bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Capacitación basada en evidencias: Una aportación tecnológica desde la psicología.
Authors: Ruiz Méndez David , Vega Valero Cynthia Zaira
Published: August 2019

En el presente artículo se propone un modelo tecnológico de capacitación psicológica. Se comienza describiendo los objetivos del modelo de capacitación, enfocados en el comportamiento individual. Acto seguido, describa el enfoque y los tipos de capacitación reconocidos por el modelo, seguidos por la presentación del esquema del proceso general, el cual está compuesto por 4 momentos: la identificación de variables psicológicas, la evaluación diagnóstica, el diseño de la intervención y la fase de entrenamiento. Una vez abordado el esquema, describa el proceso de entrenamiento y las alternativas de evaluación que el modelo contempla. Por último, se concluye resaltando la importancia de la implementación del modelo,
Terapia Cognitiva: Antecedentes, teoría y metodología [Investigación documental]
Authors: González Tuta Diego Fernando , Barreto Porez Andrea Paola , Salamanca Camargo Yenny
Published: August 2019

La presente es una investigación documental en la que se llevó a cabo la revisión y análisis de los antecedentes, la teoría y la metodología de la Terapia Cognitiva, lo anterior a partir de la revisión de libros y artículos científicos relacionados con el tema y publicados durante el período comprendido entre 1980 y 2016. Entre los hallazgos referentes a los antecedentes se identificó la influencia de antiguos filósofos tales como Epícteto, Séneca, Kant y Popper, así como de psicoanalistas como Freud, Horney y Sullivan; en cuanto a la teoría se identificaron elementos que componen su estructura, como el reconocimiento de tres niveles de respuesta (cognición, emoción y comportamiento), los cuales interactúan entre sí e influencian a su vez los patrones de pensamiento, comportamiento y emoción, el reconocimiento de creencias irracionales, distorsiones cognitivas y pensamientos automáticos como generadores de los trastornos psicológicos; en lo que refiere a la metodología, la Terapia Cognitiva es una terapia breve con un enfoque activo y directivo, asumido en gran parte por el terapeuta, lo cual la distingue de otros procesos terapéuticos. También es de destacar la brevedad del proceso y el elevado nivel de estructuración. Por último, respecto a las limitaciones de este enfoque, se resalta la necesidad de validación empírica de variables relacionadas con el papel del terapeuta y que no han sido consideradas, la manifestación comorbida del trastorno, las características del paciente, así como la complejidad que implica su aplicación y la necesidad de seguimiento y estudio de aquellos pacientes quienes no responden bien a esta terapia.
Marihuana y drogas ilícitas en jóvenes mexicanos: Factores de riesgo y protección asociados a la edad de inicio del consumo
Authors: Vega-Cauich Julio Isaac , Escobedo Heredia Blanca Nayely de la Luz , Zumárraga García Fanny María
Published: August 2019

Objetivo: Determinar factores de riesgo y protección asociados a la edad de inicio del consumo de mariguana y drogas ilícitas en jóvenes mexicanos. Método: Se analizaron datos de 40,366 jóvenes participantes de la Encuesta de Cohesión Social para la Prevención de la Violencia y la Delincuencia (ECOPRED). Las variables asociadas con la edad de inicio del consumo de mariguana y otras drogas ilícitas fueron determinadas mediante dos modelos de riesgos proporcionales. Resultados: La edad mediana de inicio en consumo de drogas ilícitas osciló entre los 15 y 18 años, mientras que en consumo de marihuana fue de 17 años. En ambos modelos, tener un par consumidor de marihuana fue el factor más fuertemente asociado al inicio de consumo. Discusión: La edad de inicio de consumo revelada en el presente estudio resultó similar a aquella propuesta en investigaciones previas. A pesar de las diferencias de factores en cada modelo, tener un par consumidor de marihuana y el consumo previo de tabaco (variable moderadora) resultaron los factores más fuertemente asociados en ambos modelos.
Alienación parental: Expresión del fenómeno en países de habla hispana y redes sociales [análisis descriptivo]
Authors: Balaguera Rojas Gabriel
Published: August 2019

El tema de interés que ocupa el presente estudio es un tipo de violencia psicológica intrafamiliar conocido como Alienación Parental, que consiste en la influencia y moldeamiento de los pensamientos de los hijos ejercida por uno de los padres, lo anterior con el fin de generar en los hijos rechazo hacia el otro padre, lo cual deriva en un debilitamiento de la relación entre ese padre y sus hijos y en una eventual separación. Para estudiar este fenómeno se analizaron los comentarios publicados en grupos en la red social Facebook en torno al tema; estos grupos son de los siguientes ocho (8) países de habla hispana: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, México, Paraguay, República Dominicana y Uruguay. Como herramienta metodológica se utilizó la observación mediante el estudio de caso y se efectuó un control de la interacción y los elementos léxicos que sirvieron como insumo para identificar las actitudes e ideologías de los actores involucrados en el acto comunicativo. El estudio se situó en el interaccionismo simbólico que media la conducta de los actores. Se llevó a cabo una observación sistemática y un Análisis Crítico del Discurso en el que se consideraron siete dimensiones propuestas por Van Dijk. Adicionalmente se realizó un análisis de las características propuestas por diferentes autores El resultado se caracterizó por las relaciones entre las estructuras sociales observadas.
Defensores de familia en la toma de decisiones administrativas: Actitudes implícitas y explícitas
Authors: Liscano Cleves Luz Mery , Polania-Garzón Mercy Yovany , Quiroga Baquero Luis Alberto
Published: August 2019

En la presente investigación se evaluaron las actitudes implícitas y explícitas de una muestra de defensores de familia adscritos a los Centros Zonales del Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (Huila-Colombia), frente a atributos relacionados con las dimensiones de vulnerabilidad o generatividad y conceptos relacionados con factores socio-demográficos de los cuidadores. Lo anterior se llevó a cabo mediante un cuestionario de actitudes explícitas y cinco Test de Asociación Implícita (oficios, sexo, estatus socio-económico, orientación sexual y edad). Los resultados revelaron sesgos implícitos y explícitos con efectos moderados al asociar los atributos de generatividad y vulnerabilidad con los conceptos relacionados con oficios, estatus socioeconómico y orientación sexual, evidenciando preferencias por oficios de tipo profesional, orientación sexual heterosexual y estatus socio-económico alto. Estos hallazgos se discuten en torno a la relación entre cognición implícita y la toma de decisiones judiciales y administrativas, así como en torno a la necesidad de formación de los operadores legales acerca de esta relación.
Aproximación al concepto de atención desde la perspectiva del enactivismo
Authors: Dominguez Rojas Ana Lorena
Published: August 2019

Este artículo presenta una reflexión teórica sobre el fenómeno de la atención. Se subraya la importancia de la relación entre atención y acción. Una caracterización inicial de la atención es desarrollada y una división es establecida entre las posturas representacionalistas (que emplean modelos formales para explicar el fenómeno en términos de procesamiento de información) y las posturas no-representacionalistas (que explican la cognición, incluida la atención, privilegiando la acción, la corporalidad y las situaciones (e.g., el enactivismo)). Entre las propuestas que buscan comprender la relación atención-acción, la propuestade Wayne Wu (2014) se discute de manera especial, en tanto se considera una propuestanovedosa que enfatiza la importancia de la acción y la agencia corporal para elestudio de la atención. Finalmente, algunas consideraciones centrales del enfoqueenactivista son articuladas con miras a complementar algunos aspectos que Wu dejaal margen, en especial, el carácter activo del sujeto, el papel del cuerpo y la relación con elmundo y los otros.
A divulgação dos termos Gameful, Playful e Affordance na literatura científica (2006 - 2016)
Authors: Do Monte Washington Sales , De-Bortoli Robelius , Fontes Macedo Ricardo
Published: August 2019

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a disseminação dos termos: Gameful, Playful e Affordance na produção científica registrada entre 2006 e 2016. A gamificação tem sido estudada por diversos pesquisadores em todo o mundo; A maioria das pesquisas procurou melhorar as aplicações da mecânica de jogo em contextos não necessariamente relacionados ao jogo. Os termos temáticos affordance, Playful (game process) e Gameful (contexto não relacionado ao jogo) são novos e, portanto, não estão disponíveis para uma tradução para o português; só foi descoberto que Playful pode ser usada para explicar processos relacionados à gamificação. A busca foi realizada no banco de dados Scopus e, para o seu desenvolvimento, foi implementada uma abordagem quantitativa exploratória descritiva, na qual foi aplicado um método de análise bibliométrica. Como resultado, identificou-se que, no período estudado, houve um aumento na disseminação desses conceitos, principalmente no período entre 2012 e 2016, que registrou a maior tendência de crescimento. As publicações estão concentradas nas subáreas das ciências sociais, artes, humanidades e informática, todas relacionadas ao estudo do comportamento humano. Constatou-se também que os Estados Unidos, o Reino Unido, o Canadá e Taiwan são os principais países que disseminam conhecimento em relação a esses conceitos (78% das publicações) e que os principais idiomas de publicação foram o inglês e o francês. Uma análise dos dados revelou uma multiplicidade de estudos para os países interessados, bem como uma interdisciplinaridade da gamificação e sua convergência em outras áreas.
Tecnología de asistencia y sus recursos no funcionan con niños con trastornos del espectro autista (TEA) No proyecto ADACA
Authors: Dos Santos Caminha Vera Lucia , Pires Alves Priscila , De Oliveira Caminha Adriano , De Faria Davidson , Almeida Tainá Mani
Published: August 2019

Os estudos que envolvem a relação entre a pessoa com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo (TEA) e as Tecnologias Assistivas ainda são incipientes no que tangem aos dispositivos que favorecem o desenvolvimento da comunicação alternativa dos autistas. Para tanto, identificar as necessidades específicas de aprendizagem para esse tipo de deficiência requer o desenvolvimento de estudos e pesquisas que facilitem o estabelecimento dessa comunicação e facultem a inclusão dessas pessoas na sua relação ensino-aprendizagem. O Ambiente Digital de Aprendizagem para Crianças Autistas - ADACA, é um projeto de pesquisa e extensão que está sendo realizado na Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), onde são desenvolvidas ferramentas  computacionais com o objetivo de auxiliar na aprendizagem da criança com autismo, contribuindo para a inclusão digital dessas crianças. O TEA consiste em um distúrbio que engloba o comprometimento nas áreas relacionadas à comunicação, à interação e às ações simbólicas. Além disso, compromete o comportamento geral e o desenvolvimento neuropsicológico da pessoa com TEA. Nesse sentido, a equipe do projeto ADACA vem desenvolvendo jogos e atividades educacionais de acesso gratuito para diferentes plataformas computacionais. Os jogos e atividades educativas são testados e analisados pelas crianças com autismo no LADACA (Laboratório do Ambiente Digital de Aprendizagem para Crianças Autistas) o qual é dividido em três ambientes (Lúdico, Computacional e Gerenciamento). Foram desenvolvidos também jogos e aplicativos para dispositivos móveis, para que sejam usados onde a criança estiver. Trata-se de um projeto interdisciplinar envolvendo as áreas de Ciências da Computação, Fonoaudiologia e Psicologia e do desenvolvimento da aprendizagem, gerando dados para se pensar em estratégias de intervenção e atuação com pessoas com TEA que favoreçam sua interação e desenvolvimento com as habilidades e competências que lhe concernem.
Aprendizaje Multimedia y el efecto de las modalidades instruccionales
Authors: Solórzano-Restrepo John Franklin , González Rodríguez David Roberto
Published: August 2019

El aprendizaje multimedia es un fenómeno estrechamente vinculado con el uso de tecnologías de la información y comunicación en entornos educativos. Diferentes posturas han surgido para abordar sus características, siendo la de Mayer la más destacada. Se realizó una investigación de tipo documentalconocida como meta-análisis, la cual consiste en una revisión sistemática cualitativa o cuantitativa de un conjunto de informes o artículos de investigación, realizados con el ánimo de estudiar el efecto de una variable en particular; El presente estudio se realizó de forma cuantitativa mediante un estadístico conocido como el coeficiente de Cohen (d) a través del cual se puede determinar cuál es la magnitud del efecto de una variable (Nulo, Bajo, moderado, alto). Como resultado de este proceso se encuentra que la modalidadinstruccional tiene un efecto alto (44% de las mediciones consultadas en las diferentes publicaciones), así como que la investigación en esta área ha ido disminuyendo en los últimos cinco años. Finalmente se encuentra un dato muy interesante, según el cual dentro de las publicaciones analizadas, solamente una se realizó en tareas de memoria implícita.
STRATEGI KOMUNIKASI FKUB DALAM MEMELIHARA KERUKUNAN UMAT BERAGAMA DI PROVINSI BALI
Authors: Panuju Redi , Kontiarta I Wayan
Published: August 2019

The consequences of several Bomb incidents that allegedly carried out by terrorists who hide behind certain religions have led to the emergence of mutual prejudices among the people. Especially in the province of Bali who had experienced the tragedy of the explosion Bomb twice from two thousand two to two thousand five. The notion that the atmosphere among religious life is threatened by religious prejudices. Moreover, media coverage tends to frame the events of terror is always done by hard-line Islamic groups, it is possible that people at the lower level generalize all Muslims tend to be radical. One institution that seeks communication between religious communities is the Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama (FKUB), whose existence in the province of Bali is very strategic. This article reviews the communication strategies undertaken by FKUB. The research method used is field research by interviewing FKUB figures as key informants. As a result FKUB's strategy contributes to maintaining community harmony, so that at the grassroots level Balinese people remain harmonious.
Optimizing ddRADseq in Non-Model Species: A Case Study in Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden
Authors: Aguirre Natalia , Filippi Carla , Zaina Giusi , Rivas Juan , Acuña Cintia , Villalba Pamela , García Martín , González Sergio , Rivarola Máximo , Martínez María , Puebla Andrea , Morgante Michele , Hopp Horacio , Paniego Norma , Marcucci Poltri Susana
Published: August 2019

Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) and its derived protocols, such as double digest RADseq (ddRADseq), offer a flexible and highly cost-effective strategy for efficient plant genome sampling. This has become one of the most popular genotyping approaches for breeding, conservation, and evolution studies in model and non-model plant species. However, universal protocols do not always adapt well to non-model species. Herein, this study reports the development of an optimized and detailed ddRADseq protocol in Eucalyptus dunnii, a non-model species, which combines different aspects of published methodologies. The initial protocol was established using only two samples by selecting the best combination of enzymes and through optimal size selection and simplifying lab procedures. Both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were determined with high accuracy after applying stringent bioinformatics settings and quality filters, with and without a reference genome. To scale it up to 24 samples, we added barcoded adapters. We also applied automatic size selection, and therefore obtained an optimal number of loci, the expected SNP locus density, and genome-wide distribution. Reliability and cross-sequencing platform compatibility were verified through dissimilarity coefficients of 0.05 between replicates. To our knowledge, this optimized ddRADseq protocol will allow users to go from the DNA sample to genotyping data in a highly accessible and reproducible way.
NTN1 Affects Porcine Intramuscular Fat Content by Affecting the Expression of Myogenic Regulatory Factors
Authors: Wang Ligang , Zhao Lingling , Zhang Longchao , Liu Xin , Hou Xinhua , Gao Hongmei , Yan Hua , Zhao Fuping , Wang Lixian
Published: August 2019

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is an important economic trait for pork quality. Our previous results regarding the genome-wide association between IMF content and copy number variations (CNVs) indicated that the CNV within Netrin-1(NTN1-CNV) was significantly associated with IMF. In order to validate the effect of NTN1-CNV, we detected the Netrin-1 (NTN1) gene dose and protein expression content in the longissimus dorsi of different IMF content pigs using Western blotting and investigated the expression of NTN1 RNA in different tissues using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The knock-down of the NTN1 gene in C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells and over-expression in C2C12 cells during the proliferation and differentiation stage were also investigated to explore the possible pathway of action of NTN1. The results showed that in individuals with IMF content differences, the gene dose of NTN1 and the expression of NTN1 protein were also significantly different, which indicated that NTN1-CNV may directly affect IMF by its coding protein. NTN1 had the highest expression in pig longissimus dorsi and backfat tissues, which indicates that NTN1 may play an important role in muscle and fat tissues. The in vitro validation assay indicated that NTN1 silencing could promote the proliferation and inhibit the differentiation of C2C12 cells, with no effect on 3T3-L1 cells. Additionally, NTN1 over-expression could inhibit the proliferation and promote the differentiation of C2C12 cells. Combined with previous research, we conclude that NTN1-CNV may affect IMF by its gene dose, and the expression of NTN1 may affect the proliferation and differentiation of muscle cells by the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and finally influence the IMF.
The Impact of Pre-Slaughter Stress on Beef Eating Quality
Authors: Loudon Kate M.W. , Tarr Garth , Lean Ian J. , Polkinghorne Rod , McGilchrist Peter , Dunshea Frank R. , Gardner Graham E. , Pethick David W.
Published: August 2019

The study evaluated the relationship between pre-slaughter stress, plasma biomarkers and consumer-evaluated eating quality of pasture raised beef cattle (n = 488). The design tested steer only, heifer only and mixed sex cattle with a comparison of direct kill versus a 14 day rest period in abattoir holding paddocks prior to slaughter. Experiment One sourced cattle from four farms and tested shipping and road transport. Experiment Two sourced cattle from four farms and tested a commercial saleyard pathway. The impact on treatment on untrained consumer eating quality scores were tested on five muscle groups, m. psoas major, m. longissimus dorsi lumborum, m. biceps femoris, m. semitendinosis, and m. infraspinatus. Across all muscles, a two-week rest period had the biggest improvement in sensory score. Mixed groups scored lower in the outside muscle than non-mixed groups. However, the mixing response was inconsistent in the eye round muscle and not significant in the other muscles. Plasma glucose and L-lactate indicated a marked acute stress response at slaughter with a small detrimental impact on consumer score. The muscle damage enzyme markers creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were strongly associated with a lower meat quality score (MQ4). Neither β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) nor non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were associated with MQ4, suggesting that fat mobilisation does not impact consumer sensory score.
Antibiotic Resistance: From the Bench to Patients
Authors: Gajdács Márió , Albericio Fernando
Published: August 2019

The discovery and subsequent clinical introduction of antibiotics is one of the most important game-changers in the history of medicine [...]
3DOF Adaptive Line-Of-Sight Based Proportional Guidance Law for Path Following of AUV in the Presence of Ocean Currents
Authors: Liu Fengxu , Shen Yue , He Bo , Wan Junhe , Wang Dianrui , Yin Qingqing , Qin Ping
Published: August 2019

In order to achieve high-precision path following of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in the horizontal plane, a three degrees-of-freedom adaptive line-of-sight based proportional (3DOFAPLOS) guidance law is proposed. Firstly, the path point coordinate system is introduced, which is suitable for the conversion of an arbitrary path. Then, the appropriate look-ahead distance is obtained by an improved adaptive line-of-sight (ALOS) according to three degrees-of-freedom (3DOF), including the cross-track error, the curvature of reference path, and the forward speed. Moreover, combining three degrees-of-freedom ALOS (3DOFALOS) with proportional guidance law, the desired heading is calculated considering the drift angle. 3DOFAPLOS has two functions: in the convergence stage, 3DOFALOS plays a leading role, making AUV converge to the path more quickly and smoothly. In the guidance stage, proportional guidance law plays a major role in effectively resisting the influence of drift angle and making AUV sail along the reference path. If the path is curved, 3DOFALOS makes contributions in both stages, adjusting look-ahead distance in real time with respect to curvature. The stability of the designed closed system is proved by Lyapunov theory. Both simulation and experiment results have verified that 3DOFAPLOS has a satisfactory result, which improves tracking performance more than 50% compared with the traditional line-of-sight (LOS). Specifically, the mean average error (MAE) of path following under 3DOFAPLOS can be reduced by about 60%, and the root mean square error (RMSE) can be reduced by about 50% compared with LOS.
Feature Engineering for ICU Mortality Prediction Based on Hourly to Bi-Hourly Measurements
Authors: Y. A. Amer Ahmed , Vranken Julie , Wouters Femke , Mesotten Dieter , Vandervoort Pieter , Storms Valerie , Luca Stijn , Vanrumste Bart , Aerts Jean-Marie
Published: August 2019

Mortality prediction for intensive care unit (ICU) patients is a challenging problem that requires extracting discriminative and informative features. This study presents a proof of concept for exploring features that can provide clinical insight. Through a feature engineering approach, it is attempted to improve ICU mortality prediction in field conditions with low frequently measured data (i.e., hourly to bi-hourly). Features are explored by investigating the vital signs measurements of ICU patients, labelled with mortality or survival at discharge. The vital signs of interest in this study are heart and respiration rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure. The latter comprises systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure. In the feature exploration process, it is aimed to extract simple and interpretable features that can provide clinical insight. For this purpose, a classifier is required that maximises the margin between the two classes (i.e., survival and mortality) with minimum tolerance to misclassification errors. Moreover, it preferably has to provide a linear decision surface in the original feature space without mapping to an unlimited dimensionality feature space. Therefore, a linear hard margin support vector machine (SVM) classifier is suggested. The extracted features are grouped in three categories: statistical, dynamic and physiological. Each category plays an important role in enhancing classification error performance. After extracting several features within the three categories, a manual feature fine-tuning is applied to consider only the most efficient features. The final classification, considering mortality as the positive class, resulted in an accuracy of 91.56 % , sensitivity of 90.59 % , precision of 86.52 % and F 1 -score of 88.50 % . The obtained results show that the proposed feature engineering approach and the extracted features are valid to be considered and further enhanced for the mortality prediction purpose. Moreover, the proposed feature engineering approach moved the modelling methodology from black-box modelling to grey-box modelling in combination with the powerful classifier of SVMs.
Use of Citizen Science-Derived Data for Spatial and Temporal Modeling of Particulate Matter near the US/Mexico Border
Authors: Carvlin Graeme N. , Lugo Humberto , Olmedo Luis , Bejarano Ester , Wilkie Alexa , Meltzer Dan , Wong Michelle , King Galatea , Northcross Amanda , Jerrett Michael , English Paul B. , Shirai Jeff , Yost Michael , Larson Timothy , Seto Edmund
Published: August 2019

This paper describes the use of citizen science-derived data for the creation of a land-use regression (LUR) model for particulate matter (PM2.5 and PMcoarse) for a vulnerable community in Imperial County, California (CA), near the United States (US)/Mexico border. Data from the Imperial County Community Air Monitoring Network community monitors were calibrated and added to a LUR, along with meteorology and land use. PM2.5 and PMcoarse were predicted across the county at the monthly timescale. Model types were compared by cross-validated (CV) R2 and root-mean-square error (RMSE). The Bayesian additive regression trees model (BART) performed the best for both PM2.5 (CV R2 = 0.47, RMSE = 1.5 µg/m3) and PMcoarse (CV R2 = 0.65, RMSE = 8.07 µg/m3). Model predictions were also compared to measurements from the regulatory monitors. RMSE for the monthly models was 3.6 µg/m3 for PM2.5 and 17.7 µg/m3 for PMcoarse. Variable importance measures pointed to seasonality and length of roads as drivers of PM2.5, and seasonality, type of farmland, and length of roads as drivers of PMcoarse. Predicted PM2.5 was elevated near the US/Mexico border and predicted PMcoarse was elevated in the center of Imperial Valley. Both sizes of PM were high near the western edge of the Salton Sea. This analysis provides some of the initial evidence for the utility of citizen science-derived pollution measurements to develop spatial and temporal models which can make estimates of pollution levels throughout vulnerable communities.
The Therapeutic Potential of Nanoparticles to Reduce Inflammation in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Mahdavi Gorabi Armita , Kiaie Nasim , Reiner Željko , Carbone Federico , Montecucco Fabrizio , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: August 2019

Chronic inflammation is one of the main determinants of atherogenesis. The traditional medications for treatment of atherosclerosis are not very efficient in targeting atherosclerotic inflammation. Most of these drugs are non-selective, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents that have adverse effects and very limited anti-atherosclerotic effects, which limits their systemic administration. New approaches using nanoparticles have been investigated to specifically deliver therapeutic agents directly on atherosclerotic lesions. The use of drug delivery systems, such as polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, and carbon nanotubes are attractive strategies, but some limitations exist. For instance, nanoparticles may alter the drug kinetics, based on the pathophysiological mechanisms of the diseases. In this review, we will update pathophysiological evidence for the use of nanoparticles to reduce inflammation and potentially prevent atherogenesis in different experimental models.
System Analysis of MIRNAs in Maize Internode Elongation
Authors: Peng Chuanxi , Wang Xing , Feng Tianyu , He Rui , Zhang Mingcai , Li Zhaohu , Zhou Yuyi , Duan Liusheng
Published: August 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), the post-transcriptional gene regulators, are known to play an important role in plant development. The identification of differentially expressed miRNAs could better help us understand the post-transcriptional regulation that occurs during maize internode elongation. Accordingly, we compared the expression of MIRNAs between fixed internode and elongation internode samples and classified six differentially expressed MIRNAs as internode elongation-responsive miRNAs including zma-MIR160c, zma-MIR164b, zma-MIR164c, zma-MIR168a, zma-MIR396f, and zma-MIR398b, which target mRNAs supported by transcriptome sequencing. Functional enrichment analysis for predictive target genes showed that these miRNAs were involved in the development of internode elongation by regulating the genes respond to hormone signaling. To further reveal how miRNA affects internode elongation by affecting target genes, the miRNA–mRNA–PPI (protein and protein interaction) network was constructed to summarize the interaction of miRNAs and these target genes. Our results indicate that miRNAs regulate internode elongation in maize by targeting genes related to cell expansion, cell wall synthesis, transcription, and regulatory factors.
3D Quantitative and Ultrastructural Analysis of Mitochondria in a Model of Doxorubicin Sensitive and Resistant Human Colon Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Moscheni Claudia , Malucelli Emil , Castiglioni Sara , Procopio Alessandra , De Palma Clara , Sorrentino Andrea , Sartori Patrizia , Locatelli Laura , Pereiro Eva , Maier Jeanette A. , Iotti Stefano
Published: August 2019

Drug resistance remains a major obstacle in cancer treatment. Because mitochondria mediate metabolic reprogramming in cancer drug resistance, we focused on these organelles in doxorubicin sensitive and resistant colon carcinoma cells. We employed soft X-ray cryo nano-tomography to map three-dimensionally these cells at nanometer-resolution and investigate the correlation between mitochondrial morphology and drug resistance phenotype. We have identified significant structural differences in the morphology of mitochondria in the two strains of cancer cells, as well as lower amounts of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in resistant than in sensitive cells. We speculate that these features could elicit an impaired mitochondrial communication in resistant cells, thus preventing the formation of the interconnected mitochondrial network as clearly detected in the sensitive cells. In fact, the qualitative and quantitative three-dimensional assessment of the mitochondrial morphology highlights a different structural organization in resistant cells, which reflects a metabolic cellular adaptation functional to survive to the offense exerted by the antineoplastic treatment.
E. coli Enterotoxin LtB Enhances Vaccine-Induced Anti-H. pylori Protection by Promoting Leukocyte Migration into Gastric Mucus via Inflammatory Lesions
Authors: Peng Xiaoyan , Zhang Rongguang , Wang Chen , Yu Feiyan , Yu Mingyang , Chen Shuaiyin , Fan Qingtang , Xi Yuanlin , Duan Guangcai
Published: August 2019

Current studies indicate that the anti-H. pylori protective efficacy of oral vaccines to a large extent depends on using mucosal adjuvants like E. coli heat-lable enterotoxin B unit (LtB). However, the mechanism by which Th17/Th1-driven cellular immunity kills H. pylori and the role of LtB remains unclear. Here, two L. lactis strains, expressing H. pylori NapA and LtB, respectively, were orally administrated to mice. As observed, the administration of LtB significantly enhanced the fecal SIgA level and decreased gastric H. pylori colonization, but also markedly aggravated gastric inflammatory injury. Both NapA group and NapA+LtB group had elevated splenocyte production of IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, IL-23 and INF-γ. Notably, gastric leukocytes’ migration or leakage into the mucus was observed more frequently in NapA+LtB group than in NapA group. This report is the first that discusses how LtB enhances vaccine-induced anti-H. pylori efficacy by aggravating gastric injury and leukocytes’ movement into the mucus layer. Significantly, it brings up a novel explanation for the mechanism underlying mucosal cellular immunity destroying the non-invasive pathogens. More importantly, the findings suggest the necessity to further evaluate LtB’s potential hazards to humans before extending its applications. Thus, this report can provide considerable impact on the fields of mucosal immunology and vaccinology.
Pravastatin and Gemfibrozil Modulate Differently Hepatic and Colonic Mitochondrial Respiration in Tissue Homogenates from Healthy Rats
Authors: Herminghaus Anna , Laser Eric , Schulz Jan , Truse Richard , Vollmer Christian , Bauer Inge , Picker Olaf
Published: August 2019

Statins and fibrates are widely used for the management of hypertriglyceridemia but they also have limitations, mostly due to pharmacokinetic interactions or side effects. It is conceivable that some adverse events like liver dysfunction or gastrointestinal discomfort are caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Data about the effects of statins and fibrates on mitochondrial function in different organs are inconsistent and partially contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pravastatin (statin) and gemfibrozil (fibrate) on hepatic and colonic mitochondrial respiration in tissue homogenates. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption was determined in colon and liver homogenates from 48 healthy rats after incubation with pravastatin or gemfibrozil (100, 300, 1000 μM). State 2 (substrate dependent respiration) and state 3 (adenosine diphosphate: ADP-dependent respiration) were assessed. RCI (respiratory control index)—an indicator for coupling between electron transport chain system (ETS) and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and ADP/O ratio—a parameter for the efficacy of OXPHOS, was calculated. Data were presented as a percentage of control (Kruskal–Wallis + Dunn’s correction). In the liver both drugs reduced state 3 and RCI, gemfibrozil-reduced ADP/O (complex I). In the colon both drugs reduced state 3 but enhanced ADP/O. Pravastatin at high concentration (1000 µM) decreased RCI (complex II). Pravastatin and gemfibrozil decrease hepatic but increase colonic mitochondrial respiration in tissue homogenates from healthy rats.
CTCs 2020: Great Expectations or Unreasonable Dreams
Authors: Rossi Elisabetta , Fabbri Francesco
Published: August 2019

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cellular elements that can be scattered into the bloodstream from primary cancer, metastasis, and even from a disseminated tumor cell (DTC) reservoir. CTCs are “seeds”, able to give rise to new metastatic lesions. Since metastases are the cause of about 90% of cancer-related deaths, the significance of CTCs is unquestionable. However, two major issues have stalled their full clinical exploitation: rarity and heterogeneity. Therefore, their full clinical potential has only been predicted. Finding new ways of studying and using such tremendously rare and important events can open new areas of research in the field of cancer research, and could drastically improve tumor companion diagnostics, personalized treatment strategies, overall patients management, and reduce healthcare costs.
Intraarticular Ligament Degeneration Is Interrelated with Cartilage and Bone Destruction in Osteoarthritis
Authors: Schulze-Tanzil Gundula
Published: August 2019

Osteoarthritis (OA) induces inflammation and degeneration of all joint components including cartilage, joint capsule, bone and bone marrow, and ligaments. Particularly intraarticular ligaments, which connect the articulating bones such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscotibial ligaments, fixing the fibrocartilaginous menisci to the tibial bone, are prone to the inflamed joint milieu in OA. However, the pathogenesis of ligament degeneration on the cellular level, most likely triggered by OA associated inflammation, remains poorly understood. Hence, this review sheds light into the intimate interrelation between ligament degeneration, synovitis, joint cartilage degradation, and dysbalanced subchondral bone remodeling. Various features of ligament degeneration accompanying joint cartilage degradation have been reported including chondroid metaplasia, cyst formation, heterotopic ossification, and mucoid and fatty degenerations. The entheses of ligaments, fixing ligaments to the subchondral bone, possibly influence the localization of subchondral bone lesions. The transforming growth factor (TGF)β/bone morphogenetic (BMP) pathway could present a link between degeneration of the osteochondral unit and ligaments with misrouted stem cell differentiation as one likely reason for ligament degeneration, but less studied pathways such as complement activation could also contribute to inflammation. Facilitation of OA progression by changed biomechanics of degenerated ligaments should be addressed in more detail in the future.
Zinc Oxide for Functional Textile Coatings: Recent Advances
Authors: Verbič Anja , Gorjanc Marija , Simončič Barbara
Published: August 2019

The use of ZnO for the functionalization of textile substrates is growing rapidly, since it can provide unique multifunctional properties, such as photocatalytic self-cleaning, antimicrobial activity, UV protection, flame retardancy, thermal insulation and moisture management, hydrophobicity, and electrical conductivity. This paper aims to review the recent progress in the fabrication of ZnO-functionalized textiles, with an emphasis on understanding the specificity and mechanisms of ZnO action that impart individual properties to the textile fibers. The most common synthesis and application processes of ZnO to textile substrates are summarized. The influence of ZnO concentration, particle size and shape on ZnO functionality is presented. The importance of doping and coupling procedures to enhance ZnO performance is highlighted. The need to use binding and seeding agents to increase the durability of ZnO coatings is expressed. In addition to functional properties, the cytotoxicity of ZnO coatings is also discussed. Future directions in the use of ZnO for textile functionalization are identified as well.
Site-Preference, Electronic, Magnetic, and Half-Metal Properties of Full-Heusler Sc2VGe and a Discussion on the Uniform Strain and Tetragonal Deformation Effects
Authors: Chen Zongbin , Xu Heju , Gao Yongchun , Wang Xiaotian , Yang Tie
Published: August 2019

A hypothetical full-Heusler alloy, Sc2VGe, was analyzed, and the comparison between the XA and L21 structures of this alloy was studied based on first-principles calculations. We found that the L21-type structure was more stable than the XA one. Further, the electronic structures of both types of structure were also investigated based on the calculated band structures. Results show that the physical nature of L21-type Sc2VGe is metallic; however, XA-type Sc2VGe is a half-metal (HM) with 100% spin polarization. When XA-type Sc2VGe is at its equilibrium lattice parameter, its total magnetic moment is 3 μ B , and its total magnetism is mainly attributed to the V atom. The effects of uniform strain and tetragonal lattice distortion on the electronic structures and half-metallic states of XA-type Sc2VGe were also studied. All the aforementioned results indicate that XA-type Sc2VGe would be an ideal candidate for spintronics studies, such as spin generation and injection.
Ecological and Conservation Correlates of Rarity in New World Pitvipers
Authors: Birskis-Barros Irina , R. V. Alencar Laura , I. Prado Paulo , Böhm Monika , Martins Marcio
Published: August 2019

Rare species tend to be especially sensitive to habitat disturbance, making them important conservation targets. Thus, rarity patterns might be an important guide to conservation efforts. Rabinowitz’s approach defines rarity using a combination of geographical range, habitat specificity, and local abundance, and is frequently used in conservation prioritization. Herein, we use Rabinowitz’s approach to classify the New World (NW) pitvipers (family Viperidae) regarding rarity. We tested whether body size and latitude could predict rarity, and we compared rarity patterns with extinction risk assessments and other prioritization methods in order to detect rare species not classified as threatened or prioritized. Most NW pitvipers have large geographical ranges, high local abundances, and narrow habitat breadths. There are 11.8% of NW pitviper species in the rarest category and they occur along the Pacific coast of Mexico, in southern Central America, in the Andean region of Ecuador, and in eastern Brazil. Rarity in NW pitvipers is inversely related to latitude but is not related to body size. Our results indicate that additional species of NW pitvipers are threatened and/or should be prioritized for conservation. Combining complementary approaches to detect rare and threatened species may substantially improve our knowledge on the conservation needs of NW pitvipers.
Genetic Data Suggest Multiple Introductions of the Lionfish (Pterois miles) into the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Dimitriou Andreas C. , Chartosia Niki , Hall-Spencer Jason M. , Kleitou Periklis , Jimenez Carlos , Antoniou Charalampos , Hadjioannou Louis , Kletou Demetris , Sfenthourakis Spyros
Published: August 2019

Widespread reports over the last six years confirm the establishment of lionfish (Pterois miles) populations in the eastern Mediterranean. Accumulated knowledge on lionfish invasions in the western Atlantic Ocean has shown that it is a successful invader and can have negative impacts on native species, indirect ecological repercussions and economic effects on local human societies. Here we analysed genetic sequences of lionfish from Cyprus as well as data from the whole distribution of the species, targeting the mtDNA markers cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and the control region (CR). Our results reflect a pattern of repeated introductions into the Mediterranean from the northern Red Sea and a secondary spread of this species west to Rhodes and Sicily. Presented results agree with previously published studies highlighting the genetic similarity with individuals from the northern Red Sea. Nevertheless, some individuals from Cyprus, in addition to those coming via the Suez Canal, were genetically similar to fish from the Indian Ocean, indicating genetic homogeneity among populations of P. miles across its current distribution, possibly facilitated by the ornamental fish trade and/or transport through ballast water.
Improving Intertidal Reef Mapping Using UAV Surface, Red Edge, and Near-Infrared Data
Authors: Collin Antoine , Dubois Stanislas , James Dorothée , Houet Thomas
Published: August 2019

Coastal living reefs provide considerable services from tropical to temperate systems. Threatened by global ocean-climate and local anthropogenic changes, reefs require spatially explicit management at the submeter scale, where socioecological processes occur. Drone surveys have adequately addressed these requirements with red-green-blue (RGB) orthomosaics and digital surface models (DSMs). The use of ancillary spectral bands has the potential to increase the mapping of all reefscapes that emerge during low tide. This research investigates the contribution of the drone-based red edge (RE), near-infrared (NIR), and DSM into the classification accuracy of five main habitats of the largest intertidal biogenic reefs in Europe, built by the honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata. Based on photoquadrats and the maximum likelihood algorithm, overall, producer’s and user’s accuracies were distinctly augmented. When isolated, the DSM provided the highest gain percentage (3.42%), followed by the NIR (2.58%), and RE (2.02%). When joined, the combination of the DSM with both RE and NIR was the best contributor (4.98%), followed by the DSM with RE (4.80%), DSM with NIR (3.74%), and RE with NIR (3.22%). At the class scale, all datasets increasingly advantaged sand, gravel, reef, mud and water. The rather low effect of the DSM with NIR (3.74%) was assumed to be linked with a statistical noise originated from redundant information in the intertidal area.
Deep Learning-Based Damage Detection from Aerial SfM Point Clouds
Authors: Mohammadi Mohammad Ebrahim , Watson Daniel P. , Wood Richard L.
Published: August 2019

Aerial data collection is well known as an efficient method to study the impact following extreme events. While datasets predominately include images for post-disaster remote sensing analyses, images alone cannot provide detailed geometric information due to a lack of depth or the complexity required to extract geometric details. However, geometric and color information can easily be mined from three-dimensional (3D) point clouds. Scene classification is commonly studied within the field of machine learning, where a workflow follows a pipeline operation to compute a series of engineered features for each point and then points are classified based on these features using a learning algorithm. However, these workflows cannot be directly applied to an aerial 3D point cloud due to a large number of points, density variation, and object appearance. In this study, the point cloud datasets are transferred into a volumetric grid model to be used in the training and testing of 3D fully convolutional network models. The goal of these models is to semantically segment two areas that sustained damage after Hurricane Harvey, which occurred in 2017, into six classes, including damaged structures, undamaged structures, debris, roadways, terrain, and vehicles. These classes are selected to understand the distribution and intensity of the damage. The point clouds consist of two distinct areas assembled using aerial Structure-from-Motion from a camera mounted on an unmanned aerial system. The two datasets contain approximately 5000 and 8000 unique instances, and the developed methods are assessed quantitatively using precision, accuracy, recall, and intersection over union metrics.
Can International Students in China Affect Chinese OFDI—Empirical Analysis Based on Provincial Panel Data
Authors: Chen Shaoming , Lin Yuheng , Zhu Xinyi , Akbar Ahsan
Published: August 2019

The present study employs panel data of 29 provinces and municipalities in mainland China from 2003 to 2016 to empirically investigate the influence of international students on China’s outward FDI. The results show that international students in China can significantly promote outward FDI in various Chinese provinces. Moreover, we observe a substitution effect with export scale and wage level, that is, attracting international students can offset the negative impact of insufficient export scale and low wages on regional OFDI (outward foreign direct investment). From a regional perspective, the growth in international students’ inflows in China has a significant positive impact on OFDI of provinces along “the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road”, but has no significant impact on the provinces along “the Silk Road Economic Belt”. The above conclusions not only elaborate the regional distribution mechanism of OFDI in China, but also provide a reference for each province to formulate more favorable policies to attract foreign talent to effectively implement the strategy of “going global”.