bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Transcriptionally Repress ESR1 but Cannot Overcome Constitutive ESR1 Mutant Activity
Authors: Lung David K , Warrick Jay W , Hematti Peiman , Callander Natalie S , Mark Christina J , Miyamoto Shigeki , Alarid Elaine T
Published: August 2019

Estrogen receptor α (ER) is the target of endocrine therapies in ER-positive breast cancer (BC), but their therapeutic effectiveness diminishes with disease progression. Most metastatic BCs retain an ER-positive status, but ER expression levels are reduced. We asked how the bone tumor microenvironment (TME) regulates ER expression. We observed ESR1 mRNA and ER protein downregulation in BC cells treated with conditioned media (CM) from patient-derived, cancer-activated bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and the BMSC cell line HS5. Decreases in ESR1 mRNA were attributed to decreases in nascent transcripts as well as decreased RNA polymerase II occupancy and H3K27Ac levels on the ESR1 promoter and/or distal enhancer (ENH1). Repression extended to neighboring genes of ESR1, including ARMT1 and SYNE1. Although ERK/MAPK signaling pathway can repress ER expression by other TME cell types, MAPK inhibition did not reverse decreases in ER expression by BMSC-CM. ESR1 mRNA and ER protein half-lives in MCF7 cells were unchanged by BMSC-CM treatment. Whereas ER phosphorylation was induced, ER activity was repressed by BMSC-CM as neither ER occupancy at known binding sites nor estrogen response element–luciferase activity was detected. BMSC-CM also repressed expression of ER target genes. In cells expressing the Y537S and D538G ESR1 mutations, BMSC-CM reduced ESR1, but expression of target genes PGR and TFF1 remained significantly elevated compared with that of control wild-type cells. These studies demonstrate that BMSCs can transcriptionally corepress ESR1 with neighboring genes and inhibit receptor activity, but the functional consequences of the BMSC TME can be limited by metastasis-associated ESR1 mutations.
Cellular autophagy in α cells plays a role in the maintenance of islet architecture
Authors: Himuro Miwa , Miyatsuka Takeshi , Suzuki Luka , Miura Masaki , Katahira Takehiro , Goto Hiromasa , Nishida Yuya , Sasaki Shugo , Koike Masato , Shiota Chiyo , Gittes George K , Fujitani Yoshio , Watada Hirotaka
Published: August 2019

Autophagy is known to play a pivotal role in intracellular quality control through the degradation of subcellular damaged organelles and components. Whereas autophagy is essential for maintaining β-cell function in pancreatic islets, it remains unclear as to how the cellular autophagy affects the homeostasis and function of glucagon-secreting α cells. To investigate the role of autophagy in α cells, we generated a mutant mouse model lacking Atg7, a key molecule for autophagosome formation, specifically in α cells. Histological analysis demonstrated an increased number of glucagon-positive cells, with a multilayered structure, in the islets under Atg7 deficiency, although metabolic profiles, such as body weight, blood glucose and plasma glucagon levels, were comparable between Atg7-deficient mice and control littermates. Consistent with our previous findings that Atg7 deficiency suppressed β-cell proliferation, cellular proliferation was suppressed in Atg7-deficient α cells. These findings suggest that α-cell autophagy plays a role in maintaining α-cell area and normal islet architecture, but appears to be dispensable for metabolic homeostasis.
The Clinical Use of Cricoid Pressure: First, Do No Harm
Authors: Zdravkovic Marko , Rice Mark J. , Brull Sorin J.
Published: August 2019

Application of cricoid pressure (CP) during rapid sequence induction and intubation sequence has been a “standard” of care for many decades, despite limited scientific proof of its efficacy in preventing pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. While some of the current rapid sequence induction and intubation guidelines recommend its use, other international guidelines do not, and many clinicians argue that there is insufficient evidence to either continue or abandon its use. Recently published articles and accompanying editorials have reignited the debate on the efficacy and safety of CP application and have generated multiple responses that pointed out the various (and significant) limitations of the available evidence. Thus, a critical discussion of available data must be undertaken before making a final clinical decision on such an important patient safety issue. In this review, the authors will take an objective look at the available scientific evidence about the effectiveness and safety of CP in patients at risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. We suggest that current data are inadequate to impose clinical guidelines on the use of CP because we acknowledge that currently there is not, and there may never be, a method to prevent aspiration in all patients. In addition, we reiterate that a universally accepted medical-legal standard for approaching the high-risk aspiration patient does not exist, discuss the differences in practice between the US and international practitioners regarding use of CP, and propose 5 recommendations on how future studies might be designed to obtain optimal scientific evidence about the effectiveness and safety of CP in patients at risk for pulmonary aspiration.
Connecting the legs with a spring improves human running economy
Authors: Simpson Cole S. , Welker Cara G. , Uhlrich Scott D. , Sketch Sean M. , Jackson Rachel W. , Delp Scott L. , Collins Steve H. , Selinger Jessica C. , Hawkes Elliot W.
Published: August 2019

Human running is inefficient. For every ten calories burned, less than one is needed to maintain a constant forward velocity—the remaining energy is, in a sense, wasted. The majority of this wasted energy is expended to support the bodyweight and redirect the center of mass during the stance phase of gait. An order of magnitude less energy is expended to brake and accelerate the swinging leg. Accordingly, most devices designed to increase running efficiency have targeted the costlier stance phase of gait. An alternative approach is seen in nature: spring-like tissues in some animals and humans are believed to assist leg swing. While it has been assumed that such a spring simply offloads the muscles that swing the legs, thus saving energy, this mechanism has not been experimentally investigated. Here we show that a spring, or ‘exotendon’, connecting the legs of a human reduces the energy required for running by 6.4±2.8%, and does so through a complex mechanism that produces savings beyond those associated with leg swing. The exotendon applies assistive forces to the swinging legs, increasing the energy optimal stride frequency. Runners then adopt this frequency, taking faster and shorter strides, and reduce the joint mechanical work to redirect their center of mass. Our study shows how a simple spring improves running economy through a complex interaction between the changing dynamics of the body and the adaptive strategies of the runner, highlighting the importance of considering each when designing systems that couple human and machine.
Effects of load mass and size on cooperative transport in ants over multiple transport challenges
Authors: McCreery Helen F. , Bilek Jenna , Nagpal Radhika , Breed Michael D.
Published: August 2019

Some ant species cooperatively transport a wide range of extremely large, heavy food objects of various shapes and materials. While previous studies have examined how object mass and size affect the recruitment of additional workers, less is understood about how these attributes affect the rest of the transport process. Using artificial baits with independently varying mass and size, we reveal their effects on cooperative transport in Paratrechina longicornis across two transport challenges: movement initiation and obstacle navigation. As expected, object mass was tightly correlated with number of porters as workers adjust group size to the task. Mass affected performance similarly across the two challenges, with groups carrying heavy objects having lower performance. Yet object size had differing effects depending on the challenge. While larger objects led to reduced performance during movement initiation – groups took longer to start moving these objects and had lower velocities – there was no evidence for this during obstacle navigation, and the opposite pattern was weakly supported. If a group struggles to start moving an object it does not necessarily predict difficulty navigating around obstacles; groups should persist in trying to move “difficult” objects, which may be easier to transport later in the process. Additionally, groups hitting obstacles were not substantially disrupted, and started moving again sooner than at the start, despite the nest direction being blocked. P. longicornis transport groups never failed, performing well at both challenges while carrying widely varying objects, and even transported a bait weighing 1,900 times the mass of an individual.
Facile Synthesis of Layered Titanate/Rutile Heterojunction Photocatalysts
Authors: Yousef Ahmed K , Sanad Moustafa , Rashad Mohamed M , El-Sayed Abdel-Aziz Y , Ide Yusuke
Published: August 2019

Synthesis of TiO2 photocatalysts with better activity via facile methods is desired to facilitate their applications. Here, we report a facile method to synthesize layered titanate/rutile heterojunction photocatalysts showing activity higher (up to twice) than that of a benchmark P25 TiO2 under irradiation with a solar simulator. In this method, a layered titanate (K0.8Ti1.73Li0.27O4) is treated with dilute HCl and dried under ambient conditions, resulting in the formation of rutile nanoparticles deposited on the outer particle surface of the protonated form of the layered titanate. The activity is identical to that of the prototype heterojunction synthesized by a similar method requiring a considerably longer time.
Pre-operative serum TSH levels: A risk factor for advanced metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Batool Sumera , Afridi Muhammad Shakir , Khoja Adeel Akbar , Islam Najmul
Published: August 2019

Background and Objective: As the thyroid cancer incidence is increasing, the search for its risk factor is becoming more important. Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels being a growth factor for normal thyroid tissue, is also considered as growth promotor of cancer cells. In our study we aimed for pre-operative serum TSH levels of Differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC) done before their first surgery and determined its association with advanced disease in terms of stage, multifocal disease, lymph node involvement and distant metastasis.

Methods: We have conducted a retrospective review of thyroid cancers from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2017. Out of 281, 142 cases were included according to inclusion criteria. We noted the demographic details of participants, their histopathological diagnosis and serum TSH levels done before first surgery from the medical records. We calculated the stage of tumor through modified American Joint Committee (AJCC) staging system.

Results: Out of 147 participants, 89.4% had papillary carcinoma or its variants whereas 10.6% reported follicular carcinoma. The mean pre-op TSH level of the patients included was 2.04 ± 1.79. In addition to the descriptive analysis, the univariate regression analysis revealed that the association of serum TSH levels was found to be statistically insignificant with advanced stage of thyroid cancer, multifocal disease, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis respectively.

Conclusion: The serum TSH levels before surgery was not associated with poor prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer with respect to higher staging, multifocal disease, lymphatic or distant metastasis.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.704

How to cite this:Batool S, Afridi MS, Khoja A, Islam N. Pre-operative serum TSH levels: A risk factor for advanced metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(5):1312-1317. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.704

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Efficacy of mitomycin-C on anterior urethral stricture after internal urethrotomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Irdam Gampo Alam , Wahyudi Irfan , Andy Andy
Published: August 2019

Background: Mitomycin-C is an agent that plays an important role in the tissue healing process and scar formation. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of mitomycin-C in treating anterior urethral stricture following internal urethrotomy.

Methods: Studies evaluating the efficacy of mitomycin-c for anterior urethral stricture post urethrotomy were searched using PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, EBSCOHost, Cochrane Reviews, and OVID as directory databases. Terms used in the searching process were “mitomycin-c” or “mitomycin”, “urethral stricture”, “urethral stenosis”, “internal urethrotomy”, “optical urethrotomy” and its synonyms. Every randomized controlled trial study conducted in human subjects was included. Study appraisals were conducted in accordance with Oxford University Center for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines. The conclusion of each study was summarized and the calculation of fixed effect from every study was conducted in meta-analysis.

Results: Included in this study were three studies involving 231 patients. All of them reported less recurrence of in patients treated with mitomycin-c post urethrotomy (p<0.001). The fixed risk ratio of all studies was 0.32 with 95% confidence interval (0.19-0.54). All studies also reported less stricture length after treatment with mitomycin-c, but there were not statistical differences between with or without treatment group.

Conclusion: Mitomycin-C has efficacy in treating anterior urethral stricture after internal urethrotomy. However, the inclusion of relatively few studies may affect the strength of this review and further studies need to be done.
Are side effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?
Authors: Lachenmeier Dirk W. , Habel Stephanie , Fischer Berit , Herbi Frauke , Zerbe Yvonne , Bock Verena , Rajcic de Rezende Tabata , Walch Stephan G. , Sproll Constanze
Published: August 2019

Cannabidiol (CBD)-containing products are widely marketed as over the counter products, mostly as food supplements, to avoid the strict rules of medicinal products. Side-effects reported in anecdotal consumer reports or during clinical studies were first assumed to be due to hydrolytic conversion of CBD to psychoactive Δ9-tetrahydrocannainol (THC). However, research of pure CBD solutions stored in simulated gastric juice or subjected to various storage conditions such as heat and light with specific liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) and ultra-high pressure liquid chromatographic/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometric (UPLC-QTOF) analyses was unable to confirm THC formation. Another hypothesis for the side-effects of CBD products may be residual THC concentrations in the products as contamination, because most of them are based on crude hemp extracts containing the full spectrum of cannabinoids besides CBD. Analyses of 28 food products of the German market containing hemp extract as an ingredient (mostly CBD oils) confirmed this hypothesis: 10 products (36%) contained THC above the lowest observed adverse effects level (2.5 mg/day). Inversely, CBD was present in the products below the no observed adverse effect level. Hence, it may be assumed that the adverse effects of some commercial CBD products are based on a low-dose effect of THC and not due to effects of CBD itself. The safety, efficacy and purity of commercial CBD products is highly questionable, and all of the products in our sample collection showed various non-conformities to European food law such as unsafe THC levels, full-spectrum hemp extracts as non-approved novel food ingredients, non-approved health claims, and deficits in mandatory food labelling requirements. In view of the growing market for such lifestyle products, the effectiveness of the instrument of food business operators' own responsibility for product safety must obviously be challenged.
Australia-US Alliance and Strategic Geometry in the Indo-Pacific Region: An Evaluation
Authors: Sharma Ashok
Published: August 2019

The 21st Century is witnessing a significant change in the strategic landscape. The US hegemonic power that provided the stability for almost seven decades is in relative decline. Over the past decade, amidst the receding hegemonic status of the US, nation states, and especially the rising powers, are reformulating their foreign policy to reposition themselves in the strategic transformation by enhancing their defence capabilities, asserting militarily and forming countervailing alliances. Countries such as China, Russia, France and Germany, have challenged U.S. unilateralism in the United Nations and other forums such as NATO, whenever their interests have not converged with the United States. This receding trend of hegemonic influence is visible in the Kosovo crisis, Iraq war, and recently in the Ukrainian and Syrian crisis.
The Great Game that Never Ends: China emerges as leading player in Kazakhstan
Authors: Tripathi Anurag
Published: August 2019

Kazakhstan occupies a unique geopolitical position in Eurasia. Kazakhstan has gradually emerged as a regional power as a result of its economic progress and „multi-vector‟ foreign policy. China‟s policy in Kazakhstan is linked to its larger strategic and geo-political interests following the disintegration of the former USSR. China‟s economic policy is also largely based on its energy security needs and search for a market for its finished goods. Simultaneously, there is also a fear among Chinese policy makers with regard to the „opening up „of its north western frontier towards the Muslim Republics of Central Asia as it involves the risk of Islamic fundamentalism and cross-border ethnic separatism that may pose grave threat to China‟s national security. China has achieved a significant advantage over any potential competitor and has created an important infrastructure base in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan‟s foreign cooperation with Russia or the West will no longer change this trend of increased interaction with China.
Private Savings and its Influence on Economic Growth in India in the Post Reform Period
Authors: Khandelwal Ambika , KJ Joshy
Published: August 2019

Neo-Classical growth models show a clear relationship between savings and economic growth and consider savings a prerequisite for faster growth in an economy. Private savings in India have been a major contributor to total savings for several years. In this context, it is essential to investigate the long-run causality relationship between private savings and economic growth. It is also important, for their policy implications, to identify various determinants of private savings and analyse their impact in driving private savings. The study covers the period from 1991 to 2014 and uses the Engel-Granger cointegration test to find the direction of causality. To capture the degree of impact of various determinants on private savings ARDL model has been employed. The results show that growth in GDP and private savings in India are cointegrated and have a unilateral long-run relationship. It was found that changes in lending rates, causes a change in private savings. Other variables do not have a significant impact on private savings in India.
Effectiveness of English Multimedia Assisted Instructional Package in Enhancing Achievement in English among Standard IX Students in Relation to their Interest in Learning
Authors: M David Raju , K Sumita Rao
Published: August 2019

According to today’s pedagogical practices, the key to engagement of students and the effectiveness of the procedure is through ICT. This paper analyses the implications that multimedia assisted instructional package have in enhancing the achievement of Class IX students in learning. The paper envisages that the application of ICT in pedagogy can enhance the interest of students in English Learning.
A Comparative Study of Malayalam Literature and Paintings: Trajectories of Evolution
Authors: Antherjanam Sindu
Published: August 2019

Art and literature are part as well as a reflection of life. Literature and arts help to observe and interpret the world. They can also change the world. Visual arts stand in the forefront of knowledge dissemination. However the significance accorded to literature has never been given to painting. The paper traces how literature has always preceded and given more priority against painting and other visual arts form in the region of Kerala. This also goes with the fact that in discussing the history of arts, rural arts and artists are never discussed sufficiently. This is despite the fact that there is always a closer relationship between alphabets, scripts and paintings of various forms. The paper traces this close relationship to the earlier times when the scripts and written forms essentially evolved from hand drawings and stone carvings in the context of the south Indian language Malayalam. That the scripts and alphabets essentially evolved from those early pictographs should be a useful background to understand the relationship. The paper also marks the historical transitions in the Malayalam alphabets and scripts under various influences.Keywords: Evolution of Malayalam Script, Vamozhi
Development-induced Displacement and Homelessness in Seattle, Washington
Authors: Bruey Veronica Fynn
Published: August 2019

As big technological companies expand across the Seattle Metropolitan area, real estate construction is exploding in downtown Seattle where homelessness due to development-induced displacement is concerning. To this end, the internal displacement of vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples, homeless persons, and refugees is mainly due to large scale development of big tech companies. The indifference of using the term ―internal displacement‖ to describe the situation of development-induced displacement makes it difficult to identify, name and raise the agenda of development-induced displaced homeless people in the area. Thus, the goal of this paper is to present a general overview and assessment of the state of development-induced displacement of homeless peoples in Seattle due to big companies‘ expansion, so as to initiate and stimulate critical dialogue on furthering research in the area.
Editorial
Authors: Thomas Joby
Published: August 2019

This issue of Journal of Tourism Studies (AJTS) is unique in its diversity of articles. AJTS has continued to make serious efforts to understand the varied aspects and issues related to the study of tourism. Scholars have strengthened this publication with the support of high quality articles. The efforts of reviewers have helped to enhance the quality of the articles submitted for publication. We are very grateful to all authors and reviewers for helping AJTS to become well known to the travel and tourism academic community in our country. The scholarly contributions featured in this issue range across varied areas such as ecotourism, sustainable tourism, wild life tourism, infrastructural determinants and hospitality sector in India. All the articles have given a better insight and learning in tourism.
Critical Analysis of Slum Tourism: A Retrospective on Bangalore
Authors: Jose Paul Neha Itty
Published: August 2019

Slum tourism is a relatively unknown and controversial niche tourism segment. This form of tourism is mainly found in small pockets around the so-called third world. Slum tourism is famous in the Kibera slum in Nairobi and the Rochina slum in Rio de Janeiro. The largest slum in Asia, the Dharavi slum, became popular notably through the release of the Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” which highlighted the slum in Mumbai and thus brought the much-needed limelight on slum tourism otherwise known as poverty tourism. Slum tourism is the act of visiting low-income settlements also known as Favelas or simply as slums. Slum tourism has received mixed reviews of both a positive and negative character. A negative approach due to the very reason of it being seen as a means of showcasing the poor for the benefit of inquisitive tourists and critics say this form of tourism is voyeuristic and leads to the ill-treatment of slum dwellers. However, slum tourism can also lead to positive outcomes if managed in a sustainable manner it can develop employment opportunities for the slum dwellers. This paper deals with whether or not slum tourism has the potential of being developed in Bangalore, to find out if the much hype about slum tourism in Mumbai has created any demand for this niche market in Bangalore. A quantitative research methodology is used to investigate the matter. A survey and correlation analysis were conducted to delve into slum tours perspective of customers and travel agents of Bangalore. Findings of the study reveal that the potential customers or tourists are keen on taking such tours where as travel agents do not conduct slum tours as the profit margins are low.
Role of Visitor Management for Enhanced Visitor Experience atUNESCO World Heritage Sites:A Case Study of QutubMinar andHumayun’s Tomb
Authors: Aggarwal Monika , Suklabaidya Paramita
Published: August 2019

The World Heritage Sites identified by UNESCO are popular with the tourists globally looking for Cultural Heritage Tourism experience. These heritage sites serve as powerful motivators in tourists’ journeys as their significance is universal and it transcends cultural values across the nations. In modern times, increased awareness of the popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites through publicity, word of mouth, pulls visitors to these resources and in the process increases the expectation level of prospective visitor from the site.
Responsible Beverage Service Practices: Comparison between India and Australia
Authors: Joseph Zacharia , Thomas Joby
Published: August 2019

Sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages have been rising globally. This is making the alcohol industry worth over $1344 billion today. This rise in alcohol consumption has not been without its gray shades in the form of alcohol abuse, alcohol-related crimes, accidents and deaths. This paper studies and compares the Responsible Beverage Service practices between India and Australia to understand its scope and impact. The study draws upon review and analysis of research and data from literature and alcohol policies of the two countries. The study reveals the similarities and differences in the approach towards Responsible Beverage Service between these two countries and suggests methods to strengthen this practice in India.
Crisis Management in the Tourism Industry-The Role of Social Media Platforms
Authors: Antony Jose K , Jacob Joel M
Published: August 2019

The tourism industry is highly susceptible to various forms of risks operating in the industry that occur and go unattended over a period of time. Social media could be effectively used to address the risks. Studies, however, on social media and its role in crisis management are few in spite of a consistent e mphasis on the importance of social media in the tourism industry, specifically, its role in crisis management. This paper provides a review of the current state of affairs and provides a framework to involve social media research in crisis management in tourism.
A Study on Customer Perception of Medical Tourism in Puducherry
Authors: Marie C  Shanthi , Swain Sampad Kumar
Published: August 2019

Medical tourism is the latest trend happening in many countries of the world where tourists in need of medical treatments from the developed countries approach the developing countries imparting treatments at par with the quality of their home countries.  Among the countries practicing medical tourism, India is occupying one of the top positions with respect to the quality treatments as most of the states have recognized its significance.  This study aims at studying the customer perception of medical tourism in the union territory of Puducherry.  The units of the study are the international medical tourists who sought medical treatments in the private healthcare hospitals of Puducherry. The methodology used for the study is descriptive, analytical and inferential. Factor Analysis, T-test and ANOVA are the tools utilized for analyzing the primary data. The study reveals that the facilities provided to foreign patients are customer oriented. The satisfaction level of patients regarding the staff interaction, facilities and amenities and treatment are high. But, there is some need of improvement in the case of formalities and tourism part.  The efficiency of the doctors, their personal touch, their communication skills, the facilities and amenities of the hospitals contributes to the cutting edge experience by the medical tourists. One important drawback is the lack of international accreditation which needs utmost ground work. The study finally suggests strategies for motivating the medical tourists undertaking healthcare treatments in Puducherry.
Editorial
Authors: Varghese Bindi
Published: August 2019

Atna-Journal of Tourism Studies (ATJS) has now entered its eighth year of publication. ATJS has continued to make progress in terms of publishing peer-reviewed articles and has attracted an ever increasing national audience of authors, research investigators, and scholars, as indicated by the increasing number of submissions and published papers.  The scholarly contributions featured in the current issue range across such areas as Ayurvedic education in Kerala, sustainable hospitality management, Karnataka tourism satellite accounts, eco tourism, sustainability issues and pilgrimage tourism. Anila Thomas in her article "A Study on the Role and Contribution of Women for the Development of Ayurvedic Education in Kerala" highlights the perspective of contributions made towards national integration and the social transformation on economic lives as an important aspect of tourism. "Sustainable Hospitality Management and Dimensions of Environmental Regulations: A Qualitative Study on the Puducherry Perspective" by Anu Chandran and Sherry Abraham explains the accelerated growth of international and domestic tourists to Puducherry. They suggest that the growth can be sustained only if the hotels, resorts, restaurants and other hospitality outlets operate by showing profound consideration towards the environment.
АССОЦИАЦИЯ ПОЛИМОРФИЗМА RS3846663 ГЕНА ГМГ-КОА-РЕДУКТАЗЫ С ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬЮ ТЕРАПИИ СТАТИНОМ У БОЛЬНЫХ ИШЕМИЧЕСКОЙ БОЛЕЗНЬЮ СЕРДЦА
Authors: Osedko Aleksey Vladimirovich , Kotlovskiy Michael Yurevich , Osedko Olga Yakovlevna , Dygai Alexander Mikhaylovich
Published: August 2019

Целью работы являлось изучение связи вариантов полиморфного маркера rs3846663 гена ГМГ-КоА-редуктазы с эффективностью статинотерапии. В группу больных ишемической болезни сердца были отобраны 127 человек (59 женщин, 68 мужчин). Для идентификации одноточечного нуклеотидного полиморфизма использовали реакцию минисеквенирования с последующей детекцией продуктов реакции с использованием метода времяпролетной масс-спектрометрии с матрично-активированной лазерной десорбцией/ионизацией.В проведённом исследовании статин достоверно снизил содержание общего холестерина, липопротеинов низкой плотности и триглицеридов, как при одном, так и при двух месяцах лечения. Установлено отсутствие влияния носительства генотипов СТ и ТТ полиморфного маркера rs3846663 гена ГМГ-КоА-редуктазы на изменение практически всех показателей спектра липопротеинов и общего холестерина при терапии статином, независимо от ее продолжительности. Была зафиксирована слабая тенденция к увеличению липопротеинов высокой плотности у носителей гетерозиготы СТ при лечении статином в течение одного месяца.Помимо этого, было установлено отсутствие достоверной связи между носительством гетерозиготного генотипа СТ и гомозиготы ТТ и достижением целевых значений липопротеинов и общего холестерина при лечении симвастатином, независимо от продолжительности.
Die Personenwaage
Authors: Frommeld Debora
Published: August 2019

Die Personenwaage ist ein über 150 Jahre altes Messinstrument, das heute wesentlich mitbestimmt, wie sich Menschen in ihrem Körper fühlen, wie viel sie essen, ob sie sich bewegen und vieles mehr. Debora Frommelds wissenssoziologische Studie analysiert erstmals die Geschichte des Artefakts und den gesellschaftlichen Wandel, der hinter diesem modernen Phänomen der Selbstvermessung steht. Das untersuchte Quellenmaterial, darunter Patentdokumente und die »Brigitte-Diät«, verweist auf komplexe Prozesse von Technisierung, Individualisierung, Normalisierung, Medikalisierung und Ästhetisierung, die erst ineinander verwoben die Waage hervorbrachten und - neuerdings im Zusammenspiel mit Apps - zu einem machtvollen Messinstrument werden ließen.
Alltagskulturen in den Slums von Nairobi
Authors: Eberth Andreas
Published: August 2019

Mittels der Methode »reflexive Fotografie« stellt Andreas Eberth Alltagskulturen von Jugendlichen dar, die in den Slums von Nairobi geboren wurden, dort aufgewachsen sind und noch immer dort leben. Darauf basierend entwickelt er ein Konzept für den Geographieunterricht, das durch die Schulung einer kritisch-reflexiven Bildkompetenz dazu beiträgt, die Perspektiven auf das Leben im kenianischen Slum zu differenzieren. Mit diesem exemplarischen Raumbeispiel werden Ansätze aufgezeigt, wie es gelingen kann, im Schulunterricht ein differenzierteres »Afrika«-Bild zu vermitteln und Vorurteile abzubauen.
Das Maß und die Nützlichkeit
Authors: Weinstock Alexander
Published: August 2019

Der Pädagogisierung des Theaters im Rahmen der aufklärerischen Theaterreform korrespondiert eine Theatralisierung der Pädagogik im Philanthropismus. Ausgehend von dieser Beobachtung zeigt Alexander Weinstock auf, wie die Theaterreform als ein Ausdifferenzierungsprozess verläuft, der alle beteiligten Akteur_innen zu Erziehungsinstanzen macht, die nicht nur mit dem Theater erziehen, sondern immer auch selbst von ihm erzogen werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund kann wiederum erstmals ersichtlich gemacht werden, wie tief greifend das reformierte Theater die sich professionalisierende und institutionalisierende Pädagogik im 18. Jahrhundert prägt - in ihrer Theoriebildung, Praxis und Methodik, deren Präsentation und Diskussion.
Die staatliche Regulierung von Trans
Authors: Baumgartinger Persson Perry
Published: August 2019

Geschlecht wird noch immer staatlich reguliert. Durch Gesetze, Erlässe und medizinische Richtlinien wird über Körper, Beziehungen und Lebensweisen bestimmt. Aktivist_innen kämpfen seit Jahrzehnten gegen eine solche Regulierung an, doch die binäre Geschlechtervorstellung bleibt weiterhin erhalten. Am Beispiel des österreichischen Transsexuellen-Erlasses (1980-2010) arbeitet Persson Perry Baumgartinger die wirkmächtigen »Reparaturmechanismen« des Zwei-Geschlechter-Dispositivs heraus, welche zur Konservierung des binären Geschlechterverständnisses beitragen.
Sichtbarkeit als Kritik
Authors: Hackel Astrid
Published: August 2019

Astrid Hackel widmet sich in ihrem Beitrag der Darstellung mentaler und körperlicher Einschränkung bei Gabriele Stötzer und Cornelia Schleime. Sie fragt, inwiefern der jenseits von Body Art auch für andere künstlerische Artikulationen bezeichnende Einsatz des Körpers als Material und Werkzeug bis hin zur (inszenierten) Entsagung als Kritik und Überwindung der Reglementierungen künstlerischer Praxis in der DDR gelesen werden kann. In der Analyse ausgewählter (Foto-)Performances und literarischer Texte weist die Autorin nach, dass die Betonung der Repression, der eingeschränkten Mobilität und Kommunikation bei Stötzer und Schleime weit über die metaphorische Wiederholung patriarchaler und realsozialistischer Unterdrückungsmechanismen hinausgeht. Sie erkennt darin Formen der kritischen Aneignung und Wendung bekannter Motive, die bei beiden Künstlerinnen zur Ausbildung eines auf Souveränität, Vitalität und Ironie gründenden subjektiven Blicks führen.
Das intrakulturell Fremde in Grigol Robakidses Roman Die Hüter des Grals
Authors: Tsagareli Levan
Published: August 2019

Levan Tsagareli untersucht die semantische Funktion des intrakulturellen Fremden im Roman des georgischen Autors Grigol Robakidse »Die Hüter des Grals«, der 1937 während seines Exils in Deutschland verfasst wurde. Der Roman wird angesichts seines performativen Charakters als eine Reaktion auf die Sowjetisierung Georgiens gelesen: Er konstruiert affektiv aufgeladene Selbst- und Fremdbilder mit dem Ziel, bei der Leserschaft bestimmte Einstellungen und Handlungen auszulösen. Indem Robakidse die Selbst- und Fremdbilder anhand ideologischer (und nicht ethnischer) Merkmale trennt, ordnet er Georgien der abendländischen Kultur zu. Zugleich richtet sich die Konstruktion des georgischen Selbstbildes an einen europäischen bzw. deutschen Rezipienten und bezweckt, diesen mit einem unbekannten Land vertraut zu machen. Folglich kann »Die Hüter des Grals« als ein exophones Projekt gelesen werden, welches georgische und abendländische Identitäten miteinander verbinden und diese »dem Bolschewiken« als dem kulturellen Anderen entgegenstellen sollte.
From Backbones to Sliding Plates
Authors: Gray Henry H.
Published: August 2019

Presented May 18, 1972, to the Indiana-Kentucky Geological Society meeting at Bloomington, Indiana, in connection with a field trip to the Mt. Carmel Fault.
Horizontal Mergers in a Dynamic Cournot Market: Solving the Free Riding Issue Without Efficiency Gains
Authors: Escrihuela-Villar Marc , Ferrarese Walter
Published: August 2019

We discuss horizontal mergers in a linear, homogeneous, symmetric Cournot market where the new entity repeatedly competes with outside firms over an indefinite horizon and efficiency gains are ruled out. If the degree of collusion among the outside firms is large enough, then, despite the large payoff of each outsider, we obtain output configurations solving both the profitability and the free riding issues. Such a result requires that mergers involve a sufficiently small number of firms, which is in sharp contrast with the findings in the literature and rationalize the empirical fact that relatively small mergers, even in absence of synergies, do actually occur and that, although outside firms may benefit from the merger of their rivals, insiders end up being better off. Finally, we show that merging can often be a more advantageous alternative than a fully collusive agreement, in which, moreover, the free riding component is not solved.
An image processing pipeline to segment iris for unconstrained cow identification system
Authors: Larregui Juan I. , Cazzato Dario , Castro Silvia M.
Published: August 2019

One of the most evident costs in cow farming is the identification of the animals. Classic identification processes are labour-intensive, prone to human errors and invasive for the animal. An automated alternative is an animal identification based on unique biometric patterns like iris recognition; in this context, correct segmentation of the region of interest becomes of critical importance. This work introduces a bovine iris segmentation pipeline that processes images taken in the wild, extracting the iris region. The solution deals with images taken with a regular visible-light camera in real scenarios, where reflections in the iris and camera flash introduce a high level of noise that makes the segmentation procedure challenging. Traditional segmentation techniques for the human iris are not applicable given the nature of the bovine eye; at this aim, a dataset composed of catalogued images and manually labelled ground truth data of Aberdeen-Angus has been used for the experiments and made publicly available. The unique ID number for each different animal in the dataset is provided, making it suitable for recognition tasks. Segmentation results have been validated with our dataset showing high reliability: with the most pessimistic metric (i.e. intersection over union), a mean score of 0.8957 has been obtained.
Analytical model assessing the effect of increased traffic flow intensities on the road administration, maintenance and lifetime
Authors: Hanzl Jiří
Published: August 2019

The aim of this paper is to introduce the reader to the construction of an analytical model assessing the effect of increased traffic intensities on extraordinary road traffic events on the amount of expenditures that the road administrators are forced to spend on the extra maintenance and reshaping these alternative diversion routes into the initial technical conditions. The computational mechanism of this model is based on the one hand on parameters of diversion routes temporarily transferring increased traffic intensities (e.g. motorway traffic at closure), on the other hand on approved cost databases for the assessment of road constructions and other regulations concerning the design of road maintenance and repair. In the final part of the paper the applicability of this model in practice is assessed and some negatives that are not included in the final calculation when determining the total costs of the road administrator are mentioned.
Research into Customer Preferences of Potential Buyers of Simple Wood-based Houses for the Purpose of Using the Target Costing
Authors: Potkány Marek , Škultétyová Monika
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a research into the customer preferences of potential buyers of simple wood-based house for the purpose of using the Target Costing methodology. Respondents’ opinions of 280 customers were obtained through direct interviews taking place at a specialized exhibition of furniture and timber constructions in Slovakia. The object of the research was a simple wood-based house, namely a weekend garden cottage, made of northern spruce at the level of target price 9,320 €. The paper contribution is represented by the use of the Target Costing methodology in the conditions of wood-processing industry while defining the customer preference for a specific product with the subsequent use for a functional cost analysis and determining the target cost index of the evaluated components. Presented results can be used as information database for decision making in the field of make or buy decisions at the level of fixed purchase prices of individual components or as the upper price limit for producing the components by the business itself.
A kinetic study of Zn halide/TBAB-catalysed fixation of CO2 with styrene oxide in propylene carbonate
Authors: Rehman Abdul , Resul M.F.M. Gunam , Eze Valentine C. , Harvey Adam
Published: August 2019

Synthesis of styrene carbonate (SC) via the fixation of CO2 with styrene oxide (SO) has been investigated using a combination of zinc bromide (ZnBr2) and tetrabutylammonium halides (TBAX) as acid-base binary homogeneous catalysts. The combination of ZnBr2 and TBAB had a synergistic effect, which led to about 6-fold enhancement in the rate of SC formation as compared to using TBAB alone as a catalyst. Propylene carbonate (PC) was chosen as a green solvent for a comprehensive study of reaction kinetics. The reaction followed a first-order kinetics with respect to SO, CO2, and TBAB, whereas a fractional order was observed for the ZnBr2 when used in combination with the TBAB. Arrhenius and Eyring’s expressions were applied to determine the kinetic and thermodynamic activation parameters, where activation energy (Ea) of 23.3 kJ mol−1 was obtained for the SC formation over the temperature range of 90-120°C. The thermodynamic analysis showed that positive values for enthalpy (ΔH‡ = 18.53 kJ mol−1), Gibbs free energy (ΔG‡ = 79.74 kJ mol−1), whereas a negative entropy (ΔS‡ = –162.88 J mol−1 K−1) was obtained. These thermodynamic parameters suggest that endergonic and kinetically controlled reactions were involved in the formation of SC from SO and CO2.
Assessing cellulose dissolution efficiency in solvent systems based on a robust experimental quantification protocol and enthalpy data
Authors: Kostag Marc , Dignani Marcella Teixeira , Lourenço Matheus Costa , Bioni Thaís de Almeida , El Seoud Omar A.
Published: August 2019

Dissolution of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in pure ionic liquids (ILs) and IL/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) mixtures (mole fraction χDMSO = 0.2–0.9) was quantified using a specially constructed mechanical stirring system that allows reproducible agitation speed; temperature control, and minimum solution-air contact. The electrolytes employed were: 1-(n-butyl)-3-methylimidazolium acetate (C4MeIm AcO), 1-(methoxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium acetate (C3OMeIm AcO), 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-enium acetate (DBU AcO), tetramethylguanidinium acetate (TMG AcO), and tetra(n-butyl)ammonium fluoride hydrate (TBAF·xH2O). The effects on MCC dissolution of IL/DMSO composition, and temperature (50, 70°C) were studied. C4MeIm AcO and C4MeIm AcO/DMSO were more efficient solvents than their C3OMeIm AcO counterparts, due to “deactivation” of the ether oxygen of C3OMeIm AcO. MCC dissolution by C4MeIm AcO/DMSO was compared with DBU AcO/DMSO, TMG AcO/DMSO at χDMSO = 0.6, and TBAF·xH2O/DMSO at χDMSO = 0.95. The relative efficiency was (solutions in DMSO): C4MeIm AcO > C3OMeIm AcO > DBU AcO > TMG AcO > TBAF·xH2O. The efficiency of C4MeIm AcO relative to C3OMeIm AcO is due to higher solution basicity. Isothermal titration calorimetry was used to study cellobiose-solvent interactions. Except for TBAF·xH2O/DMSO, these interactions are exothermic; the relative solvent efficiency increases with increasing dissolution |enthalpy|. Using the mole fraction concentration scale to report cellulose dissolution avoids possible ambiguities.
Feminist reformulations of human rights
Authors: Tonetto Milene Consenso
Published: August 2019

For feminist philosophers it is important to consider how the language of human rights can be used to support women’s issues and how well it is established in political institutions. However, they suggest that human rights should be reformulated and supplemented with other ethical frameworks to ensure that injustices to women are not neglected. The aim of this paper is to argue that Nussbaum’s capability approach can take into account feminists’ insights into rationality, care and context to reform and to supplement the universal framework of rights. Finally I will illustrate Nussbaum’s claim that human rights and capabilities need to complement each other through a discussion of the Brazilian case.
Electrochemical Behavior of Fe3O4 in NaCl-CaCl2 Melts
Authors: Li Hui , Zhang Lisheng , Liang Jinglong , Reddy Ramana G. , Yan Hongyan , Yin Yuhan
Published: August 2019

The reduction and dissolution mechanism of Fe3O4 in NaCl-CaCl2 melts system are analyzed by thermodynamics. The electrochemical methods of Fe3O4 in NaCl-CaCl2 melts are studied by cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and open-circuit chronopotentiometry. The effects of temperature on reduction potential and peak current are investigated. The diffusion coefficients of Fe3+ and Fe2+ at different temperatures are calculated, and the activation energy E is obtained. Electrolytic products are obtained after 10 min of potentiostatic electrolysis in the melts of NaCl-CaCl2-Fe3O4 at 1073 K and 1.9 V. The results of XRD show that no other compounds are formed in the melts, indicating that Fe3O4 do not react chemically in the NaCl-CaCl2 melts system at 973 K, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis. Fe3O4 is reduced by two-step quasi-reversible reaction in the melts of NaCl-CaCl2 at 973 K to obtain iron: Fe3+ → Fe2+ → Fe. The two-step reaction is controlled by diffusion. The diffusion coefficients are 4.53 × 10–6 cm2·s–1 and 1.17 × 10–6 cm2·s–1, respectively. Fe3O4 is reduced in two steps. The potential shifts with temperature and decreases with the increase of the proportion of Fe3O4. The activation energies of the two-step reaction are 62.38 kJ·mol–1 and 77.52 kJ·mol–1. A deposited layer of uniform distribution, high coverage and dense iron is prepared.