the bookie to make a positive profit instead of following a zero expected profit pricing rule.
A comparison of forecasting methods: fundamentals, polling, prediction markets, and experts
Authors: Pathak Deepak , Rothschild David , Dudik Miroslav
Published: August 2020

We compare Oscar forecasts derived from four data types (fundamentals, polling, prediction markets, and domain experts) across three attributes (accuracy, timeliness and cost effectiveness). Fundamentals-based forecasts are relatively expensive to construct, an attribute the academic literature frequently ignores, and update slowly over time, constraining their accuracy. However, fundamentals provide valuable insights into the relationship between key indicators for nominated movies and their chances of victory. For instance, we find that the performance in other awards shows is highly predictive of the Oscar victory whereas box office results are not. Polling- based forecasts have the potential to be both accurate and timely. Timeliness requires incentives for frequent responses by high-information users. Accuracy is achieved by a proper transformation of raw polls. Prediction market prices are accurate forecasts, but can be further improved by simple transformations of raw prices, yielding the most accurate forecasts in our study. Expert forecasts exhibit some characteristics of fundamental models, but are generally not comparatively accurate or timely. This study is unique in both comparing and aggregating four traditional data sources, and considering critical attributes beyond accuracy. We believe that the results of this study generalize to many other domains.
THE CHANGING SECONDARY CURRICULUM IN ENGLAND
Authors: Lenon Barnaby
Published: August 2020

The writer  engages  with the debate around the balancing act in the development of curricula between knowledge and skills. There is an advocacy of the idea that content should be given greater prominence.

The recent developments in the English curriculum are used to illustrate the dichotomy between skills and knowledge. The author argues that this is in fact a false dichotomy and that higher order skills become undermined if they are not developed alongside a significant knowledge base. Writers such as Bloom and Hirsch are deployed to substantiate the presented arguments.

A cogent critique is offered to support subject based, knowledge dominant curricula. Evidence is marshalled to imply that many recent moves to develop vocational curricula by emphasising skills has diluted their value and function as a progressional root to further education and employment.
THOUGHTS CONCERNING STANDARDISATION AND THE ASSEMBLY LINE OF LEARNING
Authors: Hammond Andrew
Published: August 2020

The values, beliefs and customs that make up an organisation’s culture are usually established in response to perceived problems that need addressing. Assumptions are made about how those problems can be solved. Solutions are found, and these form the conditions in which rituals and routines take seed, which in turn shape the way things are done.

The pervading culture in our schools today is built on shared assumptions about how to solve societal and economic problems that existed in the nineteenth century. When the Elementary Education Act 1870 was drafted, Britain feared losing its standing in world manufacturing and trade. It was assumed by those holding the levers of power that, in order to remain in pole position in the global race, a more educated workforce was needed: workers who could read, write and count more efficiently would help to ensure the country continued to be a global player in industry and commerce. These academic skills would bring greater prosperity for all. This solution to the prospect of economic decline led to the following assumptions, the legacy of which still forms the architecture of most school cultures even today:
• The most effective way to bring about success for a society and its economy is to develop the academic intelligence of its younger generation.
• The most accurate measure of academic intelligence, and therefore a predictor of future success, both for the individual and for the economy, is academic qualification.
• The best way to incentivise children to achieve academic qualification is through a system of external rewards if they work hard and sanctions if they don’t.
ANTHROPOLOGY OF EVALUATION: THE ‘MACABRE CONSTANT’
Authors: Frath Pierre
Published: August 2020

The author suggests, arguing from the work of Antibi (2003) that there is an inherent bias in assessment, the macabre constant. It is argued that there is a tendency for markers to create categories of assessment and balance the numbers between these irrespective of pupils / students’ actual performance.

Teachers know that if all their students have good grades on a regular basis they will be considered too ‘nice’; conversely, if they consistently give marks below average, they will be considered too “strict”. A ‘good’ assessment thus divides the class into three groups: the ‘good’, the ‘average’ and the ‘bad’. Some students will certainly move to an adjacent group, but the ternary structure will remain. About a third of students are thus condemned to failure regardless of educational conditions: whatever the level of the class, the quality of teaching, the subjects taught, failure will happen.

No proposal has so far succeeded in really improving the situation: failure remains. The reason is that all evaluations are finally caught up by the macabre constant. For a significant change to really take place, it is argued that the process of assessment must take account of the central role of the macabre constant.
Die Integrität des Staatsgebiets im 19. Jahrhundert
Authors: Kummer Joachim
Published: August 2020

Joachim Kummer untersucht, wie sich im 19. Jahrhundert ein straf- und staatsrechtlicher Schutz des Staatsgebiets etablierte. Im Zentrum steht dabei das gegen den Monarchen gerichtete Verbot, das Staatsgebiet zu teilen oder zu veräußern sowie die an die Untertanen adressierten, gebietsbezogenen Straftatbestände des Hoch- und Landesverrats. Hierbei werden sowohl die Debatten der Rechtslehre als auch die Verfassungs- und Strafgesetzgebung der Länder des Deutschen Bundes sowie der Reichsverfassung und des Reichsstrafgesetzbuches von 1871 näher erläutert und vor allem mit Blick auf den Begriff des Staatsgebiets verglichen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wirft die Arbeit einen ausführlicheren Blick auf den sogenannten „Berliner Polenprozess“ von 1847 und die dort kontrovers diskutierten Fragen des Hochverrats am Staatsgebiet und dem Verhältnis von Staatsgebiet und Verfassung.
Aufwachsen mit Sport
Authors: Gerlach Erin , Brettschneider Wolf-Dietrich
Published: August 2020

Zum Sportengagement in Kindheit und Jugend liegen eine Reihe differenzierter Studien vor. Deutlich weniger wissen wir darüber, wie sich Sportkarrieren in dieser Lebensphase entwickeln, wodurch sie beeinflusst werden und welche Bedeutung sie für Heranwachsende haben. Denn mehrjährige längsschnittliche Studien, die das komplexe Zusammenspiel des sportlichen Engagements auf der einen Seite und verschiedener Facetten der Persönlichkeit und der Gesundheit von Heranwachsenden auf der anderen Seite entwirren können, gibt es kaum. Die vorgelegte Studie hat Kinder 10 Jahre lang über die Jugendphase hinweg bis in die Adoleszenz begleitet und ihre Sport- und Bildungskarriere beleuchtet. In diesem Kontext geht sie einer Reihe von Fragen des gegenseitigen Einflusses von Sportengagements und physischer, psychischer und sozialer Entwicklung nach. Dank ihres längsschnittlichen Designs kann die Studie empirisch die Chancen, aber auch die Grenzen aufzeigen, die dem Sport innewohnen.
Lauftherapie mit Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Schüler Wolfgang W.
Published: August 2020

Nach der Lektüre dieses Buches ist die Attraktivität und Wirksamkeit ausdauernden Laufens für die bewegungs- bzw. sportpädagogische und -therapeutische Arbeit mit Kindern und Jugendlichen nicht mehr zu unterschätzen. Der Autor fasst hier seine Erfahrungen und sein Wissen aus eigener dreißigjähriger Praxis, Forschung und Lehre zusammen. Er unterlegt diese mit einer Vielzahl, teils kaum bekannter deutsch- und englischsprachiger Quellen. Aufgezeigt werden die körperlich-seelischen Ausdauervoraussetzungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter (Können), die Vielfalt möglicher pädagogisch-psychologischer Effekte des Laufens (Nutzen) und die praktischen Konsequenzen (Spaß). Sie gehen ein in ein vom Autor entwickeltes, umfassendes Theorie- und Praxismodell, das sowohl eine Basis für die theoretische Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema als auch eine Aufforderung zum konkreten Handeln darstellt. Praktiker aus den verschiedenen Bereichen der Arbeit mit (verhaltensauffälligen) Kindern und Jugendlichen werden eine Fülle erprobter und leicht handhabbarer Beispiele finden, die sie zu einem den jeweiligen Erfordernissen gültigen Konzept zusammenführen können. In einem Gastbeitrag weist Prof. Dr. med. Gerhard Uhlenbruck (Köln) auf die aus medizinischer Sicht relevanten Laufeffekte bei Heranwachsenden hin. Der Psychiater und Begründer der US-amerikanischen Lauftherapie Dr. med. Thaddeus Kostrubala (Santa Fe) hat das Vorwort geschrieben.
Laufen und Herzfrequenz
Authors: Hanakam Florian
Published: August 2020

Freizeitsportliches Laufen stellt eine der am häufigsten betriebenen Ausdauersportarten dar. Dabei stellt sich dem interessierten Sportler häufig die Frage, wie er sein Training steuern soll. Das vorliegende Buch stellt die Vor- und Nachteile unterschiedlicher Methoden gegenüber. Dabei rückt die Herzfrequenz als eine der möglichen Methoden in den Mittelpunkt des Interesses. Auf Grundlage wissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen werden für unterschiedliche Rahmenbedingungen wie Laufen bei Kälte/Hitze oder Laufen mit Musikuntermalung neue Erkenntnisse vorgestellt. Geschlechts-, alters- und leistungsorientierte Formeln und anwendungsfreudige Tabellen runden das Buch ab.
Leistungsfaktoren in den Spiel- und Zweikampfsportarten
Authors: Büsch Dirk , Heinisch Hans-Dieter , Lüdemann Ronny
Published: August 2020

Eine permanente Aufgabe der prozessbegleitenden Trainings- und Wettkampfforschung am Institut für Angewandte Trainingswissenschaft ist die Evaluierung und Weiterentwicklung sportartspezifischer Leistungsstrukturmodelle. Diese sind wichtige Grundlage, um eine effektive Trainingsgestaltung innerhalb unterschiedlicher Trainingszyklen, d. h. vom Mikrozyklus bis zum Olympiazyklus, zu gewährleisten.

Die Beiträge in dieser Publikation beschäftigen sich mit unterschiedlichen, aber dennoch gleichermaßen bedeutsamen Leistungsfaktoren in den Spiel- und Zweikampfsporten. Diese sind Gegenstand der aktuellen Forschungsprojekte, die sich an der Forschungsstrategie der prozessbegleitenden Trainings- und Wettkampfforschung orientieren. Insbesondere die Wechselwirkungen zwischen einzelnen Leistungsfaktoren müssen so gestaltet sein, dass zum Wettkampfhöhepunkt die beste Leistung abgerufen und damit die Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeit entsprechend hoch angesetzt werden kann. Perspektivisch rücken dabei die Entwicklung von deskriptiven zu präskriptiven Leistungsstrukturmodellen sowie zunehmende Fragen zur Individualisierung auch in den Spielsportarten sowie die mathematische Modellierung von Wettkampfleistungen in situativen Sportarten in den Fokus.
Der inklusive Sportverein
Authors: Meier Heiko , Seitz Simone , Adolph-Börs Cindy
Published: August 2020

Das Buch bietet erstmals empirisch fundierte Erkenntnisse zu inklusiven Entwicklungsprozessen von Sportvereinen sowie konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen für Vereine und Experten. Das Werk basiert auf einer Untersuchung zur Konzeption und fachlichen Fundierung inklusiver Qualität in Sportvereinen, die von einem Forschungsteam mit Expertinnen der Inklusionsforschung und der sportsoziologischen Forschung durchgeführt wurde.
Physiopathological Approach of the Fontan Patient for Noncardiac Surgery for the Anesthesiologist
Authors: Muñoz Yamile , José Sáenz María , Cifuentes Renzo
Published: August 2020

Since 1971, when Dr. Francis Fontan and collaborators described a surgical technique that restored pulmonary flow in patients with tricuspid atresia and despite the fact that it has had modifications over time, the impact on the survival of these patients has been notable. It is currently known as the Fontan procedure and is indicated to treat single ventricle congenital heart defects. Thanks to the great advances in the field of congenital heart surgery, as well as better pediatric cardiology and intensive care management, the survival of patients with congenital heart defects has increased significantly, among whom are patients with univentricular or single ventricle physiology. The objective of this chapter is to provide the anesthesiologist with useful and applicable concepts in the evaluation and perioperative management of patients with a Fontan repair, especially for noncardiac surgeries.
Efficacy and Safety of Pediatric Procedural Sedation Outside the Operating Room
Authors: Sirimontakan Thitima , Artprom Ninuma , Anantasit Nattachai
Published: August 2020

Background: The volume of pediatric Procedural Sedation and Analgesia (PSA) outside the operating room has been increasing. This high clinical demand leads non-anesthesiologists, especially pediatric intensivists, pediatricians, and emergency physicians, to take a role in performing procedural sedation. Our department has established the PSA service by pediatric intensivists since 2015. Objectives: We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of PSA outside the operating room conducted by pediatric intensivists and identify risk factors for severe adverse events. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted from January 2015 to July 2019. Children aged less than 20 years who underwent procedural sedation were included. We collected demographic data, sedative and analgesic medications, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification, indications for sedation, the success of procedural sedation, and any adverse events. Results: Altogether, 395 patients with 561 procedural sedation cases were included. The median age was 55 months (range: 15 to 119 months), and 58.5% (231/395) were male. The rate of successful procedures under PSA was 99.3%. Serious Adverse Events (SAE) occurred in 2.7%. Patients who received more than three sedative medications had higher SAE than patients who received fewer medications (adjusted for age, location of sedation, type of procedure, and ASA classification) (odds ratio: 8.043; 95% CI: 2.472 - 26.173, P = 0.001). Conclusions: Our data suggest that children who undergo procedural sedation outside the operating room conducted by pediatric intensivists are safe and effectively treated. Receiving more than three sedative medications is the independent risk factor associated with serious adverse events.
The Role of Trigonella, Cichorium, and Foeniculum Herbal Combination in the Treatment of Cancer-Induced Anorexia/Cachexia: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Famil-Dardashti Amirreza , Hajigholami Ali , Badri Shirinsadat , Yekdaneh Afsaneh , Moghaddas Azadeh
Published: August 2020

Background: Anorexia and cachexia are one of the major problems in patients suffering from advanced malignancies. Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of herbal combination containing Fenugreek, Fennel, and Chicory supplementation to the high-dose megestrol for the treatment of cancer-induced cachexia and anorexia. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 47 adult patients with advanced malignancy; they experienced anorexia and weight loss over the 2 past months and referred to a university-affiliated hospital (Omid) in Isfahan, Iran. Patients who had met the inclusion criteria were assigned to take either herbal combination or placebo tablets in addition to megestrol (160 mg daily) for a 2-month follow-up. All patients’ demographic information, weight changes, anthropometric indices, as well as the quality of life criteria were recorded at the baseline and after the duration of follow-up. Results: Patients in the herbal combination group experienced a mean weight gain of 1.5 kg, while patients in the placebo group had an average weight loss of 0.6 kg. Anthropometric indices including triceps skinfold thickness, mid-arm muscle circumference index, and grip strength were significantly improved in the herbal combination group. The other evaluated criteria such as quality of life, functional assessment of anorexia/cachexia therapy (FAACT), and some factors of Anderson criteria were significantly improved in the herbal combination group than the placebo group. Conclusions: Given the ameliorated results of the herbal combination supplementation in terms of weight gain and appetite improvement, as well as physical and quality of life enhancement, it seems that the herbal combination can be used as an adjunctive treatment for the management of patients suffering from cancer-induced cachexia and anorexia.
A Tecelagem de um Antropólogo do Trabalho [Entrevista]
Authors: Leite Lopes José Sérgio , Pereira Neto Murilo Leal , Ribeiro Felipe Augusto dos Santos , Torres Lucas Porto Marchesini
Published: August 2020

Entrevista comJosé Sérgio Leite Lopes da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro               Entrevista concedida àMurilo Leal Pereira Neto da Universidade Federal de São PauloFelipe Augusto dos Santos Ribeiro da Universidade Estadual do PiauíLucas Porto Marchesini Torres da Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Représentations sociales de la pauvreté et des inégalités au Québec
Authors: Langlois Simon , Gaudreault David
Published: August 2020

La manière dont les individus se représentent la pauvreté et les inégalités est moins bien connue que les mesures objectives de ces dernières. Cet article analyse les attitudes envers la pauvreté et les inégalités, les représentations sociales ainsi que les caractéristiques des personnes qui les partagent. Les Québécois ont une représentation sociale assez pessimiste de la situation de la pauvreté dans leur société qui est en décalage avec l’évolution récente du phénomène tel que mesurée par des indicateurs objectifs. Ils évaluent de manière encore plus pessimiste la situation des inégalités socioéconomiques et ils se montrent plus inquiets devant les inégalités que devant la pauvreté. L’inégalité est perçue comme étant davantage menaçante que la pauvreté. Les représentations sociales de la pauvreté et des inégalités des acteurs sociaux ne sont pas seulement le calque des situations personnelles, mais elles se fondent aussi sur des principes plus généraux de justice sociale partagés par la population. Les valeurs privilégiées et les orientations idéologiques visant à contrer les inégalités et la pauvreté ressortent comme étant davantage déterminantes que plusieurs caractéristiques individuelles. Les enquêtés se réfèrent aussi à des principes généraux en matière de politiques sociales alors que leurs prises de position ne font pas que refléter leur situation personnelle. Ce résultat est important pour la cohésion sociale de la société québécoise.
Érase una vez el antropoceno
Authors: Creus Amalia
Published: August 2020

Contaminación, inundaciones, incendios, extinciones masivas, migraciones forzadas, lluvia nuclear… Bienvenidos al antropoceno, una nueva era geológica caracterizada por degeneración de los ecosistemas terrestres a causa de la acción humana. Un concepto controvertido que, más allá de su acepción geológica, busca dar cuenta de una transformación global y compleja que reclama nuevas formas de visualización.
Protección y explotación de datos: hacia la armonización
Authors: Garcia Alsina Montserrat
Published: August 2020

El pasado mes de mayo el Reglamento General de Protección de Datos (RGPD) se empezó a aplicar, aunque ya estaba en vigor desde mayo de 2016. Fue en mayo cuando todos recibimos un alud de mensajes para confirmar nuestro permiso de tratamiento de nuestros datos. ¿Por qué es tan importante para las organizaciones asegurarse el permiso para el tratamiento de datos personales, y para qué es esta regulación?
Fotografía analógica: el renacimiento de los románticos fotosensibles en la era digital
Authors: Martorell Sandra
Published: August 2020

Después de años anunciándose su muerte inminente, la fotografía analógica ha recobrado la vitalidad de décadas pasadas para convertirse en una práctica de culto entre colectivos de artistas y profesionales de la imagen que ven en ella tanto un recurso de expresión como un elemento de diferenciación.
III Jornada Almanzora Comparte: compartiendo en femenino
Authors: Sanz Martos Sandra
Published: August 2020

El próximo día 8 de noviembre tendrá lugar la tercera edición de la Jornada Almanzora Comparte. En esta ocasión, las experiencias innovadoras en materia de formación y aprendizaje colaborativo que compartiremos pertenecerán al ámbito de la administración pública. Desde el Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública (INAP), representado por las Escuelas de Andalucía, Murcia y Cataluña, por un lado; y el Servicio Andaluz de Empleo (SAE), la Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública y la Diputación de Almería, por otro, tendremos la oportunidad de conocer diferentes iniciativas basadas en el intercambio de conocimiento. Por la tarde contaremos con la presencia de Miguel Lorente Acosta, experto en medicina legal y en temas relacionados con la igualdad y la violencia de género que es seguramente el principal atractivo de esta edición para los asistentes locales.
RETRACTED: Arginine methylation of SHANK2 by PRMT7 promotes human breast cancer metastasis through activating endosomal FAK signalling
Authors: Liu Yingqi , Li Lingling , Liu Xiaoqing , Wang Yibo , Liu Lingxia , Peng Lu , Liu Jiayuan , Zhang Lian , Wang Guannan , Li Hongyuan , Liu Dong-Xu , Huang Baiqu , Lu Jun , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2020

Arginine methyltransferase PRMT7 is associated with human breast cancer metastasis. Endosomal FAK signalling is critical for cancer cell migration. Here we identified the pivotal roles of PRMT7 in promoting endosomal FAK signalling activation during breast cancer metastasis. PRMT7 exerted its functions through binding to scaffold protein SHANK2 and catalyzing di-methylation of SHANK2 at R240. SHANK2 R240 methylation exposed ANK domain by disrupting its SPN-ANK domain blockade, promoting in co-accumulation of dynamin2, talin, FAK, cortactin with SHANK2 on endosomes. In addition, SHANK2 R240 methylation activated endosomal FAK/cortactin signals in vitro and in vivo. Consistently, all the levels of PRMT7, methylated SHANK2, FAK Y397 phosphorylation and cortactin Y421 phosphorylation were correlated with aggressive clinical breast cancer tissues. These findings characterize the PRMT7-dependent SHANK2 methylation as a key player in mediating endosomal FAK signals activation, also point to the value of SHANK2 R240 methylation as a target for breast cancer metastasis.
Elongation inhibitors do not prevent the release of puromycylated nascent polypeptide chains from ribosomes
Authors: Hobson Benjamin D , Kong Linghao , Hartwick Erik W , Gonzalez Ruben L , Sims Peter A
Published: August 2020

Puromycin is an amino-acyl transfer RNA analog widely employed in studies of protein synthesis. Since puromycin is covalently incorporated into nascent polypeptide chains, anti-puromycin immunofluorescence enables visualization of nascent protein synthesis. A common assumption in studies of local messenger RNA translation is that the anti-puromycin staining of puromycylated nascent polypeptides in fixed cells accurately reports on their original site of translation, particularly when ribosomes are stalled with elongation inhibitors prior to puromycin treatment. However, when we attempted to implement a proximity ligation assay to detect ribosome-puromycin complexes, we found no evidence to support this assumption. We further demonstrated, using biochemical assays and live cell imaging of nascent polypeptides in mammalian cells, that puromycylated nascent polypeptides rapidly dissociate from ribosomes even in the presence of elongation inhibitors. Our results suggest that attempts to define precise subcellular translation sites using anti-puromycin immunostaining may be confounded by release of puromycylated nascent polypeptide chains prior to fixation.
Spatial distribution of microbial communities among colonies and genotypes in nursery-reared Acropora cervicornis
Authors: Miller Nicole , Maneval Paul , Manfrino Carrie , Frazer Thomas K. , Meyer Julie L.
Published: August 2020

Background

The architecturally important coral species Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata were historically common in the Caribbean, but have declined precipitously since the early 1980s. Substantial resources are currently being dedicated to coral gardening and the subsequent outplanting of asexually reproduced colonies of Acropora, activities that provide abundant biomass for both restoration efforts and for experimental studies to better understand the ecology of these critically endangered coral species.

Methods

We characterized the bacterial and archaeal community composition of A. cervicornis corals in a Caribbean nursery to determine the heterogeneity of the microbiome within and among colonies. Samples were taken from three distinct locations (basal branch, intermediate branch, and branch tip) from colonies of three different coral genotypes.

Results

Overall, microbial community composition was similar among colonies due to high relative abundances of the Rickettsiales genus MD3-55 (Candidatus Aquarickettsia) in nearly all samples. While microbial communities were not different among locations within the same colony, they were significantly different between coral genotypes. These findings suggest that sampling from any one location on a coral host is likely to provide a representative sample of the microbial community for the entire colony. Our results also suggest that subtle differences in microbiome composition may be influenced by the coral host, where different coral genotypes host slightly different microbiomes. Finally, this study provides baseline data for future studies seeking to understand the microbiome of nursery-reared A. cervicornis and its roles in coral health, adaptability, and resilience.
In silico functional prediction of hypothetical proteins from the core genome of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar ovis
Authors: Araújo Carlos Leonardo , Blanco Iago , Souza Luciana , Tiwari Sandeep , Pereira Lino César , Ghosh Preetam , Azevedo Vasco , Silva Artur , Folador Adriana
Published: August 2020

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a pathogen of veterinary relevance diseases, being divided into two biovars: equi and ovis; causing ulcerative lymphangitis and caseous lymphadenitis, respectively. The isolation and sequencing of C. pseudotuberculosis biovar ovis strains in the Northern and Northeastern regions of Brazil exhibited the emergence of this pathogen, which causes economic losses to small ruminant producers, and condemnation of carcasses and skins of animals. Through the pan-genomic approach, it is possible to determine and analyze genes that are shared by all strains of a species—the core genome. However, many of these genes do not have any predicted function, being characterized as hypothetical proteins (HP). In this study, we considered 32 C. pseudotuberculosis biovar ovis genomes for the pan-genomic analysis, where were identified 172 HP present in a core genome composed by 1255 genes. We are able to functionally annotate 80 sequences previously characterized as HP through the identification of structural features as conserved domains and families. Furthermore, we analyzed the physicochemical properties, subcellular localization and molecular function. Additionally, through RNA-seq data, we investigated the differential gene expression of the annotated HP. Genes inserted in pathogenicity islands had their virulence potential evaluated. Also, we have analyzed the existence of functional associations for their products based on protein–protein interaction networks, and perform the structural prediction of three targets. Due to the integration of different strategies, this study can underlie deeper in vitro researches in the characterization of these HP and the search for new solutions for combat this pathogen.
Effect of strip shelterwood-cuts on the crown morphology plasticity of natural regeneratedPinus tabuliformissaplings in northeastern China
Authors: Gao Huilin , Feng Jian , Yin You , Hu Wanjin , Qu Yang , Liu Mingguo
Published: August 2020

The study analysed the effect of shelterwood-cut strips on the outermost crown profiles and crown characteristics of naturally regeneratedPinus tabuliformissaplings in northeastern China. A total of 49 regenerated saplings from shelterwood-cut strips and 30 from uncut strips were collected. Nonlinear quantile regression was used to develop the outermost crown profile model for the saplings from the shelterwood-cut and uncut strips. The quantile value suitable for describing the outermost crown profiles of the two types of strips was selected using nonparametric boundary regression. The difference in crown morphologies between the shelterwood-cut strips and uncut strips was compared. The results showed that with the same diameter at breast height, the crown radii of the uncut strip saplings were larger than those of the shelterwood-cut strip saplings within the range of 0.2–1.0 for the relative depth into the crown. The largest crown radius of the saplings from the uncut strips was larger than that of the saplings from the shelterwood-cut strips. The inflection points of the shelterwood-cut strip sapling crowns were larger than those of the uncut strip sapling crowns. The crown volume of the small uncut strip saplings was larger than that of the shelterwood-cut strip saplings, and the difference in crown volume decreased with increasing sapling size. The saplings in the early stage of the uncut strips showed a greater growth rate than those of the shelterwood-cut strips, but their growth rate slowed over the long term according to branch-length annual growth. The present study provides a reference for forest management strategy decision making in promoting natural regeneration.
Experimental Assessment of the Toxicity Effects of Phone Battery Wastes on Aquatic and Terrestrial Bioindicators
Authors: Uba Bright Obidinma , Okonkwo Chisom Judith , Umeh Odera Richard
Published: August 2020

Aims: The present study aimed at assessing the toxicity effects of phone battery wastes on aquatic and terrestrial bioindicators.

Study Design: Five treatments and the controls designs designated as 6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 100%, CTRL and 1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg, CTRL were set up in triplicates and incubated for 24 h, 72 h and 20 days at 25 ± 2°C.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Nigeria during May, 2019 - August, 2019.

Methodology: The growth inhibition and mortality were analyzed using Aspergillus terreus toxicity test, Allium cepa toxicity test and Limicolaria flammea toxicity test.

Results: The results revealed that marine water (7.12 logCFU/mL) was shown to had more fungal count than the fresh water (7.07 logCFU/mL) ecosystem. On A. terreus, Itel in fresh water sample had the highest LC50 values of 30.49% while Gionee in fresh water sample had the lowest LC50 values of 21.74% after 24 h, respectively. The Itel battery sample had higher EC50 value (86.08%) than Gionee battery sample with EC50 value of 65.46% after 72 h on A. cepa. On L. flammea, Itel phone battery sample had lower (5.11%) LC50 value than Gionee phone battery sample with higher (6.20%) LC50 value at 6 mg/kg concentration after 20 days’ exposure, respectively.

Conclusion: The results indicate that indiscriminate release of E- wastes into the aquatic and terrestrial environments should be discouraged.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Survey of the Recommended Infant Feeding Guidelines for HIV Positive Mothers by Primary Health Care Workers in Uyo, Nigeria
Authors: Bassey Emem A. , Ekrikpo Udeme E. , Ekanem Anyiekere M.
Published: August 2020

Background: Safe and appropriate feeding is a key intervention that can prevent mother to child transmission of HIV. This study aimed at determining the level of knowledge, attitude and current practice of primary health care (PHC) workers in Uyo of the recommended infant feeding guidelines for infants of HIV-infected mothers.

Methodology: This was an analytical cross-sectional study carried out among 130 primary health care workers in 15 PHCs in Uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires in English and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0.

Results: Nineteen (14.6%) and 111 (85.4%) respondents had a fair and poor level of knowledge of MTCT of HIV and infant feeding options respectively. One hundred and six (81.5%) and 100 (76.9%) respondents had received training on PMTCT of HIV and infant feeding counselling for HIV-infected mothers respectively. The majority of respondents exhibited positive attitude regarding infant feeding options for HIV exposed babies. One hundred and twenty (92.3%) considered it correct for an HIV-infected woman to breastfeed her baby and 125 (96.2%) considered breast milk alone adequate food for babies in the first 6 months of life. Predictor of negative attitude was lack of training on infant feeding counseling (OR 15, P=0.02, 95%CI 1.64-138.07). Most 107 (82.3%) cited exclusive breastfeeding with introduction of complementary feeds at 6 months as the most common method accepted by their clients.

Conclusion: Gaps in the knowledge of PHC workers in Uyo on MTCT and Infant feeding options and practice were identified which can be addressed by qualitative training, effective monitoring and supportive supervision.